I have a thing for baked beans, they were part of the weekly menu rotation when I was growing up, when I was ill my mum could always make me feel better with a bowl of beans with tiny chunks of toast mixed in and now they’re pretty high on my list of comfort foods. Recently an aversion to processed foods and the fact that canned baked beans are ridiculously (and unnecessarily) high in sugar and salt has prompted me to replace this family favourite with a seriously tasty and nutritious alternative.

I searched high and low for a good recipe, but most seemed to add loads of sugar , which was definitely not what I wanted. But then I stumbled upon this one from Vegan Sparkles, no added sugar at all, but absolutely gorgeous!

With the addition of some well placed herbs and spices you really don’t miss the extra salt, and the sweetness of the sugar can be replaced with a combination of sun dried and cherry tomatoes. This recipe is almost as easy as opening a can of normal baked beans, so really there’s no excuse! Served up on some sour dough toast with a fried egg on top you’ve got yourself a fantastic dinner to add to the rotation!

Homemade Baked Beans
Recipe from Vegan Sparkles
Serves 2

Ingredients:
Splash of olive oil
1 onion
1 can of tomatoes
1 handful of cherry tomatoes
3-4 sun dried tomatoes (in oil)
1 can of borlotti beans (or other beans of your choice)
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a medium sized pan over a medium heat. Fry off the onion until it is translucent and starting to brown.

Add the 3 types of tomato and cook until they start to bubble. Add the beans, spices and seasoning and simmer for 10 minutes until the sauce has thickened nicely.

Serve on thick slices of toast with a fried egg or some grated cheese on top. Enjoy!