My boys love sausages with chips and baked beans, so I decided to try and create a slightly different version for those days when we fancied a healthier alternative.
These smoky chill beans are spicy, with a lovely rich sauce that combines tomatoes, tomato puree and beef or vegetable stock. When I first started making this dish, I used tinned beans but have swapped to jarred beans, as they seem to be much softer in texture.
These beans can be served alongside pork chops, pork or vegan sausages, or simply on their own on slices of hot buttered toast. However, if you want to make a casserole, try browning the sausages and then adding them to the dish at the same time as the beans (but just cook it for a little longer until the sausages are cooked through).
Serves 4
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 onion
1 carrot (approx 125g)
1 celery stick
2 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon of mild chilli (or to taste)
1 teaspoon of sweet smoked paprika
400g tin of chopped tomatoes
2 tablespoons of oregano
2 tablespoons of tomato purée
300ml beef or vegetable stock
Seasoning
Square of dark cooking chocolate (optional)
660g jar of white beans
Handful of flat leaf parsley
- Finely dice the onion, carrot and celery.
- Peel the garlic cloves.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a pan, over a low to medium heat.
- Add the onion, carrots and celery to the pan and sauté until the onion is translucent.
- Crush the garlic and add it to the pan, along with the chilli and sweet smoked paprika. Stir for 2-3 minutes, being careful not to burn the garlic.
- Add the tomatoes, stock, oregano, sugar and tomato purée. Season and stir well.
- Bring to the boil, then reduce the the heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Now stir in the chocolate and when that has dissolved, add the beans and cook for a further 15 minutes.
- Chop the parsley and scatter over the beans before serving.
