Home-made baked beans are simple to make and surpass the canned versions for taste and price. Make up a big batch and freeze in portions for up to 3 months.
Ingredients
- 400g dried haricot or cannellini beans
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 red onions, finely chopped
- 150g pancetta or smoked streaky bacon, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 400g can chopped tomatoes
- 2 tbsp dark muscovado sugar
- 3 tbsp cider vinegar
Method
- 1. Soak the beans overnight. Drain them, place in a pan, cover with fresh water and bring to the boil over a medium heat. Cook for about 45 minutes-1 hour until tender, then remove from the heat and set aside for 30 minutes. Drain well.
- 2. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat, add the onions and pancetta and cook for 6-8 minutes. Stir in the garlic, tomatoes, sugar, vinegar and 400ml water, then tip in the beans. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 1½-2 hours, stirring occasionally, until you have a thick sauce and tender beans. Serve the beans on toasted bread with grated cheese, if you like.
Nutritional info
Per serving: 260kcals, 9.5g fat (2.3g saturated), 14.6g protein, 31g carbs, 6.4g sugar, 0.7g salt