Day 2.5 Recipe: Easy-Peasy Southern Style Butter Beans

So I decided to make some butter beans (for lunch today, Wednesday). Extremely easy - you just need an hour or so to boil the water and beans. You need only a few ingredients: Lima beans and a bouillon cube.

Of course, it's called BUTTER BEANS, so you will need... BUTTER.

Butters was not harmed in the making of these butter beans. I just like his picture more than a stick of butter. 

The other times I've had the dish, it was cooked with bacon and ham and served as a side rather than main dish. We used baby lima beans instead of large lima beans, and added no meat pieces.

Butter Beans - Simple Recipe

• 1 lb (one 14-16 oz. bag) raw lima beans 
• 2 quarts water
• 1 bouillon cube
• 2-3 tbsp butter, to taste
• dashes of salt, black pepper, or seasoned salt to taste. (At the time, I still smelled like garlic, so I did not add any garlic salt - but if you love it, go for it.)

Bring water and beans to a boil. After beans start to soften (they also darken slightly), add 1-2 tbsp of butter and a bouillon cube (we used beef). [Note: If you want to go completely vegetarian, use more salt and seasonings or a vegetable bouillon cube. If you want vegan, replace the butter with dairy-free margarine. If you don't care, add a few chopped bacon or ham pieces.]

Continue boiling on medium heat for about an hour, stirring occasionally. You may need to add more water depending on whether or not you cover the pot. Just make sure the beans don't start to burn.

After an hour, there should still be liquid but it will be a thicker broth. The beans should be soft but not mushy. Remove from heat and add one more tbsp butter and salt to taste. Stir it up and serve with rice. This dish is normally is served as a side, but if it is your main dish, it yields four large servings.

Buttery, yummy goodness! The beans are mild and almost sweet, pairing well with the butter. If you are tired of spicy (or garlicky) flavoring, this is a good option to achieve some variety.

This was so delicious we will definitely be preparing it again some day.

If you stare at it long enough, it starts to resemble the rice pudding.