Description
This creamy one pot lemony leek and zucchini butter beans recipe is a protein-packed, flavorful dish that combines crispy bacon, tender leeks, zucchini, and cannellini beans in a luscious sauce enriched with sour cream, parmesan, and za’atar. It’s a comforting and satisfying meal that comes together quickly in under 30 minutes, perfect for a wholesome lunch or dinner paired with soft garlic flatbreads or focaccia.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat
- 3 slices bacon, chopped
Vegetables
- 1 leek, thinly sliced
- 2 medium zucchinis (about 14-18 oz or 400-500 g)
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed
- Zest of 1 lemon
Pantry
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 x 400 g cans of cannellini beans, plus their liquid
- 1 tablespoon za’atar (plus extra to finish)
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce (optional)
Dairy
- ¼ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup parmesan, grated
Instructions
- Cook the bacon: Set a large, high-sided pan over medium-high heat and add the chopped bacon. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about five minutes until the bacon is crispy. Remove the bacon using a slotted spoon and set aside on a plate, leaving the bacon fat in the pan for flavor.
- Sauté the vegetables: Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the pan with the bacon fat, then add the sliced leek, zucchini, crushed garlic, and 1 teaspoon salt. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring, until the vegetables have softened nicely, about 10 minutes. Add a splash of additional oil if needed to prevent sticking.
- Add the beans and other ingredients: Pour in the cannellini beans with their liquid, then stir in the sour cream, grated parmesan, 1 tablespoon za’atar, and optional fish sauce. Stir continuously as the sour cream and cheese melt into a smooth, glossy sauce. Reduce heat to low and simmer for a few minutes to thicken.
- Finish and serve: Once the sauce is thick and glossy, return the crispy bacon to the pan and add most of the lemon zest. Stir to combine everything evenly. Scatter the remaining lemon zest and an extra sprinkle of za’atar over the top. Divide between plates and serve hot, ideally with garlic flatbreads, no-knead focaccia, rosemary parmesan bread, or 2-ingredient dough naan on the side.
Notes
- This dish is perfect for a quick weeknight meal as it uses just one pot and finishes in under 30 minutes.
- You can omit the fish sauce to keep the flavor vegetarian-friendly, though it enhances umami depth.
- For a dairy-free version, substitute sour cream and parmesan with plant-based alternatives.
- Try serving with fresh, warm flatbreads or crusty bread to soak up the creamy sauce.
- Za’atar adds a unique herbal-spiced note, but you can replace it with dried thyme or oregano in a pinch.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 300 g
- Calories: 321 calories
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 1224.9 mg
- Fat: 16.4 g
- Saturated Fat: 5.6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10.8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 30.3 g
- Fiber: 7.3 g
- Protein: 14.7 g
- Cholesterol: 22.5 mg
