Dinner
Vodka Sauce Creamy Butter Beans on the Stove
This vodka sauce creamy butter beans recipe swaps noodles for protein-packed white beans and uses silken tofu instead of cream
- 4 servings
- Prep 10 minutes
- Cook 15 minutes
- Total 25 minutes
Want more high protein vegetarian recipes? Well lucky you because I have a WHOLE bunch of them:) Every loves my High Protein Butter Beans as well as my High Protein Vegetarian Burritos and my Vegetarian Broccoli Cheese Rice Casserole!
Why you’ll love this CREAMY bean dish!
I’ve been dreaming of this dish for so long and I can’t believe how STANDOUT it turned out! It’s a combination of my High Protein Marry Me Butter Beans + my Vodka Sauce Pasta. It’s such a simple busy-night dinner that I’m sure the whole family will love. But the KEY is some good crusty bread to serve with it so don’t forget it:)
Reasons to love this method:
- Creamy and comforting without heavy cream
- High-protein and filling thanks to beans and tofu!
- One-skillet, busy-night-friendly dinner
- Vegetarian with an unfussy vegan option
- A fun twist on old-school vodka sauce
Ingredients needed
The ingredients for this method are listed fully down in the recipe card but let’s briefly go over the pantry staples needed including a few substitutions you can make as desired!
- Butter beans (or other white beans) – Creamy and hearty. Cannellini or great northern beans work well but butter beans are GREAT!
- Silken tofu – Blended into the sauce to replace heavy cream and create a silky texture PLUS add more protein.
- Milk of choice – Used to thin the sauce. Start with less and add more as needed. WORTH KEEPING to use protein milk to up the protein count in this dish!
- Shallot + garlic – Slightly sweet and mellow, reliable for tomato-based sauces. Both add depths of flavor.
- Tomato paste – Concentrated tomato flavor for creamy richness!
- Vodka (optional) – Enhances the tomato flavor; can be skipped or swapped with veggie broth or even only additional milk.
- Butter – Adds richness and smoothness.
- Parmesan cheese – Old-school vodka sauce flavor; swap for nutritional yeast to keep it vegan.
How to make it
Only a reminder that you can find the FULL written recipe down in the recipe card, but I want to quickly go over how to make them with visuals for you:)
- Make the creamy tofu mixture by blending together the silken tofu, milk, and a little of the beans until creamy and smooth.
- In a large skillet, heat the oil and saute the shallot and garlic. Mix in the tomato paste and continue to cook for a few minutes.
- Pour in the vodka and tofu cream sauce and let simmer lightly. Add in the parmesan until melted.
- Mix in the butterbeans, and season with salt and pepper. Let simmer another couple of minutes until the beans are heated through.
Expert Tips
- Blend the tofu mixture until completely smooth for the dependable texture.
- Let the tomato paste cook until it darkens slightly for deeper flavor.
- If the sauce thickens too much, add a splash of milk to loosen it.
- Taste before salting – parmesan adds saltiness.
- Serve with crusty bread, over pasta, or on toast!
Frequently Asked Questions
The recipe
Vodka Sauce Creamy Butter Beans from the Pantry
These vodka sauce CREAMY butter beans are rich, creamy, and packed with protein thanks to silken tofu and white beans. Straightforward and comforting.
- 4 servings
- Prep 10 minutes
- Cook 15 minutes
- Total 25 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 15 oz block silken tofu
- ¾ cup milk of choice
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 small shallot (diced)
- ½ cup tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons vodka (optional*)
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ½ cup parmesan* (swap for ¼ cup of nutritional yeast for a vegan version)
- Salt + pepper to taste
- 2 can butter beans or other white beans (drained and rinsed)
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh herbs for serving
Method
- 1
In a blender, combine 1/2 cup of the beans, the silken tofu, and the milk. Blend until creamy, and no chunks remain.
- 2
Meanwhile, start the sauce. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat up the olive oil. Once hot, add in the shallot and cook for 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 2 additional minutes. Mix in the tomato paste and cook for 3 additional minutes, stirring often.
- 3
Stir in the vodka, tofu cream mixture, and pepper flakes and mix to combine. Add in the parmesan and butter and stir until melted.
- 4
Mix in the remaining butter beans. Season to taste with salt and pepper and cook for 1 more minute, stirring constantly. Garnish with a sprinkle of fresh herbs such as basil or parsley. ENJOY!
Cook notes
Butter Beans – If you can’t find butterbeans, you can use any canned beans in these. I’ve tried this with chickpeas and it’s satisfying! Vodka – you can easily leave out the vodka and this will still taste standout! Maybe add in a little extra milk as desired. To cook this vegan – you could leave out the parmesan and simply add in a little nutritional yeast HOWEVER, I would suggest picking up some vegan parmesan (Violife makes an standout one!) Leftovers – Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat gently with a splash of milk to loosen the sauce.
Per serving
- Calories504 kcal
- Carbohydrates40 g
- Protein23 g
- Fat28 g
- Saturated Fat9 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat4 g
- Monounsaturated Fat13 g
- Trans Fat0.2 g
- Cholesterol29 mg
- Sodium539 mg
- Potassium1290 mg
- Fiber11 g
- Sugar12 g
- Vitamin A995 IU
- Vitamin C8 mg
- Calcium281 mg
- Iron5 mg
