Vegan red beans and rice, made in just 25 minutes, using simple ingredients. This plant-based version is healthier, so nutritious and extremely delicious.
I didn't know this recipe until I saw it on Pinterest and it was love at first sight. Beans + rice = epic vegan recipe, because rice is one of my favorite foods and beans are a great source of plant-based protein and are also delicious.
For those or you who doesn't know red beans and rice, it's an emblematic dish of Louisiana Creole cuisine, traditionally made with red or kidney beans, veggies, spices and pork, cooked together slowly in a pot and served over rice.
We've omitted the pork and haven't used any meat alternative instead because it's also delicious just using veggies, spices and beans, but feel free to add vegan sausages, tempeh, tofu or whatever you have on hand.
The authentic recipe is made with dried beans, but we find more convenient using canned red or kidney beans. Besides, this way the recipe is made in just 25 minutes!
Looking for more vegan rice recipes? Check out my Vegan Fried Rice, Vegan Paella, and Spanish Rice and Beans for tasty plant-based dishes!
looking for more bean recipes?
- Simple vegan jambalaya
- Pasta e fagioli (pasta and beans)
- Vegan refried beans
- Vegan baked beans
- Black bean burgers
did you make this vegan red beans and rice recipe?
Please leave a comment below, share it, rate it or tag a picture @simpleveganblog on Instagram and hashtag it #simpleveganblog. We’d love to see what you cook!
Vegan Red Beans and Rice
Ingredients
- ½ cup rice, uncooked, we used short grain white rice
- 2 cloves garlic, sliced
- ½ medium onion, chopped
- ½ green bell pepper, chopped
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Dash of salt
- Dash of cayenne flakes, optional
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 and ¼ cups canned red beans, or kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup vegetable stock or water
Instructions
- Cook the rice according to package directions. Set aside.
- Heat some oil in a large pot, add the veggies (garlic, onion and green bell pepper) and cook over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes or until golden brown.
- Add the spices and herbs (thyme, paprika, pepper, salt, cayenne and bay leaf).
- Finally, add the beans and vegetable stock or water, stir and cook over medium-high heat for about 10 minutes. To make the stew thicker, I usually mash some beans using an , but feel free to use a fork or a potato masher or just omit this step.
- Serve the beans with the rice immediately. We added some chopped fresh parsley on top, but it's up to you. Feel free to add some hot sauce as well.
- Keep leftovers in a sealed container for 4-5 days in the fridge.
Notes
- This recipe is usually made with celery, but I'm not a huge celery fan, so I prefer my red beans and rice this way. Feel free to add 1-2 celery sticks if you like it.
- The classic red beans and rice recipe is made with meat. Feel free to use vegan sausages or any other meat alternative if you want.
- Nutritional info is not accurate. The amount of sodium is lower if you drain and rinse well the beans.
Nutrition
Tanysha Jeffree says
I added a can of tomatoes and used 1can kidney beans and 1can black beans as it was all I had! but this recipe is fantastic! Thanks
Iosune Robles says
Hi Tanysha!!Thank you so much!! Have a nice day!
Jennifer says
I'm back to get this recipe again because it was a winner with my family! I have one vegan and three carnivores to satisfy, so that says a lot about how good this recipe is. I used smoked paprika and it made it taste very authentic.
Iosune says
Hi Jennifer! So glad you guys liked it 🙂
Miren Beristain says
Great recipe! Thank you! Makes wonderful leftovers.
Hannah says
I hardly ever take the time to review recipes, but this is fabulous! I followed the recipe exactly, only I added a couple ribs of diced celery. It was so delicious and perfectly seasoned. Thank you!
Iosune says
Hi Hannah! Thank you so much 🙂 So glad you enjoyed it!
Jenny says
This was a very good recipe! Mashing the beans really makes the texture perfect. I used smoked paprika which gave it a good smokey taste.
Iosune says
Hi Jenny! Thanks a lot 🙂 So glad you liked it!
Andrea says
I think there is a mistake: you added the stock twice - and the first time, I believe you meant to sauté the onions and garlic before adding liquid.
Iosune says
Hi Andrea! It's okay. In step number 2 I used oil, but I said oil, stock or water for those who don't use oil 🙂 Then you need to add the 1 cup of stock in step number 4. Have a nice day!
Betty M Wheeler says
OMG Who said you have to put meat in beans to make them good. This was slap me in the face good.. I used a whole habanero pepper, so it was quite spicy. But thats the way i like my beans. This is a keeper Very tasty.
Iosune says
Hi Betty! So glad you liked it 🙂
Jonathan says
I made this recipe today and it was tasty! Made it with vegan Italian sausage and mixed the rice in!!
Iosune says
Hi Jonathan! Thanks a lot 🙂 Sounds amazing!
LaSandra says
I love this recipe! I did add a little sea moss gel to make my sauce a little bit thicker.
Iosune says
Hi Lasandra! So glad you liked it 🙂
Lisa Greenough says
Simply delicious. I love your recipes. Shared on IG...added cabbage too. Thank you. 🌱👌🏻😀
Iosune says
Hi Lisa! Thanks a lot 🙂 So glad you like our recipes. Have a nice day!
Amund says
After living in China for more than 4 years, I really love rice!
Thanks a lot for the recipe. I don’t very often comment on blogs, but I found yours in a list of “top 50 vegan blogs”. Now that I want to try to be vegan for a month (for the environment, not necessarily for my health), I will gather a lot of blogs in my bookmark list. Yours is one of them!
Iosune says
Hi Amund! Thank you so much, I'm so glad you like our blog 😀 Have a nice day!
I'm learning says
Please can u tell me... When is stock added... At the start and u boil onions, or at end with beans. You have mentioned stock twice in instructions, Confused
Iosune says
Hi there! You need to add the stock in step number 4, but to cook the veggies you can use oil or some extra stock or water 🙂 Hope it helps!