Vegan Red Beans and Rice Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How do vegans make beans taste better? ›

A few items I reach for when making beans are: cumin, onions, garlic, bay leaves, chipotle peppers in adobo, bell peppers, poblano peppers, spicy chili peppers of any kind, cilantro, coriander, paprika, liquid smoke, celery, vegetable stock, black pepper, salt and lime juice.

A slurry is a thickening agent for hot liquids such as soups, stews, and gravies. For this recipe we are going to use 1 tablespoon of cornstarch + 2 tablespoons of COLD (again, COLD) water. Mix the two ingredients and add the slurry to the red beans mixture while stirring.

Some recipes suggest that you can cook the beans straight from dried without an overnight soak. You can, but it extends the actual cooking time by several hours, and I found that the results were not quite as creamy or evenly cooked. For the best results, soak the dried beans overnight in salted water.

Christy Wilson, RD, says, “I love to add fresh lime juice, cumin, paprika, canned or fresh tomatoes, and pepper to black beans for a quick weeknight supper.”

Vinegar Makes Red Beans Taste Great!

Vinegar is an acidic liquid produced through fermentation and used in cooking as a flavoring agent and preservative. Its acid content and tangy flavor make it a standard in marinades.

After boiling the beans for one hour, the beans should be tender but the pot as a whole will still look pretty watery. To thicken the pot, begin smashing the red beans against the side of the pot with your spoon. Smash the red beans and let it continue to simmer without a lid for an extra 30 minutes.

Soaking overnight and then discarding the soaking water leaches out sugars in beans that are responsible for gas production. But if you don't have time for a traditional overnight soak, a quick soak is just as beneficial. Rinse the beans and then place them in a pot with three cups of water for each cup of dried beans.

Rinsing Canned Beans, From a Nutrition Perspective

If you're a relatively healthy person though, enjoying canned beans without draining or rinsing them first is fine. That's because our bodies require sodium to function. It's only when we go above and beyond what we need that it becomes a problem.

Sprinkle in some baking soda

As it turns out, baking soda significantly decreases the levels of raffinose, the gas-causing sugar present in beans. When should you add baking soda to beans? It works best with just a pinch (about 1/16 of a teaspoon) sprinkled into dried beans while they soak in water before cooking.

What meat is good with red beans and rice? ›

Those aromatics in the pot will revolutionize the beans' final flavor. The aromatics I tend to use are onions, carrots, garlic, and celery, and then heartier, woodsy herbs, like rosemary, sage, and thyme, which marry beautifully with the earthy-sweet flavor of beans.

One thing that you can save on and stay healthy in the process is adding beans to your menu. Beans are a superior choice to ground beef when it comes to fiber and saturated fat. Beans have almost half the calories, roughly 20 fewer grams of fat, and 6 grams more fiber than the same serving of ground beef.

I like to cook my pinto beans until they're starting to fall apart and the bean liquid around them has thickened. Turn off the heat and stir in the lime juice. Season the beans to taste with more salt (I typically add ½ to 1 additional teaspoon), more pepper, and chili powder, if desired.

On a vegan diet, you can eat foods made from plants, including: Fruits and vegetables. Legumes such as peas, beans, and lentils. Nuts and seeds.

You can add them to soups, salads, and main dishes, or you can eat them on their own as a side dish. Beans are an important part of a vegan diet because they provide a good source of protein.

Caramelized Onion + Bacon + Espresso Powder

Mimic the flavor of barbecue-style beans by adding nice caramel undertones to the can. Slowly caramelize a chopped onion in a bit of oil, then add bacon and cook until crispy. Add the can of beans and stir, making sure to scrape up any tasty bits that have stuck to the pan.