10 Minute Lemon Creamy Butter Beans with Spinach

Name: 10 Minute Lemon Creamy Butter Beans with Spinach
Prep time: 3 min
Cook time: 7 min
Total time: 10 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 tbsp olive oil; 1 shallot, minced; 5 garlic cloves, minced; 16 ounces butter beans or white beans, rinsed; 2 tsp dried parsley; 1 tsp dried oregano; 1 tsp sea salt; 1 cup (240 mL) dairy-free milk, divided; 4 tbsp lemon juice, from 1 large lemon; 1 tbsp lemon zest, from 1 large lemon; 1 tbsp all-purpose flour or einkorn flour; 3 cups spinach, rinsed

posted by Britt Berlin on Apr 19, 2026 0 comments »

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These lemony creamy butter beans with spinach use just pantry staple ingredients to put dinner on the table in just 10 minutes!! The soft butter beans are simmered a gorgeously zesty lemon sauce that’s ridiculously rich and comforting, yet just so easy. Serve with fresh, crusty bread or over pasta- it’s a dinner recipe your family will be asking for again and again!

Why you’ll love this creamy butter bean dish:

Ready in 10 minutes: And truly not a whole lot to do. You really toss everything in a pot, let it simmer, and there you go! This is one of my favorite go-to recipes for weeknight dinners when the days are feeling a bit too chaotic. This and my Marry Me Chickpeas are usually making their rounds through the weekly lineup!
Uses pantry staple ingredients: Except for some produce, like spinach and lemons (but honestly, you can even use frozen spinach!), we’re really keeping it simple- beans, olive oil, sea salt, onion, garlic, and a few more simple ingredients are all you need.
Ridiculously comforting: I usually serve this up with roasted veggies (like my roasted red cabbage steaks!) or over pasta, and it is devoured. Or you can make it more of a dip, and sop it up with some crusty bread- it’s delicious. Perfectly zesty, creamy without heavy cream, and absolute comfort food in 1 pot!
Only one pot: Talk about easy clean up (honestly, I need that between the busy recipe testing days and needing good, nourishing food for the whole fam to eat!).

Overview: How to make lemon creamy butter beans with spinach:

For the full written instructions and ingredient measurements, see the bottom of this post in the recipe card. You can also hit the “jump to recipe” button at the top of this post! Here, we’ll go over a brief overview of the steps, along with providing visuals for a better understanding of the recipe.

sautéing the butter beans — We’ll start by sautéing the shallots and minced garlic together, followed by adding in the butter beans.

sauce before it's thickened — We’ll start by sautéing the shallots and minced garlic together, followed by adding in the butter beans.

sauce after it's thickened with the spinach — Cook until the sauce thickens (about 2 minutes), then stir in the spinach to cook down until wilted.

serving the lemon creamy butter beans — Cook until the sauce thickens (about 2 minutes), then stir in the spinach to cook down until wilted.

Recipe tips & ingredient swaps:

Dairy free milks: Really any dairy-free milk here will do. I like my homemade oat milk or cashew cream (we’re not nut-free, but if you are, feel free to use whatever is best suited for your diet!).
Gluten-free: Use cornstarch or arrowroot starch instead of flour for the roux.
The sauce thickens quickly: As soon as the flour reaches the hot sauce, it will start to thicken. You can add a touch more dairy-free milk if you feel your sauce is too thick!
Spinach swaps: I really love this recipe with kale, asparagus, mushrooms, or even broccoli. It may take a bit more time to cook if using vegetables like asparagus or broccoli, but definitely worth it!

If you make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and a rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ below. This helps others to find the recipes! As always, I absolutely love to see your beautiful creations on Instagram and Pinterest, so be sure to tag me there as well!