When I was a kid, and oblivious to a lifestyle that didn't include dairy, eggs, and chunks of animal flesh, I absolutely loved Pork 'n' Beans from a can. My mother was a 'modern' 50s mother-- she didn't waste time with baking bread or canning or such. There were so many other things to do, more interesting than slaving over a hot stove. We did have a large electric frying pan that contained some sort of 'goulash' every day at lunch time. Usually the base item was hamburger (there really are 101 ways to serve hamburger).
As a young adult university student, and later, as a young wife and mother in the 70s, I came across Diet for a Small Planet by Francis Moore Lappe. I relished the lovely vegetarian recipes, mostly swimming in cheese or containing eggs-- ovo-lacto vegetarian. But it was at that time that I let go of the old myths around needing to eat animal products to be healthy. By and by, over the years, my husband and I committed to veganism for health and ethical reasons. I am SO happy that I have never had to give up beans, although I guess there are a few "vegetarian"- type diets around that believe that the leptins in beans are a bad thing. I don't belong to that group of veg-heads. And I definitely DO NOT miss the little slimy piece of pork in my baked beans.
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| Bleak and dreary foggy January day-- with no view of the Comox Harbour-- when Baked Beans are really appreciated! |
INGREDIENTS NEEDED FOR THIS VEGAN OVEN-BAKED BEAN RECIPE
- 4 C. of Cooked White Beans-- Great Northern or Navy Beans-- or 2- 15 oz. cans of Beans
- 1 Large Yellow Onion, chopped fine
- 3 Cloves Garlic, chopped fine or minced
- 3 C./711mil Tomato-Basil Pasta Sauce (I use the "Simple Organic" brand from Costco)
- 1/4 C. Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1/3 C. Maple Syrup
- 2 T. Blackstrap Molasses
- 1 T. Prepared Mustard, your choice
- 1 tsp. Ground Cumin
- 1 Large Bay Leaf
- Pepper (to taste-- or about 1 teaspoon)
- 1 T. Smoked Paprika
- 1 C. Water
I could well have done these baked beans up in my Instant Pot in less than half the time, but the truth is that I wanted to use my mother's sweet old (1960s) Ellgreave "Saxony" design bean pot. I LOVE my Instant Pot, but there is something very soothing about a pottery baking pot. My mom was a big fan of legume dishes-- she would have welcomed these beans!
METHOD OF PREPARING:
- Using a large wok or skillet, saute the onions until translucent and then briefly saute the garlic.
- Add all other ingredients to the wok/skillet and bring to a boil, stirring.
- Turn down to low and put a lid on the wok/skillet.
- Let the mixture simmer for the next 3 hours, stirring and checking often so that the beans do not burn. Add a little more water if the mixture is dry.
- Preheat the oven to 300-350 degrees Farenheit/150-177 degrees Celsius
- When the beans are soft and the sauce is rich and thick, transfer the pot to the oven. I put mine in a cake pan to catch any possible overflow (and there was some).
- Cook for 3 hours in the oven, checking occasionally to stir and see that there is no over-drying and burning.
Certainly! Here's a nutritional chart per serving (assuming 7 servings) for the described recipe:
Nutritional Chart Per Serving:
Ingredients:
- 4 cups cooked white beans (Great Northern or Navy Beans) OR 2 cans (15 oz. each) of beans
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped fine
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped fine or minced
- 3 cups (711 ml) tomato-basil pasta sauce
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons blackstrap molasses
- 1 tablespoon prepared mustard
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 large bay leaf
- Pepper (to taste, or about 1 teaspoon)
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 cup water
Nutritional Information (Per Serving):
Cooked White Beans (Great Northern or Navy Beans):
- Calories: Approximately 110 kcal
- Total Fat: 0.5g
- Saturated Fat: 0g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
- Sodium: 5mg
- Total Carbohydrates: 20g
- Dietary Fiber: 4g
- Sugars: 1g
- Protein: 6g
Yellow Onion:
- Calories: Approximately 20 kcal
- Total Fat: 0g
- Saturated Fat: 0g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
- Sodium: 0mg
- Total Carbohydrates: 5g
- Dietary Fiber: 1g
- Sugars: 2g
- Protein: 1g
Garlic:
- Calories: Approximately 5 kcal
- Total Fat: 0g
- Saturated Fat: 0g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
- Sodium: 0mg
- Total Carbohydrates: 1g
- Dietary Fiber: 0g
- Sugars: 0g
- Protein: 0g
Tomato-Basil Pasta Sauce:
- Calories: Approximately 100 kcal
- Total Fat: 3.5g
- Saturated Fat: 0.5g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
- Sodium: 480mg
- Total Carbohydrates: 16g
- Dietary Fiber: 4g
- Sugars: 8g
- Protein: 2g
Apple Cider Vinegar:
- Calories: Approximately 1 kcal
- Total Fat: 0g
- Saturated Fat: 0g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
- Sodium: 0mg
- Total Carbohydrates: 0g
- Dietary Fiber: 0g
- Sugars: 0g
- Protein: 0g
Maple Syrup:
- Calories: Approximately 45 kcal
- Total Fat: 0g
- Saturated Fat: 0g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
- Sodium: 1mg
- Total Carbohydrates: 12g
- Dietary Fiber: 0g
- Sugars: 12g
- Protein: 0g
Blackstrap Molasses:
- Calories: Approximately 50 kcal
- Total Fat: 0g
- Saturated Fat: 0g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
- Sodium: 6mg
- Total Carbohydrates: 12g
- Dietary Fiber: 0g
- Sugars: 12g
- Protein: 0g
Prepared Mustard:
- Calories: Approximately 5 kcal
- Total Fat: 0g
- Saturated Fat: 0g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
- Sodium: 65mg
- Total Carbohydrates: 0g
- Dietary Fiber: 0g
- Sugars: 0g
- Protein: 0g
Ground Cumin:
- Calories: Approximately 8 kcal
- Total Fat: 0g
- Saturated Fat: 0g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
- Sodium: 1mg
- Total Carbohydrates: 1g
- Dietary Fiber: 0g
- Sugars: 0g
- Protein: 0g
Bay Leaf:
- Calories: Approximately 1 kcal
- Total Fat: 0g
- Saturated Fat: 0g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
- Sodium: 0mg
- Total Carbohydrates: 0g
- Dietary Fiber: 0g
- Sugars: 0g
- Protein: 0g
Pepper:
- Calories: Approximately 1 kcal
- Total Fat: 0g
- Saturated Fat: 0g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
- Sodium: 0mg
- Total Carbohydrates: 0g
- Dietary Fiber: 0g
- Sugars: 0g
- Protein: 0g
Smoked Paprika:
- Calories: Approximately 6 kcal
- Total Fat: 0g
- Saturated Fat: 0g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
- Sodium: 1mg
- Total Carbohydrates: 1g
- Dietary Fiber: 0g
- Sugars: 0g
- Protein: 0g
Water:
- Calories: 0 kcal
- Total Fat: 0g
- Saturated Fat: 0g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
- Sodium: 0mg
- Total Carbohydrates: 0g
- Dietary Fiber: 0g
- Sugars: 0g
- Protein: 0g
Total Nutritional Information (Per Serving):
- Calories: Approximately 347 kcal
- Total Fat: 4g
- Saturated Fat: 1g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
- Sodium: 563mg
- Total Carbohydrates: 69g
- Dietary Fiber: 9g
- Sugars: 35g
- Protein: 10g
Please note that these values are approximate and can vary based on specific brands and types of ingredients used. It's always a good idea to check the nutritional information on product labels for the most accurate details. (High sodium content above is due almost exclusively due to the use of the Pasta sauce used by the recipe finder to calibrate. You may want to make your own pasta sauce-- bound to be lower in sodium-- or select a sauce that is lower in sodium than above).
Find other amazing recipes for cooking low fat vegan beans in The Great Vegan Bean Book: More than 100 Delicious Plant-Based Dishes Packed with the Kindest Protein in Town! - Includes Soy-Free and Gluten-Free Recipes! (Great Vegan Book)
Make A Delicious Vegan Pizza (click below)
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