White Wine Beans with Sage & Sweet Potato

When I say “cook beans like you would cook risotto,” really, it’s the white wine I’m talking about – it’ll elevate any dish in a heartbeat, and these White Wine Beans with Sage & Sweet Potato prove it! If you don’t keep wine in your house, don’t sweat it. Most grocery stores sell cooking wines in the vinegar section, which is a shelf-stable wine product that will add the same acidity wine does, but won’t go to waste after you open it! I recommend keeping something like that around so you can always make these crispy sage, cozy beans, which we’ll talk more about how to make in the blog post below!

The ingredients you need for these white wine beans

One of my favorite things about this bean recipe is the ingredients are easy to come by. Everything is readily available at the grocery store if you don’t already have it in your pantry! With simple ingredients comes a warm, filling and perfectly comforting bowl of bean goodness. Here’s what you’ll need:

• 2-3 small sweet potatoes, thinly sliced
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• Diamond Crystal kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 cup fresh sage leaves
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 small lemon for juicing
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 2 (15-ounce) cans of butter beans, or any white bean, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 cup dry, unoaked white wine (*see note)
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

How to make the sage sauce

This green sage sauce is so addicting and versatile, adding a little brightness and herbaceousness to this creamy dish. When paired with these rich white wine butter beans, it’s a match made in heaven. And if you make a little extra, it’s great to have on hand as a topping for soups and other warm dishes! Here’s how to make this sage sauce:

Set a large sauté pan over medium heat and add enough oil to coat the entire bottom, about 3 tablespoons worth. Let the oil heat up before frying the sage in batches. To test if your oil is ready, add a sage leaf. If it sizzles when it hits the oil, the oil is ready.

Fry the sage for 1-2 minutes or until they are a shade darker. Remove from the oil and place on a paper towel to drain. Keep the oil in the pan on the stove. Season all the sage with a sprinkle of salt.

Add 1/4 cup of the fried sage leaves to a small mortar and pestle. Add in the parsley, garlic, red pepper flakes and juice from one lemon. Drizzle in a tablespoon of olive oil and crush everything into a green sauce, adding more olive oil as needed. You can also do this in a blender or food processor. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

How to cook the butter beans

We all know by now that I’m a butter bean girl. This is one of my favorite ways to prepare butter beans because it brings out their soft, smooth texture and flavor and they’re complimented by the green sage sauce so wonderfully. These butter beans are like a hug in a bowl, here’s how to make them:

Bring the pan with the sage-infused oil back to medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until it is beginning to soften but not brown, 4-5 minutes. Add 1/4 cup of water and stir, allowing the onion to almost melt into softness without gaining any color. Continue stirring occasionally until most of the water has evaporated.

Add the butter beans and swirl to combine. Season with a pinch of salt.

Pour in the wine and stir, bringing the wine to a gentle simmer. Let this cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring so the starchiness of the beans combines with the sage oil and wine to make a rich sauce, another 5-6 minutes.

Crush in the remaining fried sage, reserving a few leaves for topping. Add 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes. Swirl to combine. Remove the pan from the heat. Taste and season with more salt and pepper as needed.

Why does this recipe use white wine?

Just like with any risotto, this recipe uses white wine to balance it out. White wine has a natural acidity that really helps subtly cut richness and add to the complexity of flavors. Unlike squeezing lemon juice directly into the sauce, mixing in a splash of white wine will not disrupt the flavor profile while still giving a slight acidic kick.

Plus, when you simmer down beans, first alongside softened onion and then later with white wine, they do start to release a bit of starchiness. This is what puts them in a creamy “broth,” even though no broth-building happened. So think of these white wine beans as brothy-bean-adjacent. Slightly less broth, but no less flavor.

Looking for more cozy bean recipes?

If you like beans, this is the blog for you. We. Love. Beans.

And that’s everything for this White Wine Beans with Sage & Sweet Potato recipe!

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And of course feel free to leave any questions, comments or reviews! This is the best place to reach me, and I’d love to hear from you <3

Watch the recipe here

The video may not fully represent the recipe. For best results, follow the instructions as written.