Sweet and Savory Bean Medley! Discover a mouthwatering twist on the classic American Baked Beans with our latest obsession.
Perfect for those seeking a simple yet budget-friendly dish, this Sweet and Savory Bean Medley is packed with a delightful blend of flavors. Give this easy-to-make dish a try and treat yourself to a wholesome recipe that will leave you craving for more!
Whole Food Plant Based, Vegan, plant based, oil free, refined sugar free, no highly processed ingredients and gluten free.
Hi there, Ameera here!
Our hearts are full of love for this delicious creation, and we’re sure yours will be too! Don’t miss out on this tasty gem!
Tips for Success:
- Flavor Profile: This Sweet and Savory Bean Medley is an easy and budget-friendly bean dish that is full of delicious tomato flavor with punches of sweet and savory.
- Low-Fat Dish Expectations: This dish was designed to be low in fat. Because it is low in fat, you are not going to experience that endorphin rush associated with eating high-fat foods when eating this dish. It is very tasty for what it is, and that is a low-fat dish. We just want to make sure that our Readers recognize this when contemplating making this recipe.
- Level of Sweetness: This bean dish is on the sweetness level of a traditional American style baked beans but with a twist. You can easily adjust the sweetness by reducing the maple syrup; however, you may need to adjust other ingredients to compensate.
- Red Wine Vinegar: The red wine vinegar really complements this dish. You may wish to start on the lower end and taste test to see if you want to add the last tablespoon. We loved 3 tablespoons of red wine vinegar in this dish.
- Bean Substitutions: You can pretty much use your favorite beans in this dish.
- Next Day: This dish tastes even better the next day.
- Liquids: This dish has a moderate level of ‘broth’. Some family members wanted more ‘broth’ while others were perfectly satisfied with the level of ‘juiciness’. The liquids do tight up and absorb into the beans as it sits. Feel free to increase the broth by adding more vegetable broth; however, you may find that you will need to increase other ingredients to keep from ‘watering down’ the flavor.
- Table Salt: If using table salt, you should use less table salt than the amount listed in the ingredients as sea salt crystals are larger than table salt crystals. Since table salt crystals are very fine, less table salt is required to season a dish. We would suggest starting with about 1/4 to 1/2 the amount of sea salt listed. You can always add more salt but cannot take it away. We recommend using sea salt as it is less refined than table salt.
Leftovers and Freezing:
Leftovers will generally keep 5 days in the refrigerator. Store in a covered container.
This dish can be frozen.
Pantry Products:
- Vegetable Stock: We use Pacific Organic Low Sodium Vegetable Stock. We love this brand because it is Whole Food Plant Based compliant, as it does not contain MSG, has no oil, and does not contain any highly-processed ingredients. Feel free to use your favorite vegetable broth.
- Sea Salt: Please adjust the sea salt based upon your family’s sea salt preferences and/or based upon dietary needs.
Kitchen Products:
- Large stockpot with lid
If you try this flavorful dish, we would love to know if you enjoy it as much as we do! Please leave us a review! Post a picture on Facebook or Instagram and tag us! We would love to hear from you.
PrintSweet and Savory Bean Medley
- Prep Time: 30 Minutes
- Cook Time: 15 Minutes
- Total Time: 45 Minutes (+Rest Time)
- Yield: 8 Cups 1x
- Category: Side
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Perfect for those seeking a simple yet budget-friendly dish, this Sweet and Savory Bean Medley is packed with a delightful blend of flavors.
Ingredients
ase Ingredients:
- 1 cup yellow onions, fine dice
- 2 celery ribs, small dice
- 1 green bell pepper, small dice
- 1 red bell pepper, small dice
- 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
- 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 – [ 8 oz. can ] tomato sauce
- 1 cup low-sodium vegetable broth *
- ½ cup water
- 2 Tablespoons pure maple syrup (+/-) *
- 2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast
Spice/Herb Ingredients:
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons dried ground mustard powder (+/-)
- 1 teaspoon dried basil (+/-)
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano (+/-)
- Pinch black pepper (+/-)
- ¼ to 1 ¼ teaspoons sea salt (+/-) *
- 1 bay leaf
Additional Ingredients:
- 1 – 15.5 oz. can ] kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 – 15.5 oz. can ] great northern beans, drained and rinsed *
- 1 – 15 oz. can ] lima beans, drained and rinsed *
- 2 to 3 Tablespoon red wine vinegar (+/-) *
Instructions
- Place the Spice/Herb Ingredients (except the bay leaf) in a small bowl, mix well, set aside.
- In a large skillet, add the onions, celery, and bell peppers, sauté over medium-high heat for 7 to 9 minutes to soften, add a splash of water, if needed to avoid burning. Then lower the heat to medium, add the minced garlic and tomato paste, sauté, stir constantly for one minute.
- Then add all the remaining Base Ingredients and the Spice/Herb Mix to the pot, stir to incorporate, then tuck in the bay leaf, bring the mixture to a boil, then immediately lower to a simmer.
- Add all the Additional Ingredients, stir to incorporate, cover with a lid, then simmer over for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
- After 15 minutes, remove from the stove and allow to sit covered for 10 minutes to allow the flavors to marry. Discard the bay leaf and serve.
- Serving ideas: Serve plain or over steamed rice, boiled or baked potatoes, cooked pasta, toast, or simply with crusty bread or flatbread.
Notes
*Please reference the blog post for Tips for Success, Pantry Items Used, Storage and Freezing, and Kitchen Products Used.
*Sea Salt: Please adjust the sea salt based upon your family’s sea salt preferences and/or based upon dietary needs.
*Servings: 4 to 6 (makes 7 ½ to 8 cups)
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