Butter Bean Puree

You might know butter beans as lima beans, same bean less cute name. Once cooked and taken for a carnival ride in the food processor, these little beans make the creamiest puree that can be flavored in any manner of ways. It has a lighter flavor and texture than hummus and makes a great dip, sandwich spread, or side dish for roasted meat.  If starting with dried beans, plan ahead because they need to be soaked overnight before cooking.

1 ½ cups dried butter beans, or 2 cups cooked butter beans
8 cups water, divided
3 large garlic cloves, unpeeled
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
¼ teaspoon black pepper
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon coriander seed, ground
¼ cup olive oil

Wash and sort through the dried beans to remove any foreign material. Place the dried beans and 4 cups of water in a medium sized bowl and let soak overnight. Drain and rinse the beans and place in a 3 quart sauce pan with 4 cups of water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 1 ½ hours, or until the beans are soft and creamy in the center. Drain.

Place the whole unpeeled garlic cloves in a dry sauté pan over medium low heat and roast until they are soft, 5-7 minutes. The outsides will become charred and blacked and the centers should be soft. Turn them as needed. Peel the cloves and place the roasted garlic in the bowl of a food processor.

Add 2 cups of the cooked beans to the processor along with the lemon juice, lemon zest, and spices. Process for 2-3 minutes until the mixture is smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. With the processor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Continue to process for 2-3 more minutes until the puree is smooth and creamy. Adjust the seasoning as needed. Serve chilled or heated.