What Makes Great Vegetarian Baked Beans?
Often associated with cookouts, baked beans are the quintessential summer side. For a vegetarian meal, try them with veggie burgers and tofu hot dogs, or follow the English tradition and serve them on toast with scrambled eggs. Their smoky, rich flavor will boost just about any dish. Our chefs define high quality vegetarian baked beans as being intact and whole, not broken or having loose skins. Look for beans that radiate a vibrant reddish brown color, with an aroma intensity registering anywhere from moderate to high. The beans’ aroma character should be complex. Baked beans are in taste balance when sweet and salt are equally predominant, with the sweetness coming from the beans as well as sweeteners such as molasses or brown sugar. Sourness from the tomato components should be low but present, and there should be little, if any, bitterness. Overall, vegetarian baked beans should have a higher flavor complexity than aroma complexity, with flavors of molasses, brown sugar, tomatoes,
