Baked Beans With Mint, Peppers and Tomatoes
Published March 6, 2011
Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times
- Total Time
- 3 hours
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
1 pound borlotti or pinto beans, rinsed, picked over and soaked, if desired, in 2 quarts water for six hours or overnight
1 dried or fresh hot red chili pepper
Salt
2 medium onions, chopped
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
3 large garlic cloves, minced or pressed
2 red bell peppers, chopped
2 teaspoons paprika
1 14-ounce can chopped tomatoes with juice
2 tablespoons tomato paste
Freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint, plus additional for garnish
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)
59 grams carbs; 393 calories; 7 grams monosaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 10 grams fat; 15 grams fiber; 572 milligrams sodium; 18 grams protein; 8 grams sugar
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
If you have soaked the beans, drain them over a bowl and use the soaking water for cooking. Combine with enough water to cover by two inches in a large, ovenproof casserole or Dutch oven. Add the dried chili, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer 45 minutes to an hour until the beans are tender but intact. Stir in salt to taste.
- Step 2
While the beans are simmering, heat the oven to 300 degrees and prepare the remaining vegetables. Heat the oil over medium heat in a large, heavy frying pan. Add the onions. Stir together, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes until lightly browned. Stir in the garlic, the red peppers and a pinch of salt, and cook, stirring, for five minutes until the peppers are just tender and the mixture is fragrant. Add the paprika, tomatoes and tomato paste, and cook, stirring often, until the tomatoes have cooked down a little, five to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat, and add this mixture to the beans. Add freshly ground pepper and the mint, and blend the mixture thoroughly. Taste and adjust salt.
- Step 3
Place the beans in the oven, and bake, covered, for 1 ½ hours until very tender and the broth has reduced to a thick sauce. Stir and check from time to time to make sure the beans are covered with liquid. Add hot water if necessary. Garnish with additional mint and serve, or allow to cool and serve warm.
Private Notes
Comments
I found this rather flat and bland. I added a bit of balsamic vinegar and some salt, and some Aleppo pepper, but it still tasted quite bland. I finally minced some left-over ham and mixed that in. Still not that satisfying a dish.
Also, remember that beans can be tricky. Soaking, then parboiling, then baking is a lot of cooking if you have good quality beans that are fresh. If I make this again I would just soak and bake.
I suspect the missing Tip is supposed to be this note from the original article: “The beans can be prepared through Step 2 up to a day before you bake them. The baked beans will keep for three to five days in the refrigerator.”
I made this for a Memorial Day picnic and found it a welcome change from the typical super-sugary baked beans. It also made the vegetarians happy! I may have added too much water; I had to reduce it on the stovetop to get the sauce thickened.
Made for kels bday 2023. Parboiled beans with one guajillo and 3” smoked turkey neck. Left in guajillo when in oven. Could have left out guajillo when in oven. Tasty with a little heat.
45 minutes was too much time to boil rancho Gordo cranberry beans. Sorta sweet.