This post contains affiliate links.
These creamy kimchi butter beans are coated in a silky, tangy sauce made from blended cottage cheese and kimchi. You blend the sauce, pour it into a skillet with the beans, and warm everything gently. Spoon it over steaming rice and dinner is on the table in under 20 minutes!
save this recipe!Blended cottage cheese is my favorite stand-in for cream in creamy skillet dinners. Blend it long enough, and it turns into a rich base that carries whatever flavor you build on top. Here, that flavor is kimchi.
The catch is heat. Cottage cheese goes grainy when it gets too hot, so low and slow is the whole game here.
For a Tuscan take on the same creamy skillet idea, try my Marry Me Butter Beans.
Beans…it’s what’s for dinner
As a mom of a young baby, I make this on busy weeknights: I start an Instant Pot of rice the moment I start the sauce, and both finish together.
- Chili crisp on top means everyone sets their own heat level.
- Butter beans stay plush and soft inside, soaking up the sauce without falling apart.
- Feeds four over rice, with leftovers that last up to 4 days.
Key Ingredients
- Cottage cheese: I reach for full-fat because it’s less likely to split and has a creamier, rounder flavor than low-fat. It’s the same blended cottage cheese trick that makes the filling in my Stuffed Pasta Shells so smooth.
- Kimchi: It brings the tang, funk, and gentle heat. Squeeze it hard over the sink before it goes in the blender. Check the label too, because many traditional kimchis contain fish sauce or salted shrimp, so look for a vegetarian or vegan jar.
- Butter beans: Their big, creamy interiors match the sauce, and they’re sturdy enough to hold their shape when you stir them in gently.
- Soy sauce: Use tamari if you need the dish gluten-free.
- Garlic and fresh ginger: They go into the blender raw, so a single clove and a teaspoon of ginger is plenty. Freshly grated ginger gives a brighter, sharper warmth than the dried stuff.
Plays well with…
White rice is my go-to pairing to soak up all that sauce, with crispy air fryer spring rolls for crunch. For a vegetable on the side, a sheet pan of my Roasted Vegetable Medley adds caramelized edges next to the creamy beans.
Creamy Kimchi Butter Beans Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup cottage cheese, 225 g
- 1 cup kimchi, squeeze out excess liquid, 150 g
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce, 15 mL
- 2 tsp toasted sesame oil, 10 mL
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tsp freshly grated ginger
- Pinch each salt and pepper
- 2 15-oz cans butter beans, drained and rinsed, can sub any white bean, 425 g cans, 440 g total drained
- To serve: cooked rice, thinly sliced green onions, sesame seeds
Instructions
- Blend: In a blender, combine all ingredients except the butter beans, until smooth. Taste and adjust salt and pepper if needed.
- Heat: Pour sauce into a large skillet and gently stir in the butter beans. Heat over medium-low until warm, about 7 to 9 minutes.Be careful not to heat it too much, as the cottage cheese can separate a bit.
- Serve with white rice, topped with sliced green onions and sesame seeds
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is calculated by Sarah Bond, degreed nutritionist, and should be taken as an estimate. For the most accurate nutritional information, calculate it using the actual ingredients in your recipe.
did you make this?Leave a comment below and tag @liveeatlearn on social media! I love seeing what you’ve made!
