Slow cooker Sweet and sour beans

These sweet and sour beans are the bomb. It is the first time I make this super healthy beans in the crock pot and we truly loved them. What an easy and nutritious recipe!

I am finding myself using my crock pot quite often lately. Given the fact that it is so convenient and easy I take it out from storage at least twice a week.

For this sweet and sour recipe I almost doubled my batch. If you have been reading my other recipes you will know that more often than not I tend to double my recipe so that I can have leftovers to use for the days ahead. This way I don’t have to cook every single day since we  don’t mind leftovers!

Also, for this recipe, I used dried white beans but you can use any other beans of your choice. I think red beans or even a mixture of them will be good as well. If you like you can also add some other veggies as well as some sort of protein. Lean ground turkey, chicken or beef will complement the beans and veggies rather well. I just left my version vegetarian though.

I cooked the beans on a high setting but if you have more time you can cook it on low for longer. I don’t think that should be a problem. Also, if you like, you can freeze part of the beans and used later on. Beans freeze very well.

On another note, how cold it is where you are? We are experiencing a rather cold winter, however, I think some other parts of the country as well as Canada are way worse than here in NJ. I think I need to move to a hotter area with a warmer climate. It is way too cold for me here.

I leave you with this recipe that I hope you will enjoy.

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Slow cooker Sweet and sour beans

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup dry sherry
• 1/4 cup soy sauce, gluten free
• 1/4 cup cider vinegar
• 2 tbsp unrefined sugar
• 1 tbs dried marjoram
• 1 tbs dried thyme
• 2 tsp black pepper
• 6 oz tomato paste
• 1 cup water
• 1 quart vegetable broth
• 1 lb white beans, soaked over night
• 3 potatoes, diced
• 3 carrots, diced
• 1 tbsp arrowroot powder, or corn starch

Directions:

In your crock pot, place the first 10 ingredients and mix through with a whisk. Add the vegetable broth and beans and cook on high setting for one hour.

Add the diced carrots and potatoes and cook further on high for 4 hours. When the 4 hours have gone by dissolve the arrowroot powder in some of the bean broth and incorporate to the soup. Cook for another 15 minutes or so until the broth thickens.

At this stage you can add some celtic salt if you like. Serve while warm.

Recipe adapted from the Slow Cooking Book