Spicy Cajun flavors magically turn beans and rice into a BOMB bowl of *where have you been all my life* deliciousness! This Red Beans and Rice dish is packed with yummy, wholesome veggies. This nod to the traditional Louisiana recipe is a deliciously healthy version and simmered to perfection. You’ll be singing WINNER WINNER PLANT BASED DINNER when making this new family favorite dish. Whole Food Plant Based recipe, vegan, no oil, no sugar, no highly processed ingredients, and gluten free.
Hi! Robin here.
Red beans and rice are a Louisiana tradition. This dish is known far and wide throughout Louisiana with each household touting their own special ingredients and flair of cooking styles. It is inexpensive to make and is packed with nutrients. We absolutely love it!
Origins
Red beans and rice hail way back to the early 1700s. The Creole flavors are a culmination of African, Caribbean, French and Spanish cuisines. At that time this Creole dish was made mostly on Mondays from left over ham and pork bones. Our nod to this dish is a much healthier version and it is SO good for you. I cup of kidney beans is packed with 36 grams of protein and meets 83% of your daily iron requirement. Yay, for the mighty kidney bean!
This post contains affiliate links, and I may receive a very small commission if you purchase through those links at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting Monkey and Me Kitchen Adventures! For more information, see our disclosures here
TP109 Approved
The first time TP109 tried this dish, he went crazy and nearly ate the whole pot of beans and rice by himself. He absolutely loved it and gave it his very rare “TP109 10+ rating.” This is unusual for him because he is a really tough grader. No bell curve grading system with TP, I guess the “old teacher” (he used to be a history teacher) in him comes out. He really relishes telling stories to all his friends that his retirement “job” is now a “food critic.”
Monkey and I anxiously waited to hear his rating. We knew it was a great recipe/dish, but we really need that third party, unbiased opinion on our food. TP109 loves “holding court,” while Monkey and I wait for his verdict (rating). We didn’t really need to hear his rating based upon how fast he gobbled it down and was back in the kitchen for more. We knew it was good. LOL
Ameera here!
This is a great recipe. It comes together quickly. The longest part is just letting the rice cook. The key is leaving the rice to cook undisturbed. A mistake that is often made is stirring the rice as it boils. Unless you are making risotto, don’t stir the rice. Stirring rice while it boils activates the starches and makes for a mushy rice. Just stir once to really combine all the ingredients, bring it to a boil, then immediately lower the temperature, put the lid on and let it do its thing. You will have gorgeous rice every time.
If you find you need to check the “doneness” of the rice, lift the lid and gently pull up a few rice kernels off the top with a fork to test the tenderness. If not done, put the lid back on and continue to check every 10 minutes or so toward the end of the cooking.
We hope you give this tasty dish a try! It is a really winner in our home. I hope it will be in yours too!
Products Used:
- 8-quart ceramic/enamel lined Dutch oven or similar stock pot
- Strainer (to rinse the kidney beans)
Red Beans and Rice
- Prep Time: 10 Minutes
- Cook Time: 55 Mintes
- Total Time: 65 Minutes
- Yield: 4-6 Servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Cajun
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Spicy Cajun flavors magically turn beans and rice into a BOMB bowl of *where have you been all my life* deliciousness! This Red Beans and Rice dish is packed with yummy, wholesome veggies. This nod to the traditional Louisiana recipe is a deliciously healthy version and simmered to perfection. You’ll be singing WINNER WINNER PLANT BASED DINNER when making this new family favorite dish. Whole Food Plant Based recipe, vegan, no oil, no sugar, no highly processed ingredients, and gluten free.
Ingredients
- 1 large yellow onion, fine dice
- 3 celery ribs, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
- 2 cups vegetable broth *
- 1 – [ 8 oz. can ] tomato sauce
- ¼ cup water (to rinse out tomato sauce can)
- 1 cup dry rice (rice of choice) *
- 2 – [ 15 oz. cans ] red beans, drained and rinsed (we used kidney beans)
Seasoning:
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 ¼ teaspoon sweet paprika
- ¼ teaspoon cumin
- 2 teaspoons sea salt (+/-) *
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper (+/-)
- 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flake (+/- to taste for level of heat)
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (+/- to taste for level of heat)
Instructions
- Place all the Seasonings into a small bowl, mix well. Set aside.
- Over medium heat, add the onions, celery, and bell peppers into an enamel/ceramic lined Dutch oven/skillet. Sauté for 5-7 minutes to soften the veggies. Then add the minced garlic and sauté for an additional minute.
- Add Seasonings and dry sauté for a few seconds to warm the spices and allow them to become fragrant. Then add the dry rice and dry sauté for about one minute.
- Add the vegetable broth, tomato sauce (and ¼ cup water used to rinse out the tomato sauce can), and red beans. Stir once really well to combine. Do not stir again. Bring up to a boil, then immediately lower to a simmer. Cover and cook undisturbed for 25-45 minutes. The cooking time is largely dependent on the rice selected. Brown rice takes longer than most other rice.
- Serve and enjoy! (Optional Toppings could include sliced grape tomatoes and chopped parsley.)
Notes
*Vegetable Stock: We use Pacific Organic Vegetable Stock. We love this brand because it is Whole Food Plant Based compliant, as it does not contain MSG, has no oil, and does not contain any highly-processed ingredients.
*Sea Salt: Please adjust the sea salt based upon your family’s sea salt preferences and/or based upon dietary needs.
*Rice: The cooking time is largely dependent on the rice and brand selected. Some rice, as well as some brands, take longer to cook than others. Read rice package directions for estimated cooking times. Resist the urge to stir the rice. Stirring rice creates starch which creates more of a risotto, which we don’t want. If you need to test the tenderness of the rice, pull up a few rice kernels off the top of the dish and test for tenderness. Continue to cook the rice until tender. If you find that the pot is dry, add a tablespoon or two of water at a time, and cook until the rice is tender.
*Storage: Refrigerate for up to 7 days.
Storage: Refrigerate, use within one week. 
This post contains affiliate links, and I may receive a very small commission if you purchase through those links at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting Monkey and Me Kitchen Adventures! For more information, see our disclosures here
Nice Post
Thanks for sharing this yummy recipe..I love to cook this type of delicious food and recipes.. I will try these all awesome recipes…..Thanks
Hi Sophia! 🙂
Thank you so much for your kind words! We hope you enjoy them as much as we do <3
-Ameera and Robin 🙂
Would the nutrition be the same if I use black beans?
Hi there Lilola,
Yes, the nutritional information does change a little.
Calories: 282.5kcal
Fat: 1.5g
Saturated Fat: 0.3g
Total Carbohydrate: 54.7g
Dietary Fiber: 18g
Sugars: 5.6g
Protein: 14g
There are lots of great apps that you can use to calculate the nutritional information. These are approximations.
Hope this helps!
-Ameera and Robin 🙂
Try Cronometer or a similar app! I entered this recipe on the Cronometer app, as “Red Beans and Rice – WFPB (Monkey and Me blog)” so it has all the nutritional values loaded in. You can adjust for different beans, but I entered kidney beans, as the app doesn’t contain the Rancho Gordo heirloom beans I actually used. Then you can say you ate one “serving” to add it to your food diary.
Hi there Luren 🙂
Yes, we love this app! This is actually the one that we use too. Thank you so much for sharing <3
-Ameera and Robin 🙂
Hi do you have the Cronometer app with the subscription Gold Status. And if you do how do you like it? Thank you!
Hi there Scottie 🙂
Thank you so much for reaching out to us. We do have Gold Status Cronometer app. We don’t use it consistently, but we do love the app. It’s great for checking in to how we are doing with nutrition levels, and see nutrition information. The WFPB lifestyle doesn’t technically advocate for calorie counting, but everyone is in a different part of their journey, and it can be helpful to see where your nutritional intake stands.
-Ameera and Robin 🙂
Thank you so much for the fast reply! I’m not sure how much I would use it. But it seems like a neat app. And I just want you to know I love your mother daughter blog your recipes are so much fun to collect. I’ve made two of them so far the yummy Enchilada Skillet so good! And I took your Tuscan Bean salad for Easter and everyone loved it and wanted the recipe. So thank you for all that you both do!!!
Thank you so much for your kind words! We are so thrilled to hear that gave our Enchilada Skillet and Tuscan Bean salad a try and enjoyed them! We appreciate your awesome support and encouragement! Thank you so much!
-Ameera and Robin 🙂
Happy to report I made this in my Instant Pot with soaked beans and it turned out great.
Sautee ingredients in same order as recipe, but on Sautee function in IP.
Follow recipe, adding spices, rice to dry sautee, and add soaked, rinsed dry beans (mine were quicksoaked, boiled and then rested for about 2 hours in their water) 2 cups stock, tomato sauce on top (unmixed) and cooked on high pressure for 20m. Natural pressure release. PERFECTO!
Yay! Luren, we are so glad that you enjoyed this dish! Thank you so much for letting us know it worked well for you in an Instant Pot and sharing how you did it! We appreciate you taking the time to write <3
-Ameera and Robin 🙂
Thank you, I was hoping there was an Instant Pot adaption with dried beans! I never buy canned beans anymore. And i only cook in my Instant Pot! This recipe looks too good not to try!
Hi there Eden 🙂
We hope you give this recipe a try and enjoy it as much as we do.
-Ameera and Robin 🙂
Awesome! What type of rice did you use? I’d like to try the recipe this way, too. TIA!
Christina, We used Uncle Ben’s Whole Grain Brown Rice. https://www.amazon.com/UNCLE-BENS-Whole-Grain-Brown/dp/B07657HNZY/ref=asc_df_B07657HNZY/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=459767770733&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=18176889837050082252&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9015551&hvtargid=pla-942754335742&psc=1
My family loved it!! Terrific recipe!
Hey there Sarah,
Yay! So excited that your family enjoyed this recipe! Thank you so much for the kind feedback. We truly appreciate it <3
-Ameera and Robin 🙂
Great recipe. This is a great dish and I has become a regular at our house. Thanks
Hi there Monet 🙂
Yaayyy! We are so excited that you enjoyed this dish! It’s a regular at our house too! We truly appreciate your wonderful feedback!
-Ameera and Robin 🙂
Just made the red beans and rice. WOW! Just amazing blend of flavors. I will be making this again, thanks so much for inventing it!!
Hi there Judy 🙂
Yaaayyy!!! We are so thrilled that you enjoyed this recipe! We cannot take created for inventing it, but we are so glad you enjoyed our WFPB interpretation of this dish. Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback and for taking the time to write.
-Ameera and Robin 🙂
This recipe is phenomenal! I’ve been making it for the past couple of cold weather seasons and it has such a depth of flavor that is hard to achieve in such a quick and easy recipe. Thank you so much for sharing-it is a staple in our house!
Hi there Bethany 🙂
Yaaay!!! We are so thrilled to hear that you’ve been enjoying this recipe and the flavors. Thank you so much for your fantastic feedback and for taking the time to write.
-Ameera and Robin 🙂
Another winner, definitely a keeper. Easy, delicious and whole family loved it!
Hi there Darci 🙂
Yaaaayy!!! We are thrilled that you gave this recipe a try and the whole family loved it! We truly appreciate your amazing support, feedback, and for taking the time to write!
-Ameera and Robin 🙂
I LOVE one pot dinners! Made this with a can of black beans and pinto beans, I added some kale and corn that I needed to use up and topped it with Spanish olives and avocado. Everyone cleaned their plates!
Hi there Jennie 🙂
Yaaaay! We are so thrilled that everyone enjoyed this recipe. Thank you so much for sharing how you made this recipe your own – sounds so yummy! Thank you so much for your awesome feedback and for taking the time to write!
-Ameera and Robin 🙂
We enjoyed this delicious recipe tonight. The combination of ingredients and seasoning is spot on! Thanks for another winner!
Hi there Susan 🙂
Woot!!! We are so excited you enjoyed our red beans and rice. Thank you so much for taking the time to write and sharing your wonderful feedback. We appreciate your support.
-Ameera and Robin 🙂
I cannot find the nutritional information for this recipe, just the one that was updated for black beans. Can you help? This recipe was phenomenal!!
Hi there Candace 🙂
Yaaaay!!! We are so thrilled to hear that you enjoyed this recipe. We are in the process of adding the nutritional information to our older recipes. In the meantime, we suggest using an app like Cronometer. Thank you so much!
-Ameera and Robin 🙂
Made this for dinner tonight. It’s absolutely wonderful! Thanks for sharing this delicious recipe!
Hi there Teresa 🙂
Woo Hoo!!! We are so excited that you enjoyed this recipe! Thank you so much for giving it a try and sharing your awesome feedback with us.
-Ameera and Robin 🙂
The taste is awesome but the brown rice was a fail. I cooked for over 70 mins and the rice still wasn’t done. So I have kind of crunchy red beans and rice. Next time I will par boil it or something.
Hi there Karin 🙂
We are glad to hear that you enjoyed the flavors of this dish, but sad that the rice did not cook. It is very strange that even after 70 minutes that rice was still crunchy. Every brand of rice has their own cooking time, perhaps you choose a very hearty variety or the rice was old? Not sure what happened, as you can see from the reviews, we’ve had a lot of people have success with this recipe.
-Ameera and Robin 🙂
I had a bag of Goya red corgamante beans in my pantry. I’d never heard of them before. Cooked them in my pressure cooker then followed your recipe with the veggies (used poblanos instead of green) and spices. After adding brown rice I cooked it all in my cooker for 18”. OMG!!!! The beans were like little potatoes. Sooo creamy inside. The spices, veggies and all the flavors spot on. I’ve never tried a recipe of yours that didn’t deliver. Yum!!!
Hi there Barb 🙂
Yaaaay!!! We are so thrilled to hear that you enjoyed this recipe. Thank you so much for sharing your adjustments with us – sounds SO yummy! We are so glad that you have been enjoying our recipes. We appreciate you sharing your awesome feedback and for taking the time to write.
-Ameera and Robin 🙂
Making this today for friends but how many does this recipe serve please, thanks
Hi there Jenny 🙂
Thank you so much for reaching out to us. We sincerely apologize for the late response. This recipe is roughly 4-6 servings depending if it is served as a main course or side dish. We’ve adjust the recipe card to include this information.
-Ameera and Robin 🙂
This is so delicious! Made it to go with black rice.
Hi there Jenny 🙂
Woo hoo!!! We are so glad to hear that you enjoyed this recipe. Thank you so much for sharing your adjustments and wonderful feedback with us!
-Ameera and Robin 🙂
This was SO good! Next time I will be doubling the recipe, for sure. I used organic long-grain brown rice (the rice is not old and I am cooking at sea level) and I had to add an additional 25-30 minutes of cook time (BTW, I appreciate the tip not to stir the rice while cooking – I did not know that it made the rice gummy, so that saved the dish!). What kind of rice and cook time did you use for this dish?
Hi there Christina 🙂
Yaaaay!!! We are so glad to hear that you enjoyed this recipe and plan to make it again. We use Uncle Ben’s Brown Rice (which is a medium grain.) Different brands and types of rice will influence the overall cook time. We mention the cook time is about 55 minutes (give or take.) Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful feedback with us! We truly appreciate you taking the time to write.
-Ameera and Robin 🙂
Uncle Ben’s is parboiled, right? No wonder it took twice as long to cook!
Christina, No. We used Uncle Ben’s Original Brown Rice, not the parboiled. https://www.amazon.com/UNCLE-BENS-Whole-Grain-Brown/dp/B07657HNZY/ref=asc_df_B07657HNZY/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=459767770733&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=18176889837050082252&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9015551&hvtargid=pla-942754335742&psc=1