What is the difference between lima beans and butter beans?

There is no difference between Lima beans and butter beans - they're the same thing. Their geography is what typically determines what they're called, as people in the American South and the UK tend to call them "butter beans," while to the rest of the United States - they're Lima Beans.

Can I substitute anything for butter beans?

Well, Lima beans of course (see above). While these two items are the same thing, you will often see both options in the store. Lima beans are typically available frozen and canned, whereas Butter beans are usually canned. For this recipe, you could substitute grean beans (either fresh or canned), or any manner of dark leafy greens.

Are butter beans good for you?

Butter beans are very rich in vitamins and minerals and can therefore directly contribute to our overall health. These beans are great sources of potassium, magnesium, folate, iron, zinc, calcium, and protein. Now, we're adding bacon, sugar, and butter to ours, so that may change the health report a little bit, but on their own - butter beans are very good for you.

Are butter beans Southern?

Yes, absolutely. The term "butter beans" is exclusively Southern (and also British), as the rest of the US refers to the little legumes as Lima Beans. Southern lunch and dinner tables have played host to delicious pots of creamy butter beans for decades.

New! A Recipe for Southern Butter Beans (They're tasty. Give them a chance!)

A Recipe for Southern Butter Beans (give them a chance!)

Print Recipe

Since butter beans are lima beans, please feel free to swap in limas if that’s easy for you to find in your neck of the woods. Also, this recipe works great with the smaller beans or the big fat ones (I love these things). You can even do this with green beans if you so choose, either canned or fresh. It’s a flexible flavor base we’re working with here, so riff as you see fit.

Author: Lauren McDuffie
Yield: Serves 4 to 6 1x

Ingredients

Units Scale

8 slices bacon, chopped
1/2 large yellow onion or 1 small yellow onion, diced
Salt and pepper
28 to 32 ounces canned or frozen butter beans or lima beans (drained and rinsed if canned)
2 heaping tablespoons brown sugar (light or dark)
2 teaspoons chicken stock concentrate (or whatever flavor you love)
3 garlic cloves, minced or grated
1/2 teaspoon crushed chili flakes (optional, if you like a kick)
1.5 to 2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
2 tablespoons butter

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Instructions

Cook the bacon in a large pot set over medium heat until browned and crispy. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate for now, leaving two tablespoons of the drippings behind.
Add the onion and season with a little salt and pepper (still working over medium heat). Cook for 5 minutes, just until tender. Add the butter beans, brown sugar, stock concentrate, and garlic, chili (if using) and cook, for a few minutes.
Add the 1.5 cups of the stock and butter and reduce the heat to low (you want everything to be submerged in the flavorful stock). Let everything simmer, uncovered, for about 30 minutes so the stock can reduce and get creamier. This is ready to eat anytime, so you be the judge of when things look perfect to you – maybe you want to keep simmering to further reduce the mixture, or maybe you want to just simmer for 15 minutes, so they’re still a little soup-esque. There’s no wrong way to butter bean here.
Top with the crispy bacon and serve warm with cornbread or biscuits, if you like.

Find it online: https://mykitchenlittle.com/2024/02/02/recipe-for-southern-butter-beans/