Speckled Butter Beans With Andouille Sausage

By
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 02/5/23
Speckled Butter Beans with Andouille
Diana Rattray
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 8 hrs
Total: 8 hrs 15 mins
Servings: 4 to 6 servings

Butter beans are a Southern classic, a warming dish filled with tender beans and lots of flavor. This recipe uses speckled butter beans, which are related to the lima bean but have a nuttier taste and creamier texture. When cooked in the slow cooker along with andouille sausage, bell pepper, onion, and Creole seasoning, the beans absorb the spices and become nice and soft, making for a comforting dish.

Butter beans are another name for lima beans and it is the term most often used in the South and in the U.K. Whereas butter beans are an off-white color, speckled butter beans are brownish-red with spots. Although butter beans are sold in cans, the speckled version is mainly found in the frozen section of the supermarket.

When it comes to the sausage, andouille or another spicy smoked sausage is best in this dish. The recipe calls for Creole seasoning, which is a blend of mostly dried herbs along with onion and garlic powders, black and white peppers, paprika. If need be, you can substitute a Cajun spice blend, but keep in mind the dish won't have the same herbal, earthy flavor.

The slow cooker means this dish is quick to put together and hands-off when it comes to cooking. Prep this recipe in the morning and you will have a delicious main dish at dinnertime. Speckled butter beans with sausage is traditionally offered with a side of cornbread, but you can also enjoy the dish over rice—perfect on a chilly night.

Ingredients

  • 2 packages frozen butter beans, about 1 1/2 pounds

  • 12 to 16 ounces andouille sausage

  • 2 cups water

  • 2 cups chicken broth, or vegetable broth

  • 1 large bell pepper, chopped

  • 1 large onion, chopped

  •  1/2 to 2 teaspoons Creole seasoning, or to taste

  • Cornbread, for serving

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. In a slow cooker, combine the butter beans, sliced andouille sausage, water, broth, bell pepper, and onion.

  3. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours.

  4. Add the Creole seasoning and continue cooking for 2 hours more, or until the beans are tender.

  5. Serve with cornbread for a delicious, comforting meal.

  6. Enjoy.

What can I use if I can't find speckled butter beans?

If your local market doesn't sell speckled butter beans, the best substitute would be regular butter beans. If you are having trouble finding those as well, you can use lima beans, cannellini, Great Northern, navy, and pinto. If you would like the dish to have the same dark color as the recipe with speckled butter beans, kidney beans are a good choice.

Tip

If you would like this dish to be looser and more like a soup, add more broth and/or water (a cup or two) to the slow cooker.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
500 Calories
25g Fat
47g Carbs
22g Protein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 to 6
Amount per serving
Calories 500
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 25g 32%
Saturated Fat 8g 39%
Cholesterol 65mg 22%
Sodium 1586mg 69%
Total Carbohydrate 47g 17%
Dietary Fiber 9g 30%
Total Sugars 6g
Protein 22g
Vitamin C 28mg 142%
Calcium 149mg 11%
Iron 4mg 25%
Potassium 1095mg 23%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)