Miso Butter Brothy Beans with Scallions
Brothy, umami-rich white beans finished with butter, light miso, bright lemon, and tender scallions for a spoonable, savory side. Ready in about 15 minutes, it’s a quick small-batch stovetop side that pairs well with eggs, soups, or a larger holiday plate.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 3-4 scallions thinly sliced whites and greens
- 1 cup cooked white beans in their broth (see note)
- 2 teaspoons light miso
- 1-2 teaspoons lemon juice
- freshly cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the thinly sliced whites and greens of 3-4 scallions and cook until the scallions are soft and just starting to brown.
- Add 1 cup cooked white beans with their broth to the skillet. Add more bean broth or vegetable broth if needed so the broth resembles a thin soup; I usually add 1/4 to 1/2 cup more liquid when the bean broth is on the thicker side.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the liquid has thickened and reduced slightly; it will still be somewhat brothy.
- Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in 2 teaspoons light miso and 1-2 teaspoons lemon juice. Taste and adjust the seasoning, and finish with a solid amount of freshly cracked black pepper.
- This dish makes a good-size serving for one person but can potentially serve two if paired with other items.
Notes
I've made this with three different types of white beans. I love it with larger beans (like the Royal Corona or Gigante beans), but it's also lovely with these smaller beans. I found the smaller beans thickened the broth more and I had to add more liquid. Just eyeball the liquid, it doesn't have to be perfect.
This dish is fantastic with beans made from dried beans. I make my beans by soaking, then cooking them with onions, garlic, olive oil, thyme, rosemary, and salt. If you're using canned, I'd recommend draining some or all of the liquid and using a bit of vegetable broth. The color won't be the same, but it will still be useful.
If using salted butter, reduce the miso to 1 teaspoon and add more as you like. With such a small quantity, it's easy to make these beans too salty between the butter, the bean broth, and the miso.