This High-Protein Romesco Butter Beans recipe is the perfect dish to make after a long day. It’s cozy, comforting and requires minimal dishes, coming together in under 15 minutes. The amount of effort compared to the delicious result is surprisingly low!
Inspired by the delicious Catalan Romesco Sauce, I’ve added my own twist to make it extra nourishing without losing its big, bold Mediterranean flavors. The result is a dish so versatile that so far, I’ve had it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. My favorite pairing is definitely with some sauteed greens and a slice of crusty bread (like our 1-Ingredient Buckwheat Bread).
Oh, and did I tell you it’s also good for you? Each serving of the beans alone is packed with 26 g of protein and 17 g of fiber, not to mention the healthy fats from the almonds and the rich antioxidants from the sun-dried tomatoes and bell peppers. It’s a feast for you and your microbiome!
Why This Recipe Works
- Protein-Rich: From the butter beans and tofu.
- Flavorful: Each bite is a burst of Mediterranean flavor.
- Quick Preparation: Ready in 15 minutes, it’s perfect after a long day when you don’t want to spend hours in the kitchen but still want to nourish your body.
- Versatile: It’s so flavourful and very saucy, so you could add extra veggies in the sauce or combine it with some grains such as quinoa, brown rice, or spelt pasta. Or, like me, you might pair it with some sauteed broccolini and a delicious slice of toasted bread.
- Nutrient-Dense: Packed with vitamins, fiber, and minerals.
Ingredient Notes
- Butter Beans: A great source of plant-based protein and fiber. Substitute with cannellini beans, or chickpeas if needed.
- Tofu: I’m using extra firm tofu as it contains the most protein.
- Smoked Paprika: Adds a rich smokiness; can be swapped for sweet paprika with a pinch of cumin.
- Almonds: For that crunch and extra protein. Pine nuts or cashews could also complement the sauce well.
- Lemon Juice: Fresh is best for a zesty, vibrant lift.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Blend the bell peppers, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, tofu, smoked paprika, salt, chili flakes, almonds, lemon juice, and water until smooth. Simmer the tomatoes in olive oil until tender. Combine the sauce with cooked butter beans, heat through, and garnish with fresh parsley, remaining almonds, and lemon zest before serving.
Variations and Tips
- Add a kick with extra chili flakes or a fresh red chili added to the sauce.
- Swap the parsley for fresh basil for a different flavor profile.
- Enjoy on toast, with sauteed vegetables, or with a side of pasta or cooked quinoa. My 1-Ingredient Buckwheat Bread, is absolutely perfect for it.
- Add a couple of handfuls of baby spinach to the pot for a fuss-free way to up your greens intake.
- Enhance texture with crunchy toppings such as pumpkin seeds or breadcrumbs.
- Storage Tip: Keep refrigerated in an airtight container and enjoy within 4-5 days.
- Reheating Tip: Gently warm on the stove for the best texture. Microwave also work.
- Breakfast: Turn it into an impressive breakfast by serving the beans on a slice of toasted sourdough, topped with avocado slices.
- Up the protein: You can easily “beef up” this recipe by adding 100 g more tofu to the sauce or adding more butter beans.
- If you like this one, you will also love my High-Protein Romesco Salad (perfect for those steamy summer days with zero cooking required!) or my Romesco Pasta Salad Meal Prep.
- If you love creamy bean recipes, make sure to also check out my Marry Me Chickpeas, or the delicious High-Protein Creamy Miso Butter Beans with Kale.
Why You’ll Love These High-Protein Romesco Butter Beans
- Hearty
- Nutritious
- Wholesome
- Simple
- Delicious
High-Protein Romesco Butter Beans
Video
Ingredients
- 2 jarred roasted red bell peppers - see notes
- 3 garlic cloves - peeled
- 0.7 oz (20 g) sun-dried tomatoes
- 5 oz (150 g) extra firm tofu - see notes
- 1 tsp (2 g) smoked paprika
- 1 pinch sea salt flakes
- ¼ tsp (0.5 g) red chili flakes
- 2 tbsp (20 g) roasted almonds
- 1½ tbsp (22 ml) lemon juice
- 3 tbsp (45 ml) water
- 2 tsp (10 ml) olive oil
- 200 g cherry tomatoes
- 3 cups (550 g) cooked butter beans
Toppings
- 2 tbsp (20 g) roasted almonds - roughly chopped
- 2 tbsp (8 g) fresh parsley - finely chopped
- lemon zest - to taste
Instructions
- In a blender, add the bell pepper, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, tofu, smoked paprika, salt, chili flakes, 2 tbps roasted almonds, lemon juice, and water. Blend until smooth. You can leave a little bit of texture if you like.
- In a saucepan over medium heat, add the olive oil and tomatoes. Cook covered for 7 minutes, stirring regularly.
- Add the cooked butter beans and blended sauce to the pan. Cook for a few minutes until heated through.
- To serve, top with the remaining chopped almonds, fresh parsley, and lemon zest, and adjust salt to taste. I enjoyed mine with stir-fried broccolini and a slice of our 1-Ingredient Buckwheat Bread, and it was perfect!
Notes
Per Serving
FAQ
Absolutely, canned beans are a great time-saver, make sure to rinse well before using.
Yes, it holds up well in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Indeed, it freezes well. Allow to thaw, then pop into the blender to restore its smooth texture before reheating.
Other Main Dishes you might like
Featured Comment
Katy says:
“Yummerzzzzz!!! Easy to have all the ingredients for this in the house – this recipe does not take much planning. It is quite simple, quick, delicious, nutritious and filling! I had mime with tenderstem brocoli, as suggested, and on top of wholegrain and wild rice. I have some left for the rest of the week too – win!”
The recipe calls for 150g of Tofu. I put in the whole package which was 300g. I always wonder what I’m supposed to do with half a package of tofu? Next time I’m sure that I’ll remember.
Hi Sandy, keep the other half in a container, covered with water in the fridge, change the water every couple days, and it will be good for a week, so you can use it in another recipe 🙂
The flavor of this recipe is fantastic. I really enjoyed it. I didn’t get my sauce as smooth as pictured here in the recipe, any tips? My tofu remained grainy, not sure if I should “whip” the tofu first. Aside from that it is a tasty recipe!
What blender do you use? It might need a bit more in the jug to get the blade going, some ice cube could help smooth it out 🙂
This was so quick and easy to make . Very tasty , I had it with rice because my buckwheat was still soaking.
So happy you enjoyed it! Thank you Claire 💚
I made this yesterday. I didn’t have fresh tomatoes and substituted it with a can of tomatoes and it came out delicious. Had some extra sauce and will be freezing it. Oh and the tenderstem works brilliantly to scoop up that delicious sauce!
Hey Cornelia, thank you so much for your review, I’m so happy you enjoyed the Romesco Butter Beans 😍
Yes broccolini is good with this. For those who don’t know, broccolini and tenderstem is the exact same thing. Tenderstem is just a “trademarked name,” but all it is, is baby broccoli, or broccolini, often named in the US. I’ve never understood how you could trademark a product that is simply, the younger version of something that already naturally grows, but there it is. Any broccoli is delicious with this.
That’s very interesting!
I tried this recipe last night, it was delicious and I will make regularly. I had run out of bottled peppers so cooked some frozen ones and it was a good substitute. Enjoyed for lunch today on a bed of broccoli and spinach, added some extra water to sauce as it was very thick. Tasted even better the next day ❤️
Thank you for your amazing, balanced recipes
I am in New Zealand and have not managed to get a copy of your book yet but can’t wait to get my hands on it
Thank you so much for your review and sharing your tips with everyone Janine 💚 I’ve never tried frozen peppers, but that sounds like a great one to have in the freezer! The book is coming out in November for Australia and New Zeland, I can’t wait for it to be on the shelves here 🙂
Are you able to provide the macros breakdown please
They are just under the instructions, click on “nutritional information” 🙂
Can you tell me how many grams of roasted peppers there are?
thank you
This will varies slightly between brands, but the one I use is approximatively 80g / pepper
Do you have a good source of organic dried beans?? I don’t mind soaking overnight. thanks!! Teresaa
If you’re in Australia, the source bulk has organic dried beans in bulk (they do delivery too) 🙂
This looks so apetising! My partner can’t have tofu, can I replace it with something else?
You could try with some soaked almonds or cashews, but it will change the texture a bit and nutrient profile 🙂
This sounds amazing and I plan to make it this week! Would silken tofu work? I was thinking of doubling the recipe and using a whole 12.3-oz block of mori-nu silken tofu.
Silken tofu will work well 🙂 it does have more liquid than the extra firm tofu I used (and less protein), so just hold the water, and use only if needed to get a smooth blend.
Yummerzzzzz!!! Easy to have all the ingredients for this in the house – this recipe does not take much planning. It is quite simple, quick, delicious, nutritious and filling! I had mime with tenderstem brocoli, as suggested, and on top of wholegrain and wild rice. I have some left for the rest of the week too – win!
Hey Katy, I’m so happy you loved it 💚
Outstanding! My partner made this last night and it tasted divine!!
I’m so happy to hear you loved it 💚
I made this for tonight’s dinner – I added some spinach. This is so good that I will add it to the rotation.
Thanks!
Hey Deidre, I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed it 💚
Looks and sounds delicious!
Can’t wait to try it.
Thanks Lorna, I’m so happy to hear that!
Thank you- I really enjoyed this!
So happy to hear that, thanks for the feedback Melissa 💚
So easy and tasty. I didn’t have jarred capsicum, so roasted some using the recipe notes provided (but will keep a jar on hand for future) and found the recipe needed a bit more water as a result. Love the addition of tofu. Will definitely make again.
Hey Shell, so happy you liked it! Thanks for sharing your insights about using fresh capsicums 🙂
Do you press the firm tofu before using or do you use it straight from the packet so that there’s more liquid?
Straight from the packet