Cajun Red Beans and Rice (Vegan!)

My Cajun pink beans and rice is an excellent easy meal that is full of smoky, spicy Southern taste! The beans prepare dinner up splendidly creamy with daring spices, making for an extremely comforting vegan dinner when served over a mattress of fluffy rice.

Generally the best meals are the perfect! Working example: rice and beans, in principally any type. My Spanish rice and beans, Mediterranean chickpeas and rice, and Mexican black beans and rice are a few of my favorites, and so they’re all so easy. Cajun pink beans and rice is much more fundamental, however they’re arguably the perfect. You simply cannot beat the creamy texture of slow-cooked beans and that spicy Southern taste profile.

Soar to:

Now, full disclosure: this rice and beans recipe takes longer than the others I discussed above. That’s as a result of it makes use of dried beans, which want an in a single day soak and a protracted simmer. The excellent news is that the majority of that point is hands-off, and it provides the completed beans the creamiest, most irresistible texture.

Should you’re set on utilizing canned beans or wish to make this on a busy weeknight, I get it! I’ve included suggestions within the FAQ part under for making this recipe with canned pink beans.

Substances You will Want

Beneath you will discover a record of components on this recipe, with notes and substitutions. Scroll all the way in which to the underside of the put up to see the complete recipe, together with the quantity of every ingredient.

Dried kidney beans. Darkish pink beans or gentle pink beans will work — prepare dinner’s selection!
Vegetable oil. No matter impartial oil you usually wish to prepare dinner with can be utilized.
Onion.
Inexperienced bell pepper.
Celery.
Garlic.
Water.
Dried spices. We’re utilizing a easy mixture of dried thyme, candy paprika, smoked paprika, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and a bay leaf. You may get all of them within the spice aisle of nearly any grocery retailer.
Rice. Lengthy grain white rice is conventional for rice and beans, however be happy to make use of one other selection like brown rice in case you want.
Sizzling sauce. I like Crystal model for this recipe, as a result of it really works so properly with Cajun spices and provides lots of tangy taste together with warmth.
Liquid smoke. Conventional Cajun pink beans and rice is made with ham hock or sausage, so we’re including smoky taste to this vegan model with a little bit of liquid smoke. You may go away it out in case you want!
Salt.
Scallions.

How It is Made

The next is an in depth photograph tutorial on the way to make this dish. Scroll all the way in which down if you would like to skip proper to the recipe!

Red kidney beans soaking in a bowl of water.

Step 1: Soak the beans. Place them into a big bowl and canopy them with water. The beans will double and even triple in dimension, so ensure that to make use of loads of water. Allow them to soak at the least 8 hours, although in a single day is right. Drain and rinse them after they’re carried out.

Diced green peppers, onions, and celery cooking in a pot with a wooden spoon.

Step 2: Cook dinner the greens. Warmth your oil in a pot, then add the holy trinity of veggies: diced onion, inexperienced bell pepper, and celery. Cook dinner the combination for about 10 minutes, stirring it often, till all the pieces begins to melt.

Minced garlic cooking in a pot with diced onions, green peppers, and celery.

Step 3: Cook dinner the garlic. Push the veggies to the facet, add minced garlic, and prepare dinner it briefly, till it turns into very aromatic. Make sure you stir the garlic continuously to forestall it from burning.

Red beans simmering in a pot with green peppers, celery, and onions.

Steps 4 and 5: Simmer. Add the water, dried beans, and spices to the pot. Flip up the warmth and convey all the pieces to a boil, then decrease the warmth to a simmer. Cowl the pot and let it prepare dinner for a few hours, giving it an occasional stir.

Step 6: Cook dinner the rice. Begin it when the beans have a few half hour left to prepare dinner. Merely prepare dinner the rice in response to the bundle instructions.

Cooked red beans in a pot with a wooden spoon.

Step 7: End the beans. They need to be smooth and a bit creamy after they’re completed. Take the pot off the warmth, take away the bay leaf, and season the beans with salt and scorching sauce.

Bowl of Cajun Red Beans and Rice with a bottle of hot sauce in the background.

Step 8: Serve. Divide the rice amongst bowls or plates, then high it with the beans. Give every portion a sprinkle of chopped scallions earlier than serving.

Variations

Add greens. Beans and greens are an awesome mixture! Stir in some chopped up kale, collards, spinach, or chard when the beans have only a few minutes of simmer time left.
Add vegan sausage. Conventional Cajun rice and beans are sometimes served with sausage, so add some vegan sausage to yours! Past Sausage Cajun Solar Sausage or Area Roast Spicy Chipotle Sausage each work very well with this recipe.
Make it further creamy. Mash a number of the beans utilizing a fork or potato masher.
Make it further spicy. Add further scorching sauce, cayenne pepper, or a minced jalapeño.

Ceaselessly Requested Questions

Is that this recipe gluten-free?

Sure! The recipe consists of no gluten-containing components.

Can I make this recipe with canned beans?

You may! Use three 15-ounce cans of pink beans, drained and rinsed. Scale back the water to 2 cups. Simmer the beans uncovered for about quarter-hour, till they’re very smooth and the flavors have melded, including a splash of water if the pot begins to dry out.

Is that this recipe spicy?

Should you comply with the recipe as written and use Crystal scorching sauce, it is going to have a slight kick. Should you want no warmth, you possibly can omit the cayenne pepper and scorching sauce, and as a substitute season the beans with a few tablespoons of vinegar.

Extra Vegan Cajun Recipes

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Recipe

Bowl of Cajun Red Beans and Rice with a fork.

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Cajun Purple Beans and Rice

Course Entree, Primary Course

Prep Time 15

Cook dinner Time 2 30

Complete Time 10 45

Substances

1 pound dried kidney beans
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 giant onion, diced
1 inexperienced bell pepper, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
5 garlic cloves, minced
6 cups water
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon candy paprika
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 bay leaf
2 cups lengthy grain white rice
3 tablespoons cayenne pepper scorching sauce, or to style (Be aware 1)
1 teaspoon liquid smoke, non-compulsory
1 teaspoon salt, plus extra to style
4 scallions, chopped

Directions

Rinse the beans, then place them in a big bowl. Cowl them with water, ensuring that the water stage is at the least thrice as excessive because the beans. Allow them to soak in a single day, about 8 to 12 hours.
When the beans have completed soaking, coat the underside of a big pot with the oil and place it over medium warmth. Give the oil a minute to warmth up, then add the onion, bell pepper, and celery. Cook dinner the greens for about 10 minutes, stirring often, till they begin to soften.
Push the greens to the facet of the pot, then add the minced garlic to the area you simply created. Sauté the garlic for about 1 minute, stirring continuously, till very aromatic.
Add the soaked beans to the pot, together with the water, thyme, candy paprika, smoked paprika, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and bay leaf. Elevate the warmth and convey the water to a boil.
Scale back the warmth to a low simmer, then cowl the pot. Let the combination simmer till the beans are very tender and beginning to crumble, about 2 hours. Often uncover the pot and provides the combination a stir. Add a splash of water if the combination begins to look too dry.
Cook dinner the rice in response to the bundle instructions. Begin when the beans have about half-hour of cooking time left.
As soon as the beans have completed cooking, uncover the pot and take away the bay leaf. Stir within the scorching sauce, liquid smoke, and salt. Style-test the combination and regulate any seasonings to style.
Divide the rice into bowls or onto plates, then high with the bean combination. Sprinkle every portion with chopped scallions and serve with further scorching sauce on the facet.

Notes

I like to recommend utilizing Crystal model scorching sauce on this recipe. You might want to regulate the quantity in case you use a special model. Tobasco, for instance, is far hotter. Should you’re unsure how a lot scorching sauce to make use of, simply add a bit at a time till you are proud of the warmth stage.