I guess you’re wondering why would you make baked beans when it’s readily available from a can?  Nothing beats a homemade version with fresh navy beans and your own flavours that you love!  Try it with some of nice fresh crusty bread and you have one mean brekky or snack full of protein!

With this recipe, I was actually attempting to make a soup, but I think this is much better as your traditional baked beans!

Vegans: This is totally vegan apart from my topped shavings of parmesan!  The photo was the only time I actually put cheese on it - it’s definitely not missed, in fact, I reckon it’s better without it!

Serves:

• around 5 cups / 5 serves

Ingredients:

• 1 cup navy beans, dried
• 1 can tomatoes, diced
• 1 onion, roughly chopped
• 2 tsp garlic mince
• 2 tsp dijon mustard
• 1 tsp all spice
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp molasses
• 1 tsp chilli
• 1 tsp white pepper
• water for soaking and cooking
• pinch salt

Instructions:

1. The day before, soak your beans overnight in water and a little salt.
2. The next day, drain your beans and sit aside.
3. In a large pot, mix the tomatoes, garlic and onions together and cook until soft.
4. Add all the other ingredients (including the beans), stir well.
5. At this stage, pour about 5 cups of water and allow to boil, before turning to a low heat.
6. Simmer for two hours, adding more water and stirring occasionally as you go, ensuring it doesn’t stick or dry out.
7. Test your beans to see if they are soft and season if required before serving.
8. Place in the oven for 10 minutes and stir.
9. Cook for another 5 minutes or until the oats have dried and are golden brown.
10. Mix again and allow to cool before storing!