Vegetarian Baked Beans (15 Minutes)
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You can take Dave out of Britain, but you can’t take the Britain out of Dave.
Various people have said that to me over the years I’ve lived in Germany, and after a good giggle and an accepting nod of the head I forget about it again and move on.
But as time has gone by I’ve realised how true it really is. There aren’t many foods more quintessentially British than baked beans, and it’s one that’s dear to me.
Loved by many, hated by others, and served in cheap hotels as part of an ‘English Breakfast’ the world over, baked beans are one of Britain’s most well known food exports – for better or for worse (probably worse if you really think that’s the limit of our culinary skills).
They’re pretty easy to get hold of in most supermarkets these days, a good thing as it means I don’t have to use my valuable luggage allowance to bring them over here in my suitcase.
No, that space is reserved for Marmite now.
BUT, it’s not just Brits who love baked beans either. I’ve heard from many who love them – but also from many who don’t – and I always ask why.
The answer is usually something like ‘because they’re bland and watery’. WHAT??
Baked beans should be thick and full flavoured with a moreish tang – and a perfect accompaniment to many staples – my favourite being potato.
It’s true, a couple of famous brands stand head and shoulders above the rest of the baked bean world.
I’ve had the misfortune of trying ‘cheap’ beans and can attest to their vileness – no wonder so much of the world thinks British food is crap!
But we’re here to change that – and to show you how easy it is to make your own.
The beans themselves are actually really, really nutritious (it’s hard to think why beans should be kept out of any diet (allergies aside), and when done right – taste great!
Vegetarian Baked Beans – Health Benefits
Using simple white beans, like navy beans, means that you can create a dish that’s exceptionally high in both protein and fiber, as well as folate and magnesium.
Yes, I know I bang on a about protein a lot (that’s because it’s important and vegetarians get asked questions like ‘but where do you get your protein?’
Or ‘why aren’t you dead yet?’ all the time, so I feel a constant need to defend myself.
But today I’d like to talk about fiber, and how we don’t get enough, and what’s so great about it when we do get enough.
Yep, it stops your blood sugar level spiking too much, and yep it’s also great for your digestive system, but I’m going for a more obvious and external benefit here – the help with weight loss.
What I’ve found recently that is by eating lots of fiber high content like beans (and chickpeas too) is that they’ll keep me feeling full for ages.
This is turn stops me craving snacks and sweet foods – by default it helps me keep the weight down.
I don’t win anything by convincing you to eat more beans – but they just seem to be so damn good for you it would be silly to look the other way.
The final statistic that convinced me of the wonders of beans was the one mentioned here by WHFoods – that research shows diets high in legumes can reduce the risk of heart attacks by up to 82%!
That’s ridiculous. It’s harder to think of a reason not to eat them 😉
Ingredients
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 clove garlic
- ½ onion
- 1.5 cups white beans, cooked (~1 can, 15oz/425g)
- 1 tsp thyme, dried
- 1 tsp sage
- ¾ cup tomato passata
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1-2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce (vegetarian) (or 2 tsp white wine vinegar and 1 tsp maple syrup for every 2 tsp Worcester sauce)
- ½ tsp Tabasco sauce
- Salt and pepper to taste
Bread and Tomatoes
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 2 slice wholegrain bread
- 8 cherry tomatoes
Instructions
- Dice the onion and garlic, then fry both in olive oil.1 tsp olive oil, ½ onion, 1 clove garlic
- As soon as the onion starts to turn translucent add the white beans.1.5 cups white beans, cooked
- Now add the tomato passata, herbs, Worcester sauce, nutritional yeast and tabasco sauce.1 tsp thyme, dried, 1 tsp sage, ¾ cup tomato passata, 1 tbsp nutritional yeast, 1-2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce (vegetarian), ½ tsp Tabasco sauce
- Let it simmer for about 10 minutes and give it a taste test.
- Finish off with salt and pepper, if needed.Salt and pepper to taste
- BAM! Done. You just decoded Heinz’ Baked Beans recipe 😉
Tomatoes and Bread
- In a pan on medium heat the olive oil and chuck in the tomatoes. Toast the bread as you normally would. Season with a little salt.1 tsp olive oil, 2 slice wholegrain bread, 8 cherry tomatoes
- Done!
NOTES
- Make-ahead? Yes, prep the night before.
- Freezable? Yes! Baked Beans can be frozen.
Love beans and I can’t get tinned ones where I live (rural Italy) so I’m very grateful for this recipe but – WARNING TO ALL VEGGIES – it is not vegetarian… Worcester sauce has anchovy in it (at least the most famous brand of Lea & Perrins has – not sure about the others) 🙁
I’ll cut that out though and give the rest a bash!
Hi Juls! I did some research on Worcestershire Sauce while prepping this recipe. And yep, while it is true that some sauces contain anchovies, many don’t. In fact if you look at the lables of a couple of brands you be really surprised how different the ingredient lists are. It’s incredible. Either way, thanks for the heads up! I’ll double-check this post and highlight this better 🙂
I just use a good quality soya sauce to replace the worcestershire…. and add miel de caña.. the first press of local grown sugarcane. I also add a finely chopped stalk of celery, just adds more depth. 😉
I love baked beans—though I always doctor them up on the sweet side with some BBQ sauce! I remember them being served for breakfast when I was in London—I have to admit that I stick to beans for lunch and dinner. Breakfast is too early for me to have savory foods!
Haha I can eat beans anytime 🙂 but the bbq sauce is great, I agree! I think they actually made them like that for a while, though they didn’t sell too well unfortunately. Maybe it’ll come around again 😉
Homemade is the only way I’ll eat baked beans! I can’t stand it when they are ready made. This looks delicious and I love the white beans in it!
Really? I only went for Heinz Baked Beans until now. But in general I had them only very occasionally. That changed now hahaha
Very simple and healthy meal options for breakfast! My mother actually cook beans for breakfast, I never tried for myself:)
Ah, a taste of home! Being British of course I love baked beans and I love how quick yours are to make. Quicker than popping to the shop to buy some!
Deffo good to know how to make them yourself 😀
I’d fit right in in Britain, because I’d totally be down for baked beans for breakfast. Those look like perfection!
Haaa, thanks Linda!
Ha ha, too funny. I actually like baked beans! Your recipe looks delicious.