Vegan Boston Baked Beans
Bring Out The New England Tradition Of Baked Beans
These Vegan Boston Baked Beans are a true close to the real thing. The original Boston Baked Beans has salt pork, but with certain spices it has been altered to a close copy. These baked beans are a family favorite. Boston Baked Bean recipes go way back to the 1700’s, going back to the American Indians and the Puritans. We always had these beans for Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter at our family farm for Holidays. So I am excited to share this recipe with you. With the molasses and brown sugar it is a sure hit for the whole family. It really adds so much flavor to the meal plan. Especially, if you are making Boston Brown Bread with it as most New Englander’s do. You can find my Boston Brown Bread recipe here on this website as well.
How To Make Vegan Boston Baked Beans
The trick to really good Vegan Boston Baked Beans is to start soaking the beans the day before. The amount of time soaking the beans really helps with releasing the gases of the beans. Make sure to rinse and change the water out a couple of times during soaking.
The sweetness in the Boston Baked Beans is really key for the authentic flavoring. If you love molasses as much as I do then this dish is for you. Mind you that it is the sugar in the recipe that adds a distinctive hardness to the beans. I cook them for about 8 hours in the oven in a Dutch oven pot. Even though they cook for this long duration they still have a firmness to the structure of the beans. They do not get mushy like other beans. So keep this in mind when you test them for doneness. They should be firm but not hard. Again it is because of the sugar.
How To Create A Smoky Taste In Vegan Boston Baked Beans
It is often hard to replicate that special taste we grew up with that had meat in the recipe. Although, there are ways to recreate a closeness to it that is quite rewarding to the taste buds. In this recipe of Vegan Boston Baked Beans I use brown sugar, clove, Worcestershire sauce and smoked paprika along with other spices. I feel as if these four main ingredients really help pull out that smoky rich flavor of pork.
Some people might think that there are a lot of spices in this wonderful dish, but it is the secret to making it really good. This recipe has a little bite to it with the black pepper, but if you don’t care for that then use less or leave it out. Also, if you want even a bigger kick to it then just add a whole jalapeño to it while cooking. Take the jalapeño out before serving. This part is not traditional but it is a very nice hot spicy alternative. If that is the way you like your food. Of course as you know I do. So give this recipe an old world try. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.
Vegan Boston Baked Beans
Equipment
- 1 Large oven pot, I use a Dutch oven
- 1 Wooden spoon
- 1 Chopping board
- 1 Sharp knife
- 1 Set of measuring cups
- 1 Set of measuring spoons
Ingredients
Vegan Boston Baked Beans
- 2 to 2¼ cups White Northern Beans or Navy Beans, 1 pound
- 3½ Tbsp Olive Oil
- 3 cups Water
- ⅓ cup Molasses
- ¼ cup Brown Sugar
- ½ can Organic Tomato Paste
- 1 Medium Yellow Onion, chopped
- 3 cloves Garlic, minced
- 3½ Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
- 3 Tbsp Organic Apple Cider Vinegar
- 3 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
- 2 Tbsp Colman's Dry Mustard
- ½ tsp Smoked Paprika
- 3 to 4 Bay Leaves
- ½ tsp Ground Black Pepper
- ½ tsp Sea Salt, or To Desired Taste
Instructions
- Soak beans over night in a large pot submerged in water. Rinse and drain before cooking.
Making Vegan Boston Baked Beans
- Heat your oven to 250°
- Heat on the stove top on medium heat a Dutch oven or large oven safe cooking pot. Add the olive oil
- Rinse out the beans with fresh water from soaking over night from the night before.
- Add the chopped onions and garlic to the hot olive oil in the pot. Mix around to cover the onions and garlic in oil. Let cook for 1 minute, while you keep stirring.
- Add the soaked, rinsed and drained white beans and 3 cups of fresh water to the onions and garlic.
- Add the remaining ingredients, molasses, brown sugar, organic tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, apple cider vinegar, dry Coleman's mustard, dijon mustard, smoked paprika, bay leaves, ground black pepper and sea salt.
- Stir it all together, put the lid on the pot and put in the oven for 6 to 8 hours.
- Check every hour to see if it needs more liquid.
- The liquid should just barely cover the top of the beans.
- When done the beans should be a little hard on the shell but softer inside. The sugar stops this recipe from being mushy beans.
- When done serve and enjoy!