Rhubarb Baked Beans
While unexpected, our Rhubarb Baked Beans are lightly sweet, slightly tart, and the perfect recipe for a light summer side dish.
Didn't we tell you rhubarb needs so much more credit than strawberry rhubarb pie?
Last week, we brought you a fantastic, sweet and tangy Rhubarb Slaw, and now, we're wrapping up this week on the darker side.
Deep and dark. The caramelized flavors of baked beans, that is!
Rhubarb Baked Beans
Would you ever think of throwing rhubarb into a simmering pot of baked beans?
Yeah, us neither.
But, after loving the tang rhubarb gave to last week's slaw, we started thinking: "What else do we like sweet and tangy?"
While turning some leftover pork into pulled pork sandwiches for dinner one night, a baked bean craving set in, and a crazy inspiration struck.
Now, these aren't your classic maple and bacon baked beans.
Although, rhubarb and bacon... Now, there's a combo we should try. Pancakes maybe? Oh, do stay tuned!
But, I digress.
How Do Rhubarb Baked Beans Taste?
These baked beans have a lighter, brighter flavor, but the molasses and low and slow cooking gives them just enough depth to round out the brightness.
You might be surprised by the raisins in there. (Tim sure was!) But, don't worry. They help to deepen and sweeten the flavors, without having to go overboard on the molasses or sugar.
Give this fun spring-y recipe a try!
Rhubarb Baked Beans
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon salted butter
- 1 ½ c rhubarb, cut into ½” pieces
- 1 small red onion, diced
- 1 garlic clove, minced (or ¼ teaspoon garlic powder)
- ½ c raisins
- 3 tablespoon tomato paste
- 3 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoon molasses
- 1 teaspoon mustard powder
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
- 3 c cooked great northern beans (1 c dry, soaked and cooked or 2-15oz cans, drained)
- 1 c water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Heat butter in a large skillet. Add onions and rhubarb. Sauté over medium high heat until rhubarb begins to soften, 2-3 minutes.
- Add remaining ingredients and simmer over medium low heat until the mixture beings to thicken, 3-5 min.
- Transfer the beans to an 8x8 baking dish (or other 1.5-2 quart, oven-proof casserole dish).
- Bake, covered with aluminum foil for 30 minutes. Uncover and return the dish to the oven to bake for 15 -20 minutes, until beans are thick and bubbly.
Notes
Nutrition
This is one of the recipes from the early days of Curious Cuisiniere. We've updated our pictures since we first made it, but we've left the original images here as a fun throwback and shout out to how far we've come. Enjoy!
Sarah founded Curious in 2010 as a way to save her recipe creations and share culinary experiences. Her love for cultural cuisines was instilled early by her French Canadian Grandmother. Her experience in the kitchen and in recipe development comes from over 10 years working in professional kitchens. She has traveled extensively and enjoys bringing the flavors of her travels back to create easy-to-make recipes.
Haven't finished baking yet, but definitely needs sugar. A little too tangy for me. We'll see if my husband eats them. May have to doctor up with bacon as well.
Thanks for sharing! These were created to be heavy on the rhubarb flavor, and yes, tartness. Adding sugar will definitely help soften that out. Bacon would also be a great addition here!
Thinking of adding a little brown sugar and bacon and sauteing the onion and rhubarb in the bacon grease.
That would be fantastic!
Look great. Pinning now! I have rhubarb in the freezer!
I am definitely trying this out!
Baked beans with a rhubarb twist? What a great idea!
So cool! What a clever dish!
Thanks Danielle!
This looks amazing, I just pinned for later!
I can totally see this working and I don't have a whole lot to do with rhubarb.
It's sad that rhubarb is limited to pies and fruity things. It's an amazing vegetable!
I love baked beans! I would never have thought to put rhubarb with them!