Fall is finally here, but that doesn’t mean I have to abandon the spirit of summer altogether. Unfortunately, we didn’t have many opportunities to visit friends or family for cook-outs, barbeques, or picnics this year, but we still made the most of the season at home. One of my favorite summer quarantine “date nights” involves recreating outdoor favorites inside, and although that means battling it out for control of the burger grill-pan more often than not, we still found time to try some other summer treats. Hot dogs, BBQ sandwiches, and breakfast-for-dinner all made an appearance over the past few months, and one of the few that lasted long enough for pictures (someday I’ll figure out how to stop eating my veggie burgers in under ten minutes) was this vegan baked beans and coleslaw combo. Together, they make a killer Sloppy Joe-style sandwich, complete with messy hands and the need for at least four napkins.
As has now become the norm here (and in my life), this recipe is entirely vegan. It was surprisingly easy (and fun!) to throw together a homemade ranch for the coleslaw portion of this recipe, and it has become a new salad dressing staple in our house alongside the roasted red pepper vinaigrette from my farmer’s market quinoa post. I’ve experimented with various slaws in the past (see the pickled Asian slaw from my miso portobella burger recipe) and I have to say–there’s nothing like a cool, crunchy side dish to really bring a meal together. I have a plan to bring the magic of homemade dressings and fresh cabbage together another day, too, with a peanut tofu salad recipe currently gathering dust in my dinner idea book, but (as with veggie burgers) the leftovers never last long enough to photograph. Maybe next time! For now, enjoy this vegan baked beans and coleslaw sandwich combo.
Baked Beans
This recipe makes six servings.
Ingredients:
- 15oz (1 can) pinto beans
- 15oz (1 can) dark red kidney beans
- 15oz (1 can) fire-roasted tomatoes
- 2 large carrots
- 2 medium onions
- 2 bell peppers
- 2 cups BBQ sauce (I used Stubb’s Spicy BBQ)
- 2 tbsp garlic, minced
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp mustard powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp salt
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Roughly chop onions, carrots, bell peppers; mince garlic.
- Add chopped vegetables, garlic, tomatoes, and spices to a casserole dish. Stir to combine and coat. Bake for 20mins.
- Remove from oven and add beans and BBQ sauce. Stir to combine and coat. Return to oven and bake for an additional 40mins.
Coleslaw
This recipe makes six servings.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups green cabbage, shredded
- 2 cups purple cabbage, shredded
- 1 cup carrot, shredded/matchsticks
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp plain yogurt
- 2 tbsp dill pickle juice
- 1 tbsp cider vinegar
- 1 tsp dill
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp mustard powder
Directions:
- Shred vegetables and set aside. Combine remaining ingredients in a small bowl and stir to incorporate.
- Add vegetables and dressing to a large mixing bowl and toss to coat.
Baked Beans with Coleslaw
Ingredients
Baked Beans
- 15 oz pinto beans 1 can
- 15 oz dark red kidney beans 1 can
- 15 oz fire-roasted tomatoes 1 can
- 2 large carrots
- 2 medium onions
- 2 bell peppers
- 2 cups BBQ sauce
- 2 tbsp garlic minced
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp mustard powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp salt
Coleslaw
- 2 cups green cabbage shredded
- 2 cups purple cabbage shredded
- 1 cup carrot shredded/matchsticks
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp plain yogurt
- 2 tbsp dill pickle juice
- 1 tbsp cider vinegar
- 1 tsp dill
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp mustard powder
Instructions
Baked Beans
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Roughly chop onions, carrots, bell peppers; mince garlic.
- Add chopped vegetables, garlic, tomatoes, and spices to a casserole dish. Stir to combine and coat. Bake for 20mins.
- Remove from oven and add beans and BBQ sauce. Stir to combine and coat. Return to oven and bake for an additional 40mins.
Coleslaw
- Shred vegetables and set aside. Combine remaining ingredients in a small bowl and stir to incorporate.
- Add vegetables and dressing to a large mixing bowl and toss to coat.