Lima beans are the main ingredient in the Southern soul food dish stewed butter beans.
The beans are commonly simmered until tender with water or stock, onion, seasoning, and often butter or a small amount of pork. In the American South, “butter beans” is a common name for lima beans, especially for the large, flat varieties used in home cooking.
The name can cause confusion because butter beans and lima beans are not separate species. Both names refer to Phaseolus lunatus. Regional preference determines which term appears on menus, seed packets, or family recipes.
Stewed butter beans are usually served as a vegetable side dish alongside cornbread, greens, fried fish, chicken, or other Southern foods. Unlike baked beans, they are not defined by a sweet tomato or molasses sauce. Their creamy texture and mild flavor are the central features.