Vegan Red Beans and Rice
20
Published Apr 06, 2020, Updated Sep 28, 2022
This post may include affiliate links. Thank you for your support.
This vegan red beans and rice recipe is made with pantry staples (most of which you probably have on hand). Even without meat, this dish is loaded with flavor and super filling.
With what’s going on in the world right now, we’re all looking for pantry staple recipes and I figured now would be a great time to share a recipe that uses two ingredients you probably already have in your pantry: rice and beans!
I’ll let you in on a little secret… I could live off variations of rice and beans. Rice and lentils, quinoa and black beans, throw an egg on top and you’ve really outdone yourself. It’s such a simple meal, but really does leave me satisfied!
Are Beans + Rice Healthy?
Some of you are probably wondering, are beans and rice a full meal? Is this considered healthy? Yes! Let’s chat about the health benefits of red kidney beans (since that’s what we’re using for this recipe). Kidney beans are rich in carbohydrates and fiber, as well as protein. While they do have less protein than meat, they’re still a great plant-based protein option (and budget friendly!). They’re also packed with vitamins and minerals like folate, potassium, iron and vitamin K. Kidney beans help stabilize blood sugar so they’re a great addition for people with diabetes as well.
If you want to up the protein of this meal you can absolutely add meat! I’ve added sliced andouille chicken sausage to this dish and it was delicious.
Okay now for the recipe…
Here’s What You Need:
- red kidney beans – I cooked the red kidney beans for this recipe in my pressure cooker, but you can definitely also use canned red kidney beans for speedier prep.
- vegetables – yellow onion, celery, green bell pepper, carrots and garlic.
- vegetable broth
- cooked rice – use your favorite rice or whatever you have on hand! White, brown, cauliflower… they all work.
- olive oil
- red wine vinegar
- seasonings and spices – bay leaf, paprika, thyme, oregano, onion powder, garlic powder, crushed red pepper, sea salt and pepper.
How to Make Beans and Rice
As you might have noticed from the ingredient list, this isn’t just plain beans and rice. This dish is packed with flavor thanks to the vegetables and seasoning!
You’ll start by cooking your beans (if you aren’t using canned) and cooking your rice. I soaked the red beans overnight and then cooked them in my pressure cooker.
Next focus on the vegetables. Sauté the onion, celery, bell pepper, carrot and garlic in a nonstick skillet until the onion is translucent. Add in your seasonings and stir so everything is combined and coated in spice! Add the red wine vinegar to the pan and stir – make sure you get all of the little bits of vegetables that are stuck to the bottom of the pan!
Now it’s time for the beans! Mash 1/2 cup of the beans with a fork and then add the mashed beans, whole beans and vegetable broth to the skillet with the vegetable mixture. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook until the vegetables are tender. If needed, you can add more vegetable broth to thin the mixture out.
Lastly, it’s assembly time! Add rice to a bowl and top with the bean mixture. Sprinkle with fresh parsley and enjoy!
This meal is so easy and cozy. I can’t wait for you to try it.
More Pantry Staple Recipes to Try:
Red Beans and Rice
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cups chopped yellow onion
- 4 stalks of celery, chopped
- 1 large green bell pepper, chopped
- 1 cup sliced carrots
- 8 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons sea salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- Shake of cayenne pepper, optional
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 3 cups cooked red kidney beans, drained and rinsed if using canned
- 1 cup vegetable broth + more if needed
- cooked rice, for serving
- fresh flat-leaf parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high. Add oil. Once hot, add your onion, celery, bell pepper, carrot and garlic. Cook until onion is translucent and mixture is fragrant, about 10 minutes. Add in bay leaf, paprika, thyme, oregano, onion powder, garlic powder, sea salt, pepper and crushed red pepper. Toss to combine and then add red wine vinegar to the pan. Reduce heat.
- While veggies are cooking, mash 1/2 cup of the red beans with a fork.
- Add mashed beans, remaining 2 1/2 cups whole beans and vegetable broth to the pan. Bring mixture to a simmer and cook for about 8 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally. If mixture seems too thick, add a splash of more vegetable broth to thin it out a bit. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper, if needed.
- Add rice to bowls and top each with bean mixture. Sprinkle with fresh parsley and serve.
Notes
- If you want to add extra protein, feel free to sauté up some vegan andouille sausage to serve with this. If you eat meat, sliced andouille chicken sausage works great as well.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
tasty
So glad you enjoyed this one!
I’ve been trying to add more vegan meals into our rotation. This was really delicious and my whole family enjoyed it! I should have cut down the red pepper slightly for my taste but the overall flavor is amazing.
Yay! I am so excited to hear that this recipe is a hit for you and your family, Liz. Thank you so much for sharing your review + star rating, I really appreciate it!
Found this while looking for what to make with red beans tonight. It was so delicious, thank you, will make again! I followed the recipe exactly but also added pink beans since I had some on hand and wanted to stretch it a bit since this was so good.
So glad you loved this recipe, Margaret! Thanks for coming back to leave a comment + review. I so appreciate it!
What a wonderful Louisiana Creole red beans & rice recipe. My husband and friend raved about this dish. Layers of flavors to satisfy your palate.I finished it in an instant pot for 15 minutes (pressure cooker) which made the beans so tender. Will certainly make this dish again.
Ahh yay, this makes me so happy to hear, Shawn!! I’m so glad this recipe was a hit. Thanks for coming back to leave a comment + star rating and for sharing how you made it in the instant pot. It’s super helpful for other readers, so I appreciate it!
Delicious! Loved that it has all the extra veggies in it, I’m always looking for ways to get more a I’m not a big fan of vegetables and this was easy and tasty!
This came out absolutely delicious!
Really good recipe. Especially since I’ve just started eating vegan. Easy and simple. Will do again.
I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Nicole! Thanks for trying it and for coming back to leave a comment + star rating. I so appreciate it. 🙂
Oh my, this was so good! Since becoming vegetarian, my husband doesn’t get to use his smoker much so we decided to smoke the carrots first. Gave it that smokey sausage taste without the sausage. Will definitely be making this again!
Ahh yay!! I’m so glad this recipe was a hit! Thanks for trying it and for coming back to leave a comment and star rating, Tracy. I appreciate it! <3
This recipe was amazing! So simple in all the right ways, but with an amazing amount of flavor. A great way to use pantry staples now, but I will certainly be adding it to the rotation forever!
Ahh that makes me so happy to hear, Jillian. I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe. Thanks for trying it and for coming back to leave a comment and star rating. I so appreciate it!
I made this delicious dish last night for my family of 5, including a vegan college-age daughter and a growing 15 yr old teenage son. Everyone loved it. The spices were great and my son enjoyed a side of sausage with it. Love keeping the whole whole family happily fed in these uncertain times!
Ahh that makes me so happy to hear, Hyde. I’m so glad this recipe was a hit with your family. Thanks for trying it and for coming back to leave a comment and star rating. I so appreciate it!
I have always enjoyed rice and beans. It is tasty, filling and healthy. I had never tried the vegan version though and I was not disappointed. It tasted really well and I really enjoyed the experience. Thank you for sharing!
I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Albertina! Thanks for trying it and for coming back to leave a comment and star rating. I appreciate it!