Our easy veggie loaded black beans and rice recipe is made with staple foods that can be found at any supermarket. It has so much flavor and the beans and brown rice provide essential amino acids, fiber, and other health benefits; it truly is the perfect vegan meal that the whole family will love it! Serve it as a main course or as a side dish with the best vegan seitan chicken.
Published Jan. 25, 2017 and updated March 14, 2021.
We’re all about helping you cook the best vegan comfort food and making healthy recipes for you and your family.
Beans recipes are awesome because they are full of complete protein, amino acids, and fiber, and nutrients. They’re also versatile and delicious!
Try all of our vegan bean recipes, you won’t be sorry.
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Simple ingredients and substitutions and additions
Beans and rice is a popular dish in so many different cultures.
Depending on the region, the spices and ingredients will vary.
Spanish rice and beans is different than Mexican rice and beans, and Caribbean rice and beans isn’t the same as Cajun rice and beans that you’ll find in the U.S. during Mardi Gras.
This is what makes the recipe so unique, cultures and individuals make it their own.
Here’s what we use in our version.
RICE – For this recipe, we used brown rice, although you can use your favorite rice, whether it’s basmati rice, long grain, short grain, quick cooking white rice, or jasmine rice. All rice is good rice.
BEANS – The kind of beans you use for this recipe really doesn’t matter, they’re all good.You can use black beans, red kidney beans, pinto beans, or whatever you have on hand. Feel free to soak and cook dry beans as well.
VEGETABLES – Onion, garlic, jalapeno pepper, red bell pepper (feel free to use a green bell pepper), spinach, and cilantro. We like the flavor of this veggie combo. Feel free to add any other vegetable that you want.
SPICES – Chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, salt and pepper. The chili powder adds some heat, the cumin is earthy and warm, and the smoked paprika adds a lovely smokey flavor.
If you like a lot of heat in your food, you can always add hot sauce, a pinch of cayenne pepper, or pepper flakes.
ACID – A well balanced dish should have a little acid. Freshly squeezed lime juice brightens this dish so the flavors of the spices don’t become too heavy.
VEGETABLE BROTH – We believe in layering flavor, so we cook the rice in vegetable broth. You can certainly cook it in water, it just won’t have as much flavor.
ADDITIONS – Some beans and rice recipes include andouille sausage. If you want to add vegan sausage, do it. We recommend cooking the sausage separately, then slice it and add to the finished dish.
How to make it
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 the spices and simmer for 20 minutes.
STEP TWO
Finely dice the onion, jalapeno and bell pepper, and mince the garlic. Sauté in olive oil or broth until they’re tender. Add the vegetable broth and rice to the veggies, cover, and simmer until done.
NOTE: Try and dice the vegetables so that they're the same size. This will ensure that they cook evenly.
STEP THREE
Fold in the beans and add some fresh cilantro and a squeeze of fresh 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.
HOW TO COOK BLACK BEANS
As convenient as it is to open a can of cooked black beans, nothing compares to cooking beans from scratch.
The texture and the flavor is so much better, and it's so easy, why wouldn't you? Follow these easy steps to make homemade black beans.
- Rinse and sort through the beans to look through any rocks or other debri that may have made its way into the package.
- In a stock pot, cover the beans with several inches of water and soak for at least six hours. Overnight is best.
- Drain and rinse the beans once they've expanded in size and have softened. They should be plump and firm.
- Put back in the stock pot and cover with several inches of water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for approximately 90 minutes,to 2 hours or until the beans are soft and puffy. Check the water level often and replace the water if you need to. Beans absorb water quickly, so keep a close eye on them.
For more information on cooking beans, click Here.
How to serve
This makes a great meal on its own because it has protein, healthy carbohydrates, and vitamins and minerals.
It also makes a great side dish. Serve it with tacos, enchiladas, or grilled vegan seitan chicken.
Top it with sliced tomatoes and avocado.
Storage
Cooked rice shouldn’t be left out for more than an hour after cooking it, because there’s a lot of moisture in rice and it has the potential of developing bacteria quickly.
Cover it and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or freeze it in a freezer safe container for up to 3 months.
Make our healthy and easy veggie loaded black beans and rice recipe and let us know what you think. We love to hear from you! And, don’t forget to take a picture of your gorgeous creation and tag us @veganosity on Instagram.
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The Best Veggie Loaded Black Beans and Rice
Equipment
- stove
Ingredients
- 15 oz black or red beans canned or cooked from scratch
- 1 ½ cups vegetable broth Use water if desired. We recommend the broth for extra flavor.
- 1 cup dry quick cooking brown rice
- 1 tbsp plus 1 teaspoon chili powder – divided
- 1 ½ tsp cumin – divided
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp of avocado or extra virgin-olive oil or 2 tablespoons of vegetable broth
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- 1 jalapeno pepper seeded and chopped
- 1 red bell pepper – removed and chopped
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 3 cups spinach chopped (measure the spinach before chopping)
- ½ cup cilantro chopped
- 1 Lime
Toppings
- avocado slices
- tomato slices
- cilantro leaves
Instructions
- 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, 1 tsp smoked paprika, and ground pepper to taste and stir well to combine. Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the salt to taste at the end.
- 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, bell pepper, and jalapeno and sauté until tender, approximately 5 to 7 minutes. Stir frequently. Pour the 1 and ½ cups of vegetable broth (or water if you're not using 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.
- When the rice is done, remove the lid, add the spinach and cilantro and squeeze the whole lime over the rice and beans and stir to combine. Put the lid back on. Let sit for 5 minutes.
- 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, sliced avocado, and tomato slices.
- Enjoy!
Strength and Sunshine says
Always a satisfying combo! You get all the nutrition you need, plus it's delicious, plus...easy!
Linda Meyer says
Exactly! That's why it's one of my favorites. 🙂
Christine @ Run Plant Based says
This looks wonderful, I am a fan of just about any combo of beans and rice. Thanks!
Linda Meyer says
Thanks, Christine!
Kat says
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!
Linda Meyer says
Hi Kat! Thanks for taking the time to let me know how much you enjoyed the recipe. I can imagine how wonderful the avocado was in it. Yum!
Sarah says
I'd love to know what you did to make it in the Instant Pot!
Olivia says
What type of onion do you recommend. Red onion or just a regular cooking onion?
Linda Meyer says
Hi Olivia, it's totally up to you, red, white, yellow, even a shallot would work. 🙂
Anna says
This looks delish and super simple. thanks,Anna
Linda Meyer says
Thank you, Anna!
Donna says
That's looking so good& I love how easy it is! Black beans & brown rice both are my favorite. Thanks Linda, for putting them together.
Linda Meyer says
Thank you so much, Donna! We're so happy you like the recipe. 🙂
Linda says
Made this
Catherine Muollo says
The recipe calls for prepared dry black beans - what does that mean? Do you need to soak them first before cooking? Can you use canned black beans instead?
Linda Meyer says
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!
Sandie says
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
Linda Meyer says
Hi Sandie, you will need to soak and then cook the beans thoroughly before making the recipe. Here's an link that shows you how to cook them. Make sure to fully cook them or you could get sick. https://www.veganosity.com/make-raw-garbanzo-black-beans-in-3-easy-steps/
Sandie says
Thank you so much, I appreciate the help and the link. I look forward to trying this recipe now 🙂
Linda Meyer says
Our pleasure!
Beccy says
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!
Linda Meyer says
That's so good to hear, Beccy! This isn't a boring dish, it's full of texture and flavor, and so affordable. Thank you so much!
Fred says
I don't see spinach in the photos of the finished dish. What type of spinach should I buy (fresh leaves, frozen chopped, etc.)?
Linda Meyer says
Hi Fred, the spinach is in the middle of the enchiladas. Fresh spinach is best as frozen can make them too wet. Thanks for asking. 🙂
Fred says
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.
Linda Meyer says
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!
Fred says
Thanks! Have some more coffee!!
Linda Meyer says
Hahaha! I absolutely did. 😉
Fred says
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
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.
Fred says
Thank you for the well wishes. Looking forward to trying more recipes.
Meghan W says
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!
Linda Meyer says
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!!!
Sarah says
linda, can you tell me what you mean by quick cooking brown rice. Do you mean instant rice?
Linda Meyer says
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. 🙂
Amy says
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.
Linda Meyer says
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. 🙂
Carolyn Muir says
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.
Linda Meyer says
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. 🙂
Maria says
I added Trader Joe's soy chorizo and skipped the spices and a little shredded cheddar. Yum!!!
Linda Meyer says
Hi Maria! Thanks for letting us know. A spicy chorizo would definitely add a ton of flavor, great idea! 🙂
Lea Wonser says
This was delicious! I am on a low sodium diet and though canned food is typically high in sodium, I made this with low sodium chicken broth and low sodium black beans, did not add any salt and it was wonderful. Also to add to simplicity, I used frozen sliced peppers and onions and added some corn, loved it! I might add cheese and some raw peppers at the end next time.
Linda Meyer says
Thank you so much, Lea! We're so happy you liked the recipe and that you made it fit your tastes and lifestyle. We hope you try more of our recipes. 🙂
Lily says
It would be helpful if you added the comments 'home cooked black or red beans/store bought canned black or red beans' to describe the beans in the ingredient section of the recipe.
Linda Meyer says
Thank you, Lily, we'll add that to the recipe card.
Betsy Cohen says
When you say 3 cups of spinach chopped, do you measure the 3 cups before you chop the spinach or after. I have sometimes done this after chopping the greens and as much as I love vegetables, it has overwhelmed a dish. THANKS
Linda Meyer says
Great question. 3 cups before chopping. As you know, spinach shrinks down to half of it's size once it's steamed or cooked, so this is just the right amount. If you find the flavor of spinach to be strong, feel free to add less.