Marinated Butter Beans

These Marinated Butter Beans are SO simple to make, but really big on flavour. They are fresh, vibrant, a great way to increase your fibre and as simple as mixing everything together in a big bowl. I love these as part of meal prep lunches, or serving alongside grilled meats and fish. But, they would also be SUCH a good dish to take to a BBQ.

A bowl containing butter bean salad next to a blue towel, fresh dill and pine nuts.

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If I had to choose a favourite bean recipe, it would be this! I always have butter beans in the cupboard. They're affordable, versatile, and turn into something really special with just a few Mediterranean-inspired ingredients in this marinated butter bean recipe. You can use canned butter beans, but once you try these jars, you will never go back.

The flavours in this recipe are insanely good. The olives, roasted peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, and pine nuts all give Mediterranean vibes. The lemon and herbs brighten everything up, while the honey and paprika add warmth and depth.

It's vegetarian, high in fiber, and can easily be made vegan. It's also one of those recipes that tastes even better the next day. Honestly, if you turn up to a BBQ with this as a side dish, everyone is going to be asking you for the recipe.

Looking for more butter bean recipes? Why not try our versatile Slow Cooker Butter Beans, easy Butter Bean Hummus, tasty Butter Bean Salad or our creamy Butter Bean Soup?

Jump to:

Ingredients and Substitutions
Variations
How To Make Marinated Butter Beans
Marinated Butter Beans Serving Suggestions
Meal Prep and Storage
Dannii's Top Tips
Frequently Asked Questions
More Bean Recipes
Recipe
Feedback

Ingredients and Substitutions

All the ingredients needed for this recipe with text overlay labels.

A full ingredients list, along with US Customary and Metric measurements, can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.

Butter beans - These jarred butter beans are the best ones to use. If I am adding butter beans to something, I will use a can as they are cheap, but when they are the star of the dish like this, jarred are best.
Olives - A mixture of olives.
Roasted red peppers - You can buy them roasted in a jar, or make our Roasted Red Peppers.
Herbs - Fresh dill and parsley
Lemon - Use the lemon juice and lemon zest from one lemon for extra flavour.
Olive oil - Use a really good quality extra virgin olive oil as it is a key flavour.
Honey - This could be left out, but I really think a touch of sweetness just works so well. Swap to maple syrup to keep these marinated beans vegan.
Garlic - Make sure the fresh garlic is crushed really well, so it mixed evenly into the beans.
Sun-dried tomatoes - You could use fresh tomatoes, but the flavour is just more intense with sun-dried.
Paprika
Pine nuts

Variations

Spicy version - Add a pinch of chilli flakes or finely chopped fresh red chilli for heat. Something smoky like chipotle works really well.

Creamy twist - Stir through crumbled feta or mozzarella pearls just before serving. You could also add some cooked halloumi. Try our Air Fryer Halloumi.

Protein boost - To make these marinated butter beans more of a full meal, add grilled chicken strips or flaked salmon.

Mediterranean grain bowl - Serve over quinoa, bulgur wheat, or couscous with extra herbs and a drizzle of Tahini Dressing. Try our Brown Rice and Quinoa mix too.

How To Make Marinated Butter Beans

A large mixing bowl containing beans, olives, herbs, tomatoes, garlic and pine nuts.

Step 1

Put all of the ingredients into a large mixing bowl.

Step 2

Mix well to combine everything.

Marinated Butter Beans Serving Suggestions

We love these as a side dish, and there are so many different ways to serve them. They go really well with Halloumi and Vegetable Skewers or Air Fryer Chicken Kebabs.

For a really easy lunch, spoon the mixture onto toasted sourdough bread with a Whipped Feta Dip.

Add to a Greek Meze Platter or use as a filling for wraps and pitas. Of course it makes a great addition to a Picky Plate.

A picky plate made up of salad items, flatbread, beans, hummus and turkey slices.

Meal Prep and Storage

Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. The flavours will deepen over time and I think it gets better.

If making ahead for lunches, you can portion it into individual containers and add extras like grilled chicken, quinoa, or salad leaves to make a full meal.

I don't recommend freezing it, as the texture of the beans can become grainy once thawed.

If the salad looks slightly dry after refrigeration, just stir through a drizzle of olive oil and a squeeze of lemon before serving.

Dannii's Top Tips

If you are using jarred butter beans that come in a really thick liquid, drain most of it but leave some as it adds so much flavour to the dressing in these marinated butter beans.
Chop everything fairly small and evenly, as you want to have a good mixture of everything in every bite.
Toast the pine nuts for extra flavour.
For best results, cover and refrigerate the mixture for 30 minutes before serving. This allows all the flavours to really come together. You can then taste it and adjust the seasoning again just before serving if needed.
You really don't need to worry too much about the exact measurements here, as you can literally just throw it all in. You can't get it wrong.

Marinated butter beans mixed with chopped tomatoes, chopped peppers, pine nuts and herbs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use dried butter beans?

Yes. Soak and cook them until tender, then cool completely before using.

Can marinated butter beans be served warm?

Yes, they can. Leave them at room temperature for about 10 minutes and then heat them up in a pan.

More Bean Recipes

If you've tried this Marinated Butter Beans recipe, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
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