Beans, lentils & pulses · Beans
Butter beans (canned large lima beans)
Large, flat, creamy lima beans; the gigantes of Greek baked beans and the garrofó of Valencian paella.
Also called: lima beans, large lima beans, gigantes, gigandes, garrofó, garrofon, judiones
Around the world: γίγαντες (el) · garrofó, judiones (es) · garrofó (ca)
A kind of beans
What it is
Large white or pale green beans of Phaseolus lunatus with a soft, buttery texture. They are sold dried, frozen (young, green) and canned. In Valencia the fresh flat garrofó variety is one of the defining ingredients of paella; in Greece the dried giant beans are baked in tomato sauce.
Phaseolus lunatus
How it’s used
- Baked in tomato sauce for gigantes plaki
- Cooked in paella valenciana
- Added to stews, soups and salads
- Mashed into dips
Characteristics
- Taste
- Mild, slightly sweet and buttery.
- Texture
- Creamy inside, with tender skins.
- When cooked
- Canned beans break up if stirred hard; fold gently.
- Sold as
- canned, dried, frozen
- Cooking uses
- Commonly cooked, Suitable for boiling, Suitable for baking
- Common in
- Greek, Spanish, British, Southern US
Storage
Pantry-stable. Keep cans in the cupboard; refrigerate leftovers in a covered container for 3 days.
Diet, allergens and safety
No major allergens in typical versions.
- Vegetarian
- Vegan
- Dairy-free
- Egg-free
- Gluten-free
- Nut-free
- Soy-free
- Caffeine-free
Nutrition per 100 g
- Energy
- 79 kcal
- Protein
- 4.93 g
- Carbohydrate
- 14.91 g
- Fat
- 0.17 g
- Fibre
- 4.8 g
- Sugars
- — g
USDA FoodData Central: Lima beans, large, mature seeds, canned.
Substitutes
Optional — what works if you don’t have it, and how it changes the dish.
- White beans (canned) — Use the same weight; they are smaller and less creamy.
Related ingredients
Recipes with butter beans (canned large lima beans)
Gigantes plaki
Greek · 1 h 25 min · 375 kcal · Vegetarian
Paella valenciana
Spanish · 1 h 20 min · 788 kcal
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