I’ve always been a big baked beans fan. I really don’t feel that a cooked breakfast is complete without them - they add a slight sweetness to the meal and their sauce is perfect for bringing all the other components together. I still eat shop-bought tinned baked beans from time to time, but for a more luxurious breakfast I’ve been really enjoying these homemade, ‘rustic’ style baked beans. They’re really simple to prepare, they taste absolutely divine, and they’re much healthier than shop-bought tinned varieties that have lots of added salt and sugar.
These homemade baked beans freeze really well, so make a big batch and save some for a rainy day. They’re brilliant as part of a cooked breakfast but also make a delicious meal simply served on some toast (as I’ve pictured here) or in a jacket potato.
Homemade Baked Beans Recipe (vegan)
Ingredients (serves 4):
2 Tbsp rapeseed or olive oil
2 medium sized white onions, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp smoked paprika
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp brown sugar
2 x 400g tins butter beans*
400ml good quality passata
pinch of salt and lots of black pepper
Handful of fresh parsley to serve
* You can substitute butter beans with cannellini, haricot or pinto beans.
Method:
Heat the oil over a medium heat in a large lidded pan, then fry the onion until soft - around 10 minutes.
Add the garlic and paprika, and continue to fry for a further minute, stirring continuously.
Add the vinegar and sugar, then add the beans and passata. Season with salt and pepper, then turn the heat down to low and simmer gently with a lid on for 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally. As the beans blip away the sharpness of the tomato sauce goes and it thickens up nicely.
When the baked beans taste rich and tender, stir through some freshly chopped parsley. These homemade baked beans freeze very well so make a large batch and keep some for a rainy day!
Nutrition (per serving):
Protein: 12.4g (Women: 24.8% / Men: 22.5%)
Iron: 5.5mg (Women: 37.2% / Men: 63.2%)
Calories: 266 (Women: 13.3% / Men: 10.6%)
Sugar: 13.2g (Women: 14.7% / Men: 11.0%)
Total fats: 9.7g (Women: 13.9% / Men: 10.2%)
Saturated fat: 1.1g (Women: 5.5% / Men: 3.7%)
Salt: 0.5g (Women: 8.3% / Men: 8.3%)
Fibre: 11.8g (Women: 39.3% / Men: 39.3%)
See the Nutrition Info page for more details on % of Dietary Reference Values for men and women.