Smoky Slow Baked Beans

Name: Smoky Slow Baked Beans
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 2 h 5 min
Total time: 2 h 30 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups Navy beans, dried, soaked overnight; 1 Yellow onion, finely diced; 4 cloves Garlic, minced; 5 dates Medjool dates, pitted; 1 1/2 cups Canned crushed tomatoes; 2 tbsp Tomato paste; 1 tbsp Smoked paprika; 1 tbsp Dijon mustard; 2 tbsp Apple cider vinegar; 1/2 tsp Smoked salt or liquid smoke, liquid smoke; 2 Bay leaves; 1/2 tsp Black peppercorns, freshly ground

Serves 6 150 min total, 25 min hands on American $0.7 per serving A little salt

Baked beans are usually a delivery system for brown sugar, molasses, and bacon. This version gets its dark sweetness from blended dates and its smoke from smoked paprika and a few drops of liquid smoke, so the beans stay the point. Low and slow in the oven is what turns them creamy and gives the sauce its body.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups Navy beans, dried, soaked overnight
1 Yellow onion, finely diced
4 cloves Garlic, minced
5 dates Medjool dates, pitted
1 1/2 cups Canned crushed tomatoes
2 tbsp Tomato paste
1 tbsp Smoked paprika
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tbsp Apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp Smoked salt or liquid smoke, liquid smoke
2 Bay leaves
1/2 tsp Black peppercorns, freshly ground

Method

Drain the soaked beans, cover with fresh water by 2 inches, and simmer with one bay leaf until just tender, 45 to 60 minutes. Do not season the water yet. Drain, saving 2 cups of the bean liquid. Heat the oven to 300 F (150 C).
Blend the dates with 1 cup of the reserved bean liquid into a smooth paste. This is the sweetener, and it carries the same dark, caramel note molasses would, with the fiber still attached.
Sweat the onion in an ovenproof pot with 3 tablespoons (45 ml) water until soft, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes, until the paste turns brick red.
Stir in the crushed tomatoes, the date paste, smoked paprika, mustard, liquid smoke, black pepper, and the second bay leaf. Add the beans and enough reserved bean liquid to just cover them.
Bring to a simmer on the stove, then cover and move the pot to the oven. Bake for 90 minutes, stirring once at the halfway mark and adding a splash of bean liquid if it looks dry.
Uncover and bake for a final 20 to 30 minutes, until the top darkens and the sauce is thick and glossy. This last uncovered stretch is where the flavor concentrates.
Stir in the cider vinegar off the heat. Discard the bay leaves. Rest for 10 minutes. The vinegar lifts the whole pot, so taste and add a splash more if it reads flat rather than reaching for salt.

Nutrition

Estimated per serving: 255 calories, 13 g protein, 15 g fiber. Computed from USDA FoodData Central reference values for the main ingredients. This is an approximation, not a laboratory measurement.

Cost per serving is estimated from US national-average retail prices for cheap staple forms, using BLS dried-bean prices and USDA produce prices. Prices vary by store and season, so treat it as a guide, not a receipt.