This Can’t Be Vegan Red Beans and Rice

In celebration of my birthday I’m sharing one of my all-time favorite vegan recipes. I started making this pretty early into my plant based journey. It’s one of those recipes that made me believe that I could live without meat if food tasted THIS good. My family loves this one, I hope yours does too.

Ingredients (6-8 servings)

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion
• 1 medium bell pepper
• 4 stalks celery
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 lb. dry red beans
• 6 cups vegetable broth
• 1 1/2 tsp thyme
• 1 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1 whole bay leaf
• ½ Tbsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp black pepper
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• 6 cups cooked brown rice
• 1 bunch green onions, sliced (optional garnish)

Instructions

1. 8 hours before you want to cook your beans, place them in a large pot with enough water to cover them by a few inches. Let them soak overnight
2. Ready to cook your beans? Dice the celery, bell pepper and onion. Mince the garlic. Cook the vegetables in a large pot in the olive oil over medium heat until soft (about 5-6 minutes). Season with 1 tsp salt.
3. Drain your soaked beans and rinse with water. Add them to the pot with the vegetables.
4. Add vegetable broth, thyme, oregano, bay leaf, smoked paprika, pepper and a pinch of cayenne.
5. Put a lid on the pot and bring it up to a full boil over high heat.
6. Turn down to low and simmer for at least two hours. Be sure the pot is simmering the whole time. Stir occasionally to ensure nothing sticks to the bottom of the pan. Keep the lid on the entire time so the beans don’t dry out.
7. After about two hours the beans should be soft/tender. Use a potato masher to mash some of the beans in the pot. You can also use the back of a spoon to mash beans against the side of the pot. This will make the traditional red beans and rice creamy texture.
8. Remove the bay leaf and allow to simmer for an additional 30 minutes to help thicken

Scoop red beans into a bowl. Add warm cooked rice. Top with sliced green onions.

Adapted from Budget Bytes Cajun Red Beans and Rice