Smoky beans on jacket potatoes are probably one of the easiest, cheap but super tasty vegan meals you can make while living Life Without Meat.

It also boasts a vital number of the nutrients you need such as protein, fibre, and iron. Black beans and haricot beans are particularly renowned for their high amounts of protein. I’ve also used some red pepper in this recipe which is a fantastic source of vitamin C. This is particularly beneficial for helping your body absorb the other nutrients of the meal, such as iron.

The sweetness of the tomato combined with all these warm spices and fresh ginger creates the most amazing and vibrant smoky bean sauce for your jacket potatoes. The sauce is a great go-to meal in itself as it only takes 25 minutes to make. If you want to go the extra mile for making it super smoky, you can chargrill your red pepper beforehand for ten minutes.

To top it all off, I made a lovely mix of cucumber, avocado, fresh coriander and lime juice. The zesty zing of lime made all the difference. This part is easy enough to make while you’re waiting on the rest to cook, but it’s optional. Instead, you could also sprinkle over grated vegan cheese, or drizzle over some dairy-free yoghurt.

The benefits of cooking with seasonal produce?

In this recipe, I’ve used a few ingredients which are in season at the moment. The humble potato is a prime example. There are several benefits to cooking with seasonal produce. Three main reasons include better taste, less expense, and it’s kinder on the environment. If you’re interested, you can read more about the benefits of seasonal eating here.

Jacket potatoes: what’s the best type of potato to use?

It’s easy enough not to pay any attention to the type of potato you use in cooking. Often we go for the cheapest or whatever is on offer at the time. That can often work out fine.

But at times, have you ever wondered why a potato salad has ended up more like mashed potato, or why your mashed potato doesn’t mash in the most irresistible way? That’s most likely because you’ve accidentally used the wrong type.

Low-starch potatoes, such as new potatoes, hold their shape better and are ideal for salads, soups and stews. In contrast, high-starch potatoes, such as russets, are thick-skinned and have fluffy, light centres. Therefore, they’re great for baking. They’re more absorbent and will provide you with that desired creamy texture and crispy skin. Examples include white baking potatoes and sweet potatoes.

Cooking time will also vary depending on their size. The smaller the potato, the less time they’ll take to cook. The sweet potatoes I used in this recipe were quite large and cranked the cooking time up as a result. Feel free to use whichever sized potato that suits.

I hope you enjoy this recipe. It would be lovely to hear your feedback, so tag me in your social stories and posts to let me know how you get on. Otherwise, you can also leave a review below!

Much Love, G x

Jacket Potatoes with Sweet 'n' Smoky Beans

Name: Jacket Potatoes with Sweet 'n' Smoky Beans
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 4-6
Ingredients: 3 Sweet potatoes; 2 tbsp olive oil; 1 white onion, chopped; 2 large cloves garlic, crushed/grated; 1 knob of ginger, peeled and grated; 1 red pepper, chopped; 1 can of chopped tomatoes; 2 vine tomatoes, chopped; 2 tsp of tomato puree; 200ml boiling water; Sea Salt; Black pepper; Small handful fresh coriander; Handful of spinach; 1 tbsp cumin; 1 tsp ground coriander; 1 tsp chilli; 150g haricot beans, rinsed and drained; 150g black beans, rinsed and drained; 1 avocado, peeled and chopped; ½ cucumber, chopped; Fresh coriander, roughly chopped; Juice of 1 lime

Yield: 4-6

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Jacket potatoes - one of the easiest, cheap and super tasty vegan meals you can make.

Ingredients

Potato:

3 Sweet potatoes

Smoky Bean Sauce:

2 tbsp olive oil
1 white onion, chopped
2 large cloves garlic, crushed/grated
1 knob of ginger, peeled and grated
1 red pepper, chopped
1 can of chopped tomatoes
2 vine tomatoes, chopped
2 tsp of tomato puree
200ml boiling water
Sea Salt
Black pepper
Small handful fresh coriander
Handful of spinach

Spices:

1 tbsp cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp chilli

Protein:

150g haricot beans, rinsed and drained
150g black beans, rinsed and drained

To top:

1 avocado, peeled and chopped
½ cucumber, chopped
Fresh coriander, roughly chopped
Juice of 1 lime

Instructions

Pre-heat your oven to 180C, and place your potatoes into cook for 40-60 minutes, until easily pierced with a knife. Whichever potato you use, wash them, prick them and rub them with a little oil and salt to encourage a crispy skin before putting them in the oven.
Meanwhile, heat oil in a large pan over medium heat. Prepare your garlic, onion, ginger and red pepper. Then add these to the pan and cook for 5 minutes, until they’ve softened.
Add in the can of chopped tomatoes, fresh vine tomatoes, boiling water and tomato puree. Mix well and add a pinch of sea salt and a grinding of black pepper.
Next, stir in all your spices, a small handful of fresh coriander, a generous handful of spinach, and both types of beans. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10-20 minutes. If you want to make it saucier at any point, just stir in a little water.
Meanwhile, prep your avocado, cucumber and fresh coriander to put on top. Place all three in a bowl and drizzle over the juice of one lime.
Finally, when your potatoes are baked, load ‘em with the smoky bean sauce, and serve with the avocado, cucumber and coriander on top. Feel free to drizzle over dairy-free yoghurt instead if you prefer. Enjoy!