Butter Beans Spread with Chanterelle Mushrooms and Wine

This butter beans spread with Chanterelle mushrooms is a quick appetizer that comes together in about 10 minutes. You blend rinsed butter beans with lemon, garlic, white pepper and olive oil into a smooth, creamy base, then top it with onion and Chanterelles sauteed in white wine for a savory, slightly meaty bite.

I love spreads and make them really often. I play with different toppings, spices and base ingredients, and so far I haven’t created one spread recipe I didn’t like. This butter beans spread, though, is one of my best spread recipes so far. The creamy bean base does most of the work, and the wine-soaked mushrooms turn it into something I am happy to put in front of guests.

I’ve talked to you more about Chanterelle mushrooms in my Chanterelle Mushroom Pasta Tart post. I absolutely love these mushrooms and they have become my favorite, so I decided to combine them with spices and white wine and create a savory topping for a basic beans spread. It turned out great.

Key ingredients

Butter beans are the whole point of the creamy texture here. They are larger and softer than most beans, so they blend into a silky paste without turning gummy. I used a 28oz can, rinsed and drained, but you can boil your own from about 350-400g dry beans if you prefer. Draining and rinsing canned beans well also rinses off the starchy liquid that can make a spread taste flat.

Chanterelle mushrooms are the star of the topping. They have a firm, almost meaty bite and a delicate, peppery-fruity flavor that holds up well to wine. Buy them dry to the touch and clean them with a brush or a barely-damp cloth rather than soaking them, since they are like little sponges and waterlogged mushrooms never brown properly.

White wine does a lot in only half a glass. It deglazes the pan, lifts all the browned bits from the onion and mushrooms, and adds the subtle, savory depth that makes this spread taste like more than the sum of its parts. Use a dry white you would actually drink.

Ground white pepper is worth seeking out instead of black. It has a more subtle, rounder heat and it does not leave dark specks in the pale bean base. Along with thyme, garlic and lemon juice, it is what keeps the spread bright rather than bland.

Tips for getting it right

• Add the water to the food processor a little at a time. You want a smooth, scoopable paste, not a runny puree, so it is easier to loosen a thick spread than to fix one that is too thin.
• Blend the beans long enough to go properly smooth. Stop and scrape down the sides once or twice so no whole beans hide near the blade.
• Saute the onion for only about a minute before the mushrooms go in. You want it softened and fragrant, not browned, so it stays sweet under the wine.
• The mushrooms are ready when they have released their liquid, the wine has cooked down to a glossy sauce, and the edges look lightly golden. That takes about 5 minutes.
• Season the bean base before you top it, then taste again at the end. Beans are bland on their own and quietly soak up salt, so under-seasoning is the most common mistake with any spread.

Storage and make-ahead

The bean base keeps well, so this is a good one to prep ahead. Store the blended spread in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. I like to keep the sauteed mushroom topping separate and spoon it over just before serving, so the spread stays clean and creamy and the mushrooms keep their texture. Bring the base back to room temperature before serving, since cold dulls both the flavor and the spreadable texture. A drizzle of olive oil and a few fresh herbs on top wake it right back up.

If you are into beans and mushrooms as much as I am, try my butter beans stew for a warm, comforting main, my kalamata white bean spread for another easy bean dip, or my mushroom bread with wine and thyme for the same wine-and-thyme flavor in a different form.

Butter Beans Spread with Chanterelle Mushrooms and White Wine

This creamy butter beans spread topped with sauteed Chanterelle mushrooms comes together in just 15 minutes, with a delicate hint of white wine. A quick, elegant vegan appetizer for any occasion.

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Rate

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Choose Serving Size 6

Ingredients 

• 1 can butter beans I used a 28oz can, rinsed and drained. You can use dry beans and boil them yourself too; in that case use about 350g-400g dry beans.
• 2 cups Chanterelle mushrooms sliced
• ½ glass white wine
• ½ onion chopped
• ½ lemon juice only
• 3 cloves garlic mashed
• 2 Tbsps extra virgin olive oil
• ½ tsp ground white pepper white pepper has a more subtle flavor
• 1 tsp thyme dried
• water as needed, for blending
• salt to taste
• fresh herbs optional, for garnish

Instructions

• Put the butter beans, lemon juice, salt, white pepper, garlic cloves, olive oil and a little bit of water in your food processor.
• Blend until smooth.
• Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a small pan.
• Add the chopped onion and saute for 1 minute.
• Add the sliced mushrooms, dried thyme and white wine.
• Saute for 5 minutes.
• Spoon the butter beans paste into a bowl. Serve with the sauteed mushrooms on top, adding the sauce from the pan as well.
• Garnish with fresh herbs (optional).

Notes

Store the spread in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Add the mushroom topping just before serving so it stays warm and the spread stays fresh.

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