Lima beans, also known as butter beans, are mild-flavored legumes with a creamy texture. They are often used in soups, stews, salads, and casseroles. If you don’t have lima beans on hand, several substitutes can replicate their flavor and texture, ensuring your dish stays delicious and satisfying.
What Are Lima Beans?
Lima beans are legumes with a starchy, slightly nutty flavor and a soft, creamy texture when cooked. They are available in fresh, frozen, canned, or dried forms, making them versatile for a variety of dishes. Commonly used in Southern cooking, they are a great source of fiber, protein, and essential nutrients. Lima beans are especially popular in recipes like succotash, soups, and vegetarian dishes due to their hearty texture.
5 Substitutes for Lima Beans
1. Cannellini Beans
Cannellini beans, also known as white kidney beans, are an excellent substitute for lima beans due to their creamy texture and mild flavor. They are slightly firmer than lima beans but blend well into soups, stews, and casseroles.
Cannellini beans are widely available canned or dried, making them a convenient alternative in most recipes.
Recipes: Use cannellini beans in soups, pasta dishes, or bean salads.
2. Great Northern Beans
Great Northern beans are smaller than lima beans but share a similarly mild flavor and creamy texture. They hold their shape well when cooked, making them a suitable replacement in soups, stews, and slow-cooked dishes.
These beans are easy to find and work as a 1:1 substitute for lima beans in most recipes.
Recipes: Use Great Northern beans in casseroles, soups, or as a base for bean dips.
3. Edamame (Fresh or Frozen)
Edamame, or young green soybeans, are a bright and slightly nutty substitute for lima beans. While they have a firmer texture, their mild flavor makes them a good alternative in salads, stir-fries, and side dishes.
Edamame is widely available in the frozen foods section and can be used as a direct replacement for fresh or frozen lima beans.
Recipes: Use edamame in succotash, grain bowls, or vegetable stir-fries.
4. Fava Beans
Fava beans, also called broad beans, have a similar size and texture to lima beans, though their flavor is more earthy and nutty. They work well in recipes that call for dried lima beans, such as stews, soups, and casseroles.
Fava beans require peeling after cooking, but their hearty texture makes them a good match for recipes needing a robust bean.
Recipes: Use fava beans in soups, stews, or Mediterranean-inspired salads.
5. Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans)
Chickpeas, or garbanzo beans, are a firmer and nuttier alternative to lima beans. While they don’t replicate the creamy texture of lima beans, they work well in recipes where a denser bean is acceptable, such as salads, stews, and curries.
Chickpeas are readily available canned or dried, making them a versatile and easy substitute.
Recipes: Use chickpeas in grain salads, curries, or roasted as a snack.