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Veggie Loaded Black Beans and Rice

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A healthy and easy meal made with brown rice, black beans, bell pepper, spinach, onion, and savory and spicy seasonings.

Healthy and easy vegetable black beans and rice. The perfect dinner for a busy weeknight.
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WHY RICE AND BEANS IS THE PERFECT MEAL

Life is busy, you want to eat healthy, you want food that tastes good, you don’t want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen making healthy food that tastes good, so what should you do? Two words: Beans and Rice.

I’ve been incredibly busy lately, and this food blogger needed something fast, easy, and healthy to make for my ravenous husband, so I made my go to meal, beans and rice with veggies.

Dinner doesn’t get any more basic and lively than this. Basic, because it’s made with five whole foods that will nourish and satisfy you and your family. Lively, because it’s filled with spices and color that makes an otherwise visually boring dish, strikingly appetizing.

Healthy and easy vegetable black beans and rice. The perfect dinner for a busy weeknight.

WHAT INGREDIENTS ARE IN VEGETABLE BLACK BEANS AND RICE? 

  1. Black Beans
  2. Brown Rice
  3. Red Bell Peper
  4. Onion
  5. Spinach
  6. Chili Powder
  7. Cumin
  8. Turmeric
  9. Black Pepper
  10. Salt

IS BLACK BEANS AND RICE HEALTHY?

Let’s talk about what’s in this recipe. The base of this healthy dinner begins with black beans and brown rice.

  • Black beans are filled with protein and fiber, and they add an earthy flavor and a creamy texture.
  • Brown rice is also a good source of protein and fiber, so you’re covered in those departments.
  • Layer it with more nutrients, add red bell pepper, onion, and spinach, then sprinkle in the magic. Chili powder, cumin, turmeric, black pepper, and sea salt, not only jazz up the flavor, they lend their own health benefits. This is one of the most delicious well rounded recipes ever, folks.
  • Additionally, this is an inexpensive way to feed your family a healthy and complete meal.
  • All of the ingredients are easy to obtain and affordable. You could double or triple the amount and have enough for the week.

Serve it as a side dish with this veggie burger, or pack it for a healthy plant-based lunch.

How to Make Beans and Rice with Vegetables

STEP ONE

Open a can of black or red beans and drain and rinse them. Cover with water and bring to a boil, then add chili powder, cumin, turmeric, and black pepper. Simmer for 20 minutes.

STEP TWO

Chop the onion and bell pepper and sauté until they’re tender. Add vegetable broth and rice to the veggies, cover, and simmer until done.

STEP THREE

Fold in the beans and add some fresh cilantro and a squeeze of lime juice.

That’s it, easy, fast, affordable, healthy, and delicious food for you and your family in less than thirty minutes. You’re welcome.

Healthy and easy vegetable black beans and rice. The perfect dinner for a busy weeknight.

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4.18 from 23 votes
Healthy and easy vegetable black beans and rice. The perfect dinner for a busy weeknight.
Print
VEGGIE LOADED BLACK BEANS AND RICE
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
19 mins
Total Time
29 mins
 

A quick, easy, healthy, and delicious meal with brown rice, black beans, and bell peppers, spinach, and onions. 

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Servings: 4 Servings
Calories: 360 kcal
Author: Linda Meyer
Ingredients
  • 15 oz black or red beans
  • 1 ½ cups vegetable broth
  • 1 cup dry quick cooking brown rice
  • 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon chili powder – divided
  • 1 ½ teaspoons cumin – divided
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric
  • 2 teaspoons ground sea salt – divided add more or less as desired
  • ½ teaspoon of ground black pepper add more or less as desired
  • 1 medium onion – chopped
  • 1 red bell pepper – removed and chopped
  • 3 cups spinach
  • 1 teaspoon of avocado or extra virgin-olive oil or 2 tablespoons of vegetable broth
  • ½ cup of chopped cilantro optional
  • Lime wedges optional
US Customary - Metric
Instructions
  1. Drain and rinse the beans and put them in a medium sauce pan and cover with water. Bring to a boil at high heat, once the water is boiling reduce the heat to simmer. Add 1 tablespoon of chili powder, 1 teaspoon cumin, turmeric, and ground pepper and stir well to combine. Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the sea salt at the end.
  2. In a large skillet with a lid, heat the oil, or, 2 tablespoons of vegetable broth if you don’t cook with oil, on medium heat. When the oil/broth is hot, add the onion and bell pepper and sauté until tender. Pour the 1 and ½ cups of vegetable broth over the vegetables and bring to a boil. When the broth is boiling stir in the rice, cover, and reduce the heat to simmer for the amount of time directed on the package. Usually 20 minutes.
  3. When the rice is done, remove the lid, add the spinach, and put the lid back on. Let sit for 5 minutes.
  4. Use a slotted spoon (to avoid adding extra water) to add the beans to the vegetables and rice, sprinkle on the remaining teaspoon of chili powder and ½ teaspoon of cumin, and grind more sea salt and black pepper on top if desired. Fold the beans and spices into the rice and veggies until well combined. Serve with fresh cilantro and lime wedges.
  5. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes

The nutrition calculations are only an estimate. They will change depending on whether or not you use oil or broth to saute the vegetables, and if your measurements are exact. 

Nutrition Facts
VEGGIE LOADED BLACK BEANS AND RICE
Amount Per Serving
Calories 360 Calories from Fat 27
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 3g 5%
Sodium 1981mg 83%
Potassium 789mg 23%
Total Carbohydrates 70g 23%
Dietary Fiber 11g 44%
Sugars 3g
Protein 12g 24%
Vitamin A 79.1%
Vitamin C 60.3%
Calcium 9.9%
Iron 27.4%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

 

A Pinterest pin with an orange background and a picture of a wood bowl with black beans and rice with veggies.

 

Healthy and easy vegetable black beans and rice. The perfect dinner for a busy weeknight.

 

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Comments

  3. Kat says

    March 15, 2017 at 8:18 pm

    Adjusted ratios slightly to make in our instant pot, and the flavors are amazing!! We like to make rice and bean recipes for lunches, and this turned out great! Day 2 and I'm still in love! We left the bell pepper out when cooking, but add it after warming up for lunch - adds a nice, fresh crunch. Also added avocado today - takes it to a whole new level! Definitely making this again!
    Reply

    • Linda Meyer says

      March 10, 2018 at 9:38 pm

      Hi Catherine, sorry about the confusion. We are in the process of changing our recipe cards and didn't notice that it automatically inserted the "prepared dry" beans in the ingredients list. Yes, you can absolutely use canned beans, I referenced that in the content of the post. Enjoy!
      Reply

  9. Sandie says

    April 19, 2018 at 5:05 pm

    Hi, first time cooking beans, I bought the dried variety, do I need to cook them first before I start the recipe or is the first instruction of draining and rinsing the beans using the dried variety? Sorry it’s all new and I’ve got confused googling to try and find out. Thanks
    Reply

  10. Beccy says

    June 26, 2018 at 11:43 pm

    I so love great healthy meals, that are also budget friendly. This is one you hear about, but often when you make it, it isn't tasty, but your recipe has everything, and will definitely be helping my family budget!
    Reply

  11. Fred says

    July 25, 2018 at 11:07 pm

    I don't see spinach in the photos of the finished dish. What type of spinach should I buy (fresh leaves, frozen chopped, etc.)?
    Reply

      • Fred says

        July 26, 2018 at 12:46 pm

        Hi Linda, thanks for your quick reply! But now I'm a little confused. The spinach I'm talking about is listed in the ingredient list for the Veggie Loaded black beans & rice.
        Reply

        • Linda Meyer says

          July 26, 2018 at 2:20 pm

          So sorry, I was working on two things at once, clearly I shouldn't multi-task so early in the morning. Lol! You're correct, the spinach isn't in the pictures. We updated the recipe to make it healthier and didn't have a chance to take new pictures. Fresh spinach is still best, as frozen is too wet. Thanks so much!
          Reply

          • Fred says

            July 28, 2018 at 10:45 pm

            Hi Linda, the recipe turned out great! I haven't cooked for years, but I'm taking care of my grown daughter, who has severe chronic Lyme. She's a vegetarian to begin with, but has a lot of dietary restrictions due to her treatments. This worked out perfectly and I'm looking forward to trying more of your recipes!

          • Linda Meyer says

            July 29, 2018 at 3:16 pm

            Hi Fred, thank you so much for the review. We're so happy you enjoyed the recipe. So sorry to hear about your daughter. Lyme disease is horrible. My son's best friend's sister has a severe case of it and has been fighting it for over a decade. She's doing well now, but it was a long and rocky road. Best wishes to you and your daughter and prayers for a speedy remission. Please let us know if you have any requests for recipes, we're always happy to help.

  12. Meghan W says

    September 26, 2018 at 12:24 am

    Made this tonight and it was absolutely delicious! How would you recommend making it with less sodium content? Your estimated nutritional facts showed it was roughly 83% your daily value, yikes! Any suggestions? Low sodium vegetable broth instead? Thanks!
    Reply

    • Linda Meyer says

      September 26, 2018 at 12:24 pm

      Hi Meghan! Ugh, those darn nutrition profiles are never accurate. We use low sodium broth and don't add a lot of excess salt, so it's definitely not 83% of the recommended daily value. Thanks for asking, I know it's confusing, that's why we note that it's an estimate only. I wish we could eliminate the Nutrition Facts, but Google likes to see it for SEO, so we comply. We're so happy you liked the recipe!!!
      Reply

    • Linda Meyer says

      October 4, 2018 at 3:36 pm

      Hi Sarah! There are a few brands that sell brown rice that cooks in 10 minutes, Minute Rice is one of them. Trader Joe's also sells pre-cooked rice in the freezer section. :)
      Reply

  14. Amy says

    October 18, 2018 at 8:09 pm

    This dish was delicious! My picky son even loved it. We like our food spicy so we added and added diced tomatoes.The cilantro and lime juice made it perfect.
    Reply

    • Linda Meyer says

      October 18, 2018 at 10:40 pm

      Hi Amy, thanks for taking the time to let us know! We love spicy too, and if we wrote the recipe to our liking, we'd kill half of our followers! LOL! We're so happy you added more heat and the tomatoes to make it your own. :)
      Reply

  15. Carolyn Muir says

    January 4, 2019 at 11:55 pm

    I am starting my vegan journey. I have not eaten meat for years but I do eat yogurt, cheese, eggs and fish. I have searched many sites trying to find something that will fit my needs. First I live in an area that has limited supplies of real vegan food, although I can get fresh vegetables and fruit. Secondly, I am 74 years old and therefore the highly spiced oriental foods are not to my taste, or should I say my body's taste. These are the only recipes I've seen that are truly enticing after searching hundreds. I now feel confident to go ahead with my new eating regime. Thank you.
    Reply

    • Linda Meyer says

      January 5, 2019 at 3:29 pm

      Hi Carolyn! Thank you so much for your kind comment. We're so happy you're here and would love to help you get comfortable eating vegan. Please feel free to contact us with any questions, concerns, or recipe requests. We're here to help. :)
      Reply

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