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vegan red beans and rice
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4.20 from 61 votes

Vegan Red Beans And Rice

This Vegan Red Beans and Rice recipe seasoned with garlic, onion, paprika, and oregano is the ultimate comfort classic. This red bean and rice recipe is easily adaptable to the Instant Pot and the Crock pot for those busy nights.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Total Time55 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: red beans and rice vegan, vegan beans and rice recipe, vegan red beans and rice
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 358kcal

Ingredients

Instructions

  • In a medium sized pot, heat avocado oil over medium high heat.  Add in onion, celery and garlic. Saute for 6-8 minutes or until vegetables begin to soften. 
  • Add in the tomato paste, salt, pepper, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper and dried oregano and saute for another 3-5 minutes. 
  • To the pot, add canned red kidney beans, vegetable stock and bay leaves and stir to combine. Turn down heat to medium low and let simmer for 30-40 minutes or until raw tomato flavor is cooked through.
  • Adjust seasonings if necessary. Stir in cooked rice or serve rice on top.

Notes

Can you freeze rice and beans? Yes, you can absolutely freeze rice and beans! I love to make a huge pot of red beans and rice, some to eat now and some to eat later! The Vegan rice and beans that I eat later, I let cool to room temperature, then I double wrap them and get as much air out as possible (by double Ziplock bagging it, or using a food saver) out to prevent it from getting freezer burn. 
How do you reheat red beans and rice? Once your beans and rice have been frozen reheating them is quite easy. You want to reheat them as quickly as possible.
The best way to do this it to reheat them in a frying pan with 1-2 tablespoons of water. You will do this on low heat. As they cook you want to stir the rice and beans and break up the clumps. Cook until desired temperature.  
You can also put your vegan red beans and rice in a microwave safe container in 1 minute increments, stirring after each minute. This does tend to dry them out a bit so a secret to make them less dry is to put a cup of water in the microwave with your rice and red beans as they cook. 
You never want to let your red beans and rice sit out to defrost or in the fridge. This will cause your rice to become very soggy. 
How long do red beans and rice last? You will want to store this easy red beans and rice recipe in an airtight container in the fridge. It will last about 4-6 days. 
Can Vegans eat red beans and rice? Yes, Vegans can eat red beans and rice! In fact it is a great vegan recipe for you to always have on hand. This is because it is especially important if you are eating a vegan diet to make sure that you are always getting enough protein. Vegan rice and beans provide lots of protein both through the red kidney beans as well as the rice. 
How do you thicken beans and rice? If you find your red beans and rice to thin it is easy to thicken it up. You will want to mix 2 Tablespoons corn flour with enough water to dissolve the corn flour. You will then mix this into your beans and rice and stir for about a minute. This will thicken up your beans. 
What ingredients can I add to this easy red beans and rice recipe? The sky's the limit when adding ingredients to beans and rice! If you are meat lovers, you can add any type of meat you would like. If you love spicy food, you can add some more spice, and if you love vegetables, you can add all kinds of things like corn, extra tomatoes, squashes, etc. 
Are the red beans and rice at Popeye's vegan? Red beans and rice can be found at Popeye's chicken. This would make for a great meal, however if you are gluten free or vegan, ordering this at Popeye's would not be ideal as the sauce is made with pork fat and the sauce thickening agent may be flour and contain gluten. Therefore Popeye's red beans and rice is not vegan or gluten free. 
How do you season canned red beans? when purchasing canned beans to make this recipe, make sure there isn't extra seasoning in the ingredients. The spices used in this recipe will season your beans perfectly. Make sure you drain and rinse them! 
Can you cook this easy red beans and rice recipe in the crock pot? Yes, this recipe is easily adaptable to the crock pot!
  1. You first will want to saute your garlic, onion, and celery in a pan with with your avocado oil for 6-7 minutes.
  2. Once tender, then add all the contents of your pan to your crock pot along with all the other ingredients, except your canned red kidney beans. 
  3. Cook this on a low setting for 3:30 hours. Do not let it simmer all day because the consistency will change. 
  4. Then right before serving, add beans and fluff your rice. 

How do you cook Vegan Red Beans and Rice in the Instant Pot?

  1. To cook your Vegan Rice and Beans in the Instant Pot you will first want to saute your onions, celery, and garlic in a pan with your avocado oil for 6-7 minutes, or until your vegetables are tender. 
  2. Then you will then pour 2 cups of vegetable stock into your Instant Pot. Then add the rice and all your other ingredients, except for your canned red kidney beans. Close your instant pot and turn to manual high pressure for 24 minutes. 
  3. Once done, do a natural release for 15 minutes, then open your instant pot add your canned red kidney beans and fluff your rice with a fork. 
Can I use Dried Beans in the Instant Pot? You can use dried beans to make your easy Vegan Red beans and rice. To do this you will want to increase your liquid, I would do 2 cups of vegetable stock and 3 cups of water and add the beans when you add the rice. 
If beans rise to the top and look dehydrated when you open the Instant pot, just mix them up and place the lid back on and let them sit for about 10 minutes.   

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 358kcal | Carbohydrates: 66g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 482mg | Fiber: 15g | Sugar: 4g