baked butter beans with creamy leeks & parmesan

This is, without question, our most popular recipe — and once you make it, you’ll understand why.

Creamy butter beans are gently simmered with sweet leeks, garlic and a touch of mustard, then finished with cream and plenty of parmesan for the most comforting, spoon-coating sauce. It’s warming, rich and deeply savoury, with soft, velvety beans balanced by tender leeks and that salty hit of cheese.

It’s the kind of recipe you make once and then crave on repeat — simple ingredients, big flavour, and the ultimate cosy bowl for cooler evenings.

Serves 2 (or 4 as a side) & takes 30 minutes to cook

Ingredients

• 3 leeks, finely sliced

• 3 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped

• 2 teaspoons of dried thyme (or a few sprigs of fresh thyme)

• 2x 400g cans of butter beans, drained

• 150ml double cream (or crème fraîche)

• 1 teaspoon of whole grain mustard

• Handful of veggie-style parmesan cheese, grated

• Olive oil (or butter)

• Salt and pepper

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 190C, fan setting.

2. Place a large ovenproof pan over a medium heat and add a drizzle of olive oil (or a knob of butter). Once warm, add the sliced leeks, chopped garlic and a good pinch of salt. Mix well and cook for 5-10 minutes until the leeks start to become soft. At this point, stir through the dried thyme.

3. Cook for another few minutes before adding the drained butter beans, mix well and cook for 10 minutes until they begin to break down and become soft.

4. Once soft, mix through the cream (or crème fraîche), whole grain mustard and a good handful of grated Parmesan, adding a splash of water if the mixture ever becomes too thick.

5. Finish in the oven for 10 minutes until golden on top and bubbling.