I did not grow up liking sliced hot dogs in my baked beans. I was the kind of child who liked to keep my meals simple.

It was only in my macrobiotic studies that I learned the value of incorporating two protein sources into one dish. If you haven’t tried this, you can raise a simple bean dish to a new level of delicious when you add fried tempeh, deep-fried tofu or bits of seitan.

Be careful with the amount of salt in this recipe because the field roast sausage is very high in salt. You might even be able to get away with leaving the shoyu out.

More information about making beans from scratch.

Pinto Beans with Vegan Sausage

1 cup dried pinto beans, rinsed and soaked at least 8 hours
1/2 cup dried black turtle beans, rinsed and soaked at least 8 hours
postage size piece of kombu or kelp
bay leaf
2-3 tsp olive or grapeseed oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
sea salt
1/2 tsp unpasteurized shoyu or tamari
1 field roast sausage, cut into small bite-size pieces (I used the apple sage flavor.)
2 tsp barley malt, or to taste
1/2 tsp brown rice vinegar (optional)

1.  Drain the beans and place in a large pot. Add water to cover about 1 ” above top of beans. Bring to a boil and scrape off any foam that rises to the surface. Lower the heat to simmer. Add kombu/kelp and bay leaf. Cover and cook until beans are soft. Add more water as necessary, just enough to keep the beans submersed.The beans will take about 1 to 1¼ hours to cook.

2.  While beans are cooking, saute the onion in the oil. Add the minced garlic, one pinch of sea salt and a few tablespoons of water. Lower the heat to simmer and cover. Check frequently and add a little more water if necessary. Cook until onion is very soft. You can actually cook them for as long as you want and they will keep becoming more flavorful.

3.  Add onions to the beans when beans are soft. Add shoyu and cook for 10 more minutes to help incorporate the onions and shoyu.

4.  Stir in the cut vegan sausage and cook for a few minutes longer. Remove from heat and stir in barley malt and brown rice vinegar. Taste and adjust flavors if necessary.