This vegan butter bean 'chicken' supreme recipe is based on the French retro classic chicken supreme sauce. This meal is perfect for a quick mid-week dinner as it is quick and easy to prepare, wholesome and totally delicious.
Butter beans, also known as lima beans, are cooked within a creamy savoury white sauce and garnished with paprika and chives.
Serve with rice or thick noodles for a delicious, satisfying meal perfect for brunch, lunch or dinner.

Vegan Butter bean 'chicken' Supreme (Lima beans)
My family love this fun butter bean supreme dish. The butter beans are really the star of the show and are taken to another level by being stewed within the creamy savoury sauce.
White wine vinegar and white miso paste are added at the end of the cook and the aroma that emits is absolutely amazing!
You will be drooling with anticipation! Well I was at least!
This delicious butter bean supreme meal is complete with a dash of smoky paprika and a scatter of chopped chives. These herbs add even more pops of yummy flavour.
Butter bean supreme is a yummy budget friendly dish.
This recipe makes perfect use of store-cupboard ingredients which is especially handy if fresh veggies are in short supply. Even without fresh produce this meal is incredibly nutritious and satisfying.
Need an easy meal to prepare for a veggie guest?
Got unexpected guests coming over for dinner? Or perhaps one of your guests is vegan or plant-based and you are at a loss as to what to cook?
This recipe is so easy and quick that it can come together in less than 45 minutes, perhaps quicker if your more confident in the kitchen. And if your not too confident and have a question about any of my recipes, even when your in the middle of baking or cooking, just pop a comment below and I will get back to you asap. I check my comments regularly and will be happy to assist.
Treat that special person in your life to a tasty plant-based meal!
Looking for an easy, quick but interesting recipe for the kids to prepare with supervision for Fathers Day on the 20th of June (UK) 19th June (US/Australia) or Mothers Day 27th March (UK) 8th May (US/Australia)?
This recipe for butter bean supreme is ideal. Serve on your loved one's favourite toasted or grilled bread for a delicious breakfast, brunch or light lunch.
The origins of Chicken Supreme
This meal gets its name from the French supreme sauce.
A basic roux sauce is one that has been initially prepared with flour and butter (or dairy-free margarine for vegans) and then has chicken or veggie stock whisked through, and simmered until thick.
The culinary term for this basic sauce is mother sauce or veloute.
This just means that once you have made the basic sauce other ingredients may be added to enrich the flavours and transform the base sauce into another type of sauce. A supreme sauce is simply a base sauce with cream or crème fraiche added, and traditionally finished off with egg yolks or lemon juice whisked through.
Incidentally if the flour roux has milk added it becomes a béchamel sauce.
Recipes for supreme sauce were originally discovered within the French cookbook the 1938 Larousse Gastronomique. This cookbook features French haute cuisine recipes which were served in very expensive eating establishments. Haute cuisine goes all the way back to the 17th Century so the supreme sauce was developed sometime along the way!
Chicken is the most common protein to add to a traditional supreme cream sauce. But personally I think butter beans do a much better job!
How To Prepare Butter bean (Lima Beans) Supreme:






Sprinkle chopped chives and paprika over the beans and sauce.

Or a big bowl of veggies.
Vegan Butter bean 'Chicken' Supreme Recipe FAQs
Leftovers can be kept in a covered container and placed in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Reheat leftovers until piping hot by gently heating in a saucepan. Add a small amount of plant milk, cream or veggie stock to loosen the sauce if necessary.
* Rice is the perfect accompaniment.
* Although pasta or thick noodles are also great especially tagliatelle.
* Other ideas include mashed potatoes, baked white or sweet potatoes, mashed turnip, roast asparagus, baked tomatoes, peas, corn cobs, steamed broccoli, green or brown lentils, wheat berries, barley, anything you like really.
* Serving these creamy butterbeans on toast is a favourite way for my family to enjoy this meal especially for lunch. Add a sprinkle of nutritional yeast.
* a wedge of thick crusty bread or garlic bread
* green salad leaves
* fresh spinach
* Alternatively serve these supreme butter beans as a side dish to accompany and your favourite meals.
If your not a fan of butterbeans then no problem. Simply sub the butterbeans out and use what you enjoy. Perhaps a different type of bean such as cannellini, haricot, or borlotti.
Or cubes of tofu or tempeh.
Vegan meat alternatives such as vegan Quorn is also a tasty substitution.
Mushrooms are also an amazing substitution and will add new layers of yummy savoury flavours.
The vegan supreme sauce can also be prepared without the butterbeans added.
The supreme sauce is ideal for pouring over a plate of your favourite veggies. Prepare a veggie bowl with lots of veggies, a grain, lentils, beans, etc. And pour the creamy sauce over. Its so good and simple but such a nutritious meal.
Other substitutions are replacing the white wine vinegar with lemon juice and the white miso paste with Dijon mustard.
Of course.
* Your favourite fresh herbs can be added to the cooking sauce or sprinkled over the finished dish. Such as chopped parsley, tarragon, thyme, sage, or dill. If herbs are added while cooking, if necessary remove the herb before serving such as thyme stalks.
*peas and sweetcorn are particular favourites with kids. Frozen, fresh or tinned peas and sweetcorn can be added along with the butter beans. And will give the overall protein content a boost.
* Love your meals spicy? Grind some chilli or pepper flakes over the finished dish or add some drops of hot sauce or a few jalapenos from a jar
* a few garlic stuffed olives is particularly tasty scattered over the finished meal
* cracked black pepper is also a tasty additional seasoning or a sprinkle of white pepper.
Absolutely.
I use gluten-free plain flour for the sauce which works amazing.
Also ensure that the white miso paste and veggie stock that you use are also gluten-free.
More delicious vegan recipes featuring beans:
Green Lentil And Haricot Bean Mashed Potato Pie
Vegan Loaded Black Bean, Lentil And Potato Wedges (Tasty Fake-Away Or Side-Dish Recipe)
Vegan Refried Beans (No-Oil Recipe)
Vegan Black Bean And Sweet Potato Sloppy Joes
Slow Cooker Black Bean Chilli Sin Carne With Fluffy Quinoa

Vegan Butter bean 'Chicken' Supreme (Lima Beans)
Equipment
- Non-stick skillet/stove-top casserole pan/deep frying pan/saucepan
Ingredients
- 2 cans butter beans 2 400g/14oz cans, drained.
- 2 whole shallots Alternatively use 1 medium onion. Fine diced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or ½ cup veggie stock
- 4 cloves garlic fine chopped or minced
- 2 tablespoons gluten-free plain flour or regular plain/all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon white miso paste
- 300 millilitres vegetable stock Stock made up with 1 vegan stock cube
- 150 millilitres plant milk
- 3 tablespoons vegan pouring cream I use Alpro soya single cream. Alternatively use the equivalent amount of cashew or oat cream.
Seasoning and garnish
- ½ teaspoon paprika possibly a little more if liked.
- 20 grams chives or parsley. Fine chopped. Extra as required.
Instructions
- Begin by preparing any accompaniments you may be having, such as beginning your rice or veggie prep.
- Heat the olive oil or veggie stock in your pan over a medium heat for a few minutes.Turn the heat to low.Sauté the shallots for 8 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add the garlic and mix.Cook for 3 minutes.Add a little splash of veggie stock if necessary to avoid sticking to the pan. If you've used oil also add a splash of stock or water if required.
- Tip in the flour. Mix well.
- Slowly add the veggie stock, mixing well after each addition to prevent lumps.
- Add the plant milk and whisk through.
- Add the butter beans.
- Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer and cook for about 5 minutes. (don't fast boil!)The sauce will thicken up.Give it a stir a few times to make sure the sauce is not sticking.
- The sauce may look split and this can happen depending on the brand and type of plant milk used but don't worry as when the plant cream is added and the sauce is off the heat it will come together.
- Remove the pan from the heat.Mix 1 teaspoon of white miso, 3 tablespoons of soya cream, and 1 tablespoons of white wine vinegar into the sauce.Ensure the miso has been mixed thoroughly as clumps of miso taste a bit strong!
- Taste the sauce and add salt and pepper to taste.
- Sprinkle paprika over the dish and scatter chopped chives or parsley.Add extra paprika and herbs to each served dish.
Notes
- Nutritional data is for guidance only and is not a strict calculation as ingredients vary.
- Leftover butterbeans supreme can be stored in the fridge in a covered container for up to 3 days.
- Reheat until piping hot before consuming. Although I have enjoyed a spoonful or two of chilled butterbean supreme straight from the fridge when I was peckish and the flavours were amazing chilled!
- Not a fan of butterbeans? Simply sub these out for your favourite bean, or some chopped mushrooms, asparagus, chopped cauliflower florets. Tofu cubes or vegan meat alternatives would also be tasty.
- Don't have any white miso paste? Sub out for a teaspoon of Dijon mustard.
- Also try replacing the white wine vinegar for lemon juice if necessary.
Beth
We used to not like vegan recipes but we’ve tried so many that it changed our minds! My son and daughter loved this recipe, and it was so delicious! I can’t wait to make this again!
Vegan recipes have certainly evolved into the most amazing inventive creations. I just love it. So glad you all enjoyed the butterbean supreme I had so much fun creating this dish 🙂
Biana
Yum! Looks so delicious, the creamy sauce makes everything better.
The creamy butterbeans certainly are comfort food!
Liz
My family used to think vegan food was boring but this recipe TOTALLY proved them wrong! haha such a creative recipe idea!
Thanks! Vegan food is anything but boring. It always amazes me how creative vegan food can actually be. So happy your family enjoyed the butterbean supreme!!! 🙂
Keri
What a great idea! I'm going to try this this coming weekend!
Hope you enjoy the creamy butterbeans at the weekend! Going to be this dish myself as I just love the aromas that appear after the white wine vinegar is added. YUM!!!
Jamie
This is such an easy, comforting meal for my family! I love how hearty and satisfying it is. Delicious and full of flavor!
Thanks! So glad your family enjoyed. I agree the creamy beans are so comforting and tasty 🙂