Creamy Miso Butter Beans with Spinach

A tablespoon of white miso is whisked into the vegetable broth before it goes in, so it disperses rather than sitting in lumps.

The beans simmer five minutes in that broth, then cream and three cups of spinach finish the pan in another four to five.

Ingredient Notes

Butter beans

Two 15-ounce cans, rinsed and drained.

White miso

One tablespoon, whisked into the broth; it contains soy.

Baby spinach

Three cups, wilted into the sauce at the end.

How to Make It

1. Garlic softened

   Melt the butter in a wide skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds.

2. Miso broth and beans

   Whisk the miso into the vegetable broth, then add the mixture to the skillet with the butter beans. Simmer 5 minutes.

3. Cream and spinach

   Stir in the heavy cream and spinach. Simmer 4 to 5 minutes, until the sauce lightly thickens and the spinach wilts.

4. Finished

   Stir in the lemon juice, season with black pepper and finish with red pepper flakes.

Success Tips

• Whisk the miso into the broth off the heat so it dissolves fully.
• Stir gently once the beans are in so they stay whole.
• Add the lemon juice off the heat to keep it bright.

Why This Recipe Works

• Whisking the miso into the broth first spreads it evenly.
• A short simmer keeps the butter beans whole rather than breaking them.
• Cream added late keeps the sauce pale and glossy.
• Lemon juice at the end lifts the whole pan.

Storage and Reheating

Serving Ideas

Serve straight from the skillet with bread, or over rice or grains.