Butter Bean Potato Soup! Comforting and cozy, this light and flavorful soup is sure to warm you up on a cold winter day.
Creamy, wholesome, and delicious, this oil-free, low-fat Butter Bean Potato Soup is easy to make and brimming with plant-rich goodness. You won’t miss a thing with this guilt-free, homestyle soup that’s loaded with chunks of hearty potatoes and tender butter beans. This hearty and satisfying soup is sure to please! We’ve provide both Instant Pot and stovetop instructions for ease.
Whole Food Plant Based, vegan, plant based, oil free, refined sugar free, no highly processed ingredients, and gluten free
Hi there, Ameera here!
Do you love butter beans? We sure do! They are so creamy and delicious! For the sake of this recipe, butter beans are not quite the same as lima beans, although the internet will tell you differently.
Lima beans are smaller, light green, and have a starchy texture. While butter beans are larger, cream colored, have a fragile skin, and have a “buttery” texture.
Through all the research on butter beans and lima beams, all I can find is that butter beans are lima beans that are bigger, more mature, and creamier than lima beans.
Butter Beans
You can find canned butter beans at most grocery stores sold under the name “butter beans.” If you use lima beans, the soup will more than likely not have the same end result. I am sure it can work somewhat, but the butter beans just make this soup delightful and creamy!
Soup Request
We made this soup specifically for Brenda, a Reader from Iowa, who told us that she was having sinus surgery coming up next month and wanted a soup that was hearty, filling, tender, flavorful, but not spicy. She emphasized “not spicy!”
Her goal was to make a bunch of soups and freeze them so after she had her surgery, she could just thaw the soup and reheat.
Easy on the Stomach
This soup has great flavor, but we want to be clear that it is lightly flavored. We absolutely loved, the beautiful mellow, savory flavor.
You can certainly crank up the flavor by adding more spices, but we loved it simply as written. Although we did have one family member that insisted on more sea salt and black pepper and wanted his opinion added to the recipe notes. Guess who? LOL
Optional
The corn is completely optional, we loved it, but it does add an extra crunch element that I believe Reader Brenda was trying to avoid.
We hope you give this recipe a try, we would love to hear from you.
If you try this cozy soup, we would love to know if you enjoy it as much as we do! Please leave us a review! Post a picture on Facebook or Instagram and tag us! We would love to hear from you.
Products Used:
- Instant Pot or Ceramic/Enamel Lined Dutch Oven or similarly large stock pot with a tight-fitting lid
Butter Bean Potato Soup
- Prep Time: 15 Minutes
- Cook Time: 4 Minutes
- Total Time: 19 Minutes (+Rest Time)
- Yield: 4 - 5 Servings 1x
- Category: Soup
- Method: Instant Pot/Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Creamy, wholesome, and delicious, this oil-free, low-fat Butter Bean Potato Soup is easy to make and brimming with plant-rich goodness.
Ingredients
Base Ingredients:
- 1 medium yellow onion, fine dice
- 2 carrots, sliced into penny rounds
- 2 celery ribs, diced
- 2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth *
- 2 cups water
- 1 Tablespoon reduced-sodium tamari *
- 1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast (optional) *
- 4 cups Russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1-inch cubes *
- 2 – [ 15 oz. cans ] butter beans, drained and rinsed (divided)
Spice/Herb Ingredients:
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 Tablespoons dried minced onions
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika (+/-)
- Pinch to ¼ teaspoon dried crushed thyme leaves *
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ to 1 teaspoon sea salt (+/-) *
- 1/8 to ¼ teaspoon black pepper (+/-)
Optional Ingredients:
- 1 – [ 15 oz. can ] corn, drained *
Optional Toppings:
- Chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
Instant Pot Instructions
- Place the Spice/Herb Ingredients (except the bay leaf) in a small bowl, mix well, set aside.
- Add all the Base Ingredients (reserve one can of butter beans) and Spice/Herb Mix, (and corn), stir well to combine, then tuck in the bay leaf. Set the Instant Pot to Manual Pressure High for 4 minutes. When finished, press Cancel and allow to sit for 2 minutes, then do a Quick Release. Unplug the Instant Pot.
- Once all the pressure is released, carefully remove the lid, remove and discard the bay leaf, then remove about 1 ½ cups of the soup (a mixture potatoes, broth, and butter beans), place into a deep bowl and blend with an immersion blender until smooth and creamy, then add back into the soup, stir to combine.
- Add in the 2nd can of butter beans to the soup, stir to combine and allow to sit for 5 minutes for the flavors to marry. Serve and enjoy!
Stove Top Instructions
- Place the Spice/Herb Ingredients in a small bowl, mix well, set aside.
- In a large ceramic/enamel-lined pot or similar stock pot, add the diced onions, carrots and celery, sauté over medium-high heat until the veggies begin to soften, approximately 7 to 9 minutes, stirring periodically to prevent burning. Add a tablespoon or so of water if they start to stick and/or to prevent burning.
- Next add all the Base Ingredients (reserve one can of butter beans) and Spice/Herb Mix, (and corn), stir well to combine, then tuck in the bay leaf. Bring the mixture to a boil, then lower to a low-boiling simmer, stir to combine. Cover with a tight-fitting lid. Simmer for 25 to 35 minutes or until the potatoes, carrots, and celery are perfectly tender, stirring occasionally.
- Once the potatoes, carrots, and celery are tender, remove and discard the bay leaf, then remove about 1 ½ cups of the soup (a mixture potatoes, broth, and butter beans), place into a deep bowl and blend with an immersion blender until smooth and creamy, then add back into the soup, stir to combine.
- Add in the 2nd can of butter beans to the soup, stir to combine and allow to sit for 5 minutes for the flavors to marry. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
*TIPS for Success:
- Instant Pot: We used an 8-quart Instant Pot. If you use a 6-quart Instant Pot, you may need to reduce the time in the Instant Pot accordingly.
- Immersion Blending/Mashing the Potatoes and Butter Beans: Immersion blending some of the potatoes/beans/soup broth and returning to the pot creates a lightly creamy texture which we loved. You can also do this by hand mashing, but make sure you really mash it well. Note: If you added corn, it’s OK if it gets blended as well.
- Flavors to Marry: Make sure you allow at least 5 minutes for the flavors to marry after mashing the beans and potatoes. The flavors continue to develop once the soup slightly cools.
- Lightly Flavored Soup: This soup has great flavor, but we want to be clear that it is lightly flavored. We absolutely loved, the beautiful mellow, savory flavor. You can certainly crank up the flavor by adding more spices, but we loved it simply as written. Although we did have one family member that insisted on more sea salt and black pepper and wanted his opinion added to the recipe notes.
- Butter Beans: While “Butter Beans” are considered the same as lima beans, for the sake of this recipe, they are not the same. A butter bean is a very mature lima bean. They are bigger, creamier, have less color, and are more fragile. They are sold as a “Butter Beans” on the can label in stores. We want to make sure we are clear as lima beans will not give the same end result as butter beans in this recipe. We reserve one can of butter beans to add at the very end to preserve the texture of the beans. The original can of butter beans added at the beginning of the soup pretty much dissolves into the soup adding great flavor.
- Corn: We made the corn optional simply because our family members were divided over them. Some enjoyed the extra texture that the corn added, while others did not.
- Instant Pot Sauté: If you wish to add some extra flavor on the stove top, feel free to sauté the onions, carrots, celery and minced garlic until tender. We tried using the sauté function with the Instant Pot doing the same, and it really made no discernable difference. It did make a slight difference on the stove top.
*Notes Continued:
*Vegetable Stock: We use Pacific Organic Low Sodium Vegetable Stock. We love this brand because it is Whole Food Plant Based compliant, as it does not contain MSG, has no oil, and does not contain any highly-processed ingredients.
*Dried Thyme Crushed Leaves: We use Penzeys French Thyme. It has amazing flavor. If you can’t find dried crushed thyme leaves, you can use ground thyme, but use half the amount.
*Tamari: We used San J Tamari Soy Sauce, Gluten Free, Reduced Sodium. You can substitute the tamari with reduced sodium soy sauce, Braggs Liquid Aminos, or Braggs Coconut Liquid Aminos.
*Russet Potatoes: We loved using Russet potatoes; however, you can use your favorite potato in this soup. If using a thin-skinned potato like a Yukon Gold, you do not need to peel the potatoes, otherwise, peel the potatoes.
*Sea Salt: Please adjust the sea salt based upon your family’s sea salt preferences and/or based upon dietary needs.
*Serving: 4 to 5 (makes 9 ½ to 10 cups)
*Storage: Refrigerate and use within 5 days, freezes well.
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Yummo! Made this last night for dinner. I was in the mood for some comfort food. Thanks.
Have a 6 quart instant pot. Did 2 minutes with a quick release and the potatoes and carrots were perfect. I added another 1/2 tsp each of garlic powder, onion powder and oregano. And I used navy beans as I didn’t have butter beans.
It was really good. Super hardy and comforting. We had it for lunch today too. Added a little Sriracha for some kick!
It is going to be a repeat recipe for sure.
Hi there Sandra:)
Yippee!!! We are so EXCITED that you enjoyed this recipe. Thank you so much for sharing your awesome feedback and delicious adjustments with us. We appreciate you taking the time to write <3
-Ameera and Robin 🙂
I made this tonight. Oh my gosh, so good. I didn’t have the butter beans but had dried gigante beans that I didn’t know what to make to use them up. My husband had two bowls full. I will definitely be making this soup again. Thank you for all the wonderful recipes you make and share with us.
Hi there Tracy 🙂
Awesome!!! We are so excited that you and your husband enjoyed this recipe. Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful feedback and tasty adjustments with us. We appreciate you taking the time to write and for your continued support!
-Ameera and Robin 🙂
I made this recipe today with large lima beans, which is what we call butter beans in Texas. I used dry beans and soaked them over night and then cooked it in the IP for 10 min w 10-15 min release. Hubby absolutely loved it. He’s a huge butter beans fan and I’ve converted a couple of other recipes that you’ve used white beans in w the limas. Thank you for a fabulous potato and butter beans recipe!! So bring on any other butter beans recipes!!
Hi there Estee 🙂
Yaaayyy!!! We are so thrilled that you and your Hubby enjoyed this recipe. Thank you so much for sharing your awesome feedback and delicious adjustments with us. We appreciate your support and for taking the time to write!
-Ameera and Robin 🙂
This was soooo yummy! I loved it. Will definitely make it again.
Hi there Jayne 🙂
Woo hoo!!! We are so EXCITED that you loved this recipe and plan to make it again. Thank you so much for sharing your awesome feedback with us. We appreciate you taking the time to write!
-Ameera and Robin 🙂
My husband doesn’t like leftovers (insert eyeroll here), so on day 3 I baked a couple big ole russet potatoes and spooned the soup over. I topped with sliced scallions and baby arugula and it was fantastic! Soups and stews don’t even get good til they sit a few days. Hubs loved it and it didn’t even register that he was having (gasp) leftovers! He even said it tasted like it had butter on it. It was just the richness and creaminess of the soup.
Awesome! What a fantastic idea 😀 We are so glad your hubby loved this repurposed meal – YUMMY!
Looks delicious! Not a fan of Lima/Butter Beans. Could you suggest another bean that you think would work for this recipe? I really want to make it.
Hi there Kate 🙂
Thank you so much for reaching out to us. We apologize for the late response. We are so glad that you are interested in making this soup. Unfortunately, we don’t think there is another bean that mimics the butter bean. However, the next best option might be a cannellini bean. Keep in mind that the butter bean melts into the soup creating a creamy texture, so you might not end up with the exact same creaminess. Hope this helps.
-Ameera and Robin 🙂
Made it exactly as stated in the recipe and then added pepper to the bowl. Very tasty, I’ll make this again.
Hi there Deborah 🙂
Yaaaayyy! We are so thrilled that you enjoyed this recipe. Thank you so much for sharing your awesome review with us. We appreciate you taking the time to write.
-Ameera and Robin 🙂
mmm! My favorite soup bean! I have a fantastic source for dried beans, so if anyone else can find ’em, a heaping cup of dried equals about 2 cans of beans. However, I just use the whole pound and save the rest for just putting in a bowl on the table like a much loved aunt (now passed) used to do.
Hi there Douglas 🙂
Yaaaayyy! We are so thrilled that you enjoyed this recipe. Thank you so much for sharing your awesome review with us. We appreciate you taking the time to write.
-Ameera and Robin 🙂
Oh, man, this was so good! I only used 1 Tbs of the nooch, and used creamed corn instead of nuggets. I figured I wouldn’t have to blend if I used creamed corn. I still did though, lol.
I already had some dried butter beans so put a 1/4 coups of dried in the instant pot for 45 minutes before I started the soup (sauteed the carrots, onions and celery in my dutch oven). Turned out great!
Hi there Douglas,
YAYYYY!!! We are so happy that you gave this recipe a try and enjoyed it! Thank you so much for taking time to give us your adjustments and that it worked out great for you. We appreciate the awesome review of this recipe!
-Ameera and Robin
Omg ! Did this recipe in the slow cooker was so easy to do. Everything chucked into the slow cooker in the morning, ready for the evening….Warm and hearty served with thick bread. Lovely tasty and comforting just what you need in Autumn. Thank you xxxx
Hi there Helen,
WOOO HOOO!!! We are so happy that putting this into a slow cooker worked out fabulously for you. We appreciate you taking time to leave us an awesome review.
-Ameera and Robin
I’ve been so hungry for potato soup and I’ve been really trying to be dairy free. After all the positive comments below, I’m surely going to try this. Also, what I really wanted to say was thank you so much for in the nutrition section indicating what a serving size is. Knowing this is good since I’m trying to watch my portion sizes. Thanks.
Hi there Judy,
We are so happy that you plan to try this soup! We love it. We hope you do too!
Thank you so much.
-Ameera and Robin
So delicious and so creamy! The flavour is incredible. This recipe is certainly a keeper in this household.
Thank you again for another amazing recipe.
Hi there Julie,
YAYYY!!! We are thrilled that you gave this recipe a try and enjoyed it! We appreciate you taking time to write us an awesome review. Thank you so much!
-Ameera and Robin
I love your ‘tips for success’ and other information you provide. I have learnt so much about ingredients and the recipes are always a success…so thank you for going thst extra mile. It’s really very much appreciated.
Hi there Julie, TOTALLY just made my day! We are sometimes berated for making our blog posts too long, but we think the information we provide is more often appreciated than not! THANK YOU for your kind words. We appreciate YOU! <3
To make this with fresh butter beans (not canned) would you cook the butter beans first?
Hi there Moriah,
Thank you for your question. Yes, if using fresh butter beans, you want them tender first.
-Ameera and Robin
I have made this soup many times, and I love it. It’s so satisfying! I agree that it’s lightly seasoned, so I sometimes double the herbs and spices to add more flavor. Thank you for a great recipe!
Hi there Maria,
YAYYYYY!!! We are thrilled that you enjoy this recipe. Thank you for taking time to leave us a fantastic review.
-Ameera and Robin