Black Beans and Rice is a scrumptious, budget-friendly, meatless meal for the family! A lot of flavor, fiber, and protein in this easy dish!
If you’re looking for a “meatless Monday” kind of meal, may I suggest this easy recipe for black beans and rice? Not only is it meatless, it is fairly inexpensive to prepare, and tastes fantastic! My husband and I recently began setting aside at least one night a week for meatless meals. We are true meat-eaters, but find it to be a wonderful break for us. I originally found this recipe while searching for meatless meals online. I only “tweaked” the original recipe I used very slightly.
This recipe features black beans, brown rice, veggies and spices, which are great options in any tasty meal. Black beans are a wonderful source of protein and have lots of fiber, which helps add to a feeling of fulness. Brown rice also has more fiber, antioxidants, vitamins & minerals than white rice, so it will also help “fill you up”. That’s a win-win, in my book. Here’s how to make black beans and rice:
Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page.
Prepare The Spice Mixture
Before beginning to cook this simple dish, I start by getting the spices together, so they’ll be ready to dump into the skillet later! The spices used add wonderful flavor (and is not too spicy) to the black beans and rice.
The spices you will need for this dish are dried parsley, onion powder, garlic powder, thyme, oregano, cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper. Measure them into a small bowl, and give them a stir, to combine. Set the spice mixture aside until later.
A Note About Cooking The Brown Rice
You will need to cook the brown rice in broth (vegetable OR chicken). Brown rice tends to take a bit longer to cook than white rice, so plan a bit ahead on this one, ok? I try to get the rice almost fully cooked before preparing the rest of the dish. You can make it ahead to save time, and then fluff it with a fork before adding it to this dish, if that’s more convenient.
Cook the rice according to the package instructions, but substitute vegetable or chicken broth for the water needed. The broth adds another layer of flavor. It is not absolutely essential to do this, but I highly recommend it! Once the rice is fully cooked, and the liquid has been absorbed, remove it from the heat source, fluff it with a fork, and set aside.
Preparing The Black Beans And Rice
Now it’s time to put this meal together. Heat olive oil on medium heat in a large skillet until very hot. Add chopped green peppers and yellow onion to the hot oil. Sauté the veggies for 4-5 minutes, stirring often to prevent sticking or burning.
Once done, add drained black beans, minced garlic, diced fresh tomatoes, and the spice mixture to the skillet. Stir well, to fully combine all the spices with the ingredients. I was happy to be able to use a jar of my homemade canned black beans in this meal (YAY).
Add one more cup of vegetable or chicken broth to the skillet. Cook the mixture, uncovered, on medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring often. This just adds in another layer of flavor. When finished cooking, the liquid should be reduced/absorbed.
Add the cooked brown rice to the skillet, and stir well, to incorporate it into the veggies. Cook on medium heat for a couple minutes, stirring often, until the black beans and rice are heated through. Remove the skillet from the heat source.
Time To Serve The Black Beans And Rice
Now the black beans and rice are ready to serve immediately, while hot. The recipe make 3 good sized servings, or 4 smaller servings, and can be easily doubled. When we enjoy this meal, we like to top each portion with a few fresh avocado slices, and a dollop of sour cream (optional). These toppings add color, extra flavor, creamy texture and taste to perfectly complete this yummy, filling meal!
We really love flavor-filled black beans and rice, and I hope you have the opportunity to try this meal soon! Pretty sure you won’t even miss the meat! Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you will come back for a visit again soon.
Looking For More MEATLESS MEALS?
You can find all of my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I have a variety of meatless meals you might enjoy, including:
- Black Bean Burgers
- Florentine Lasagna Roll
- Black Bean Butternut Squash Chili
- Vegetarian Spicy Noodles in Peanut Sauce
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Original recipe source: Ginny, at https://veganinthefreezer.com/acadian-black-beans/
Black Beans and Rice is a scrumptious, budget-friendly, meatless meal for the family! A lot of flavor, fiber, and protein in this easy dish!
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- 1¾ cup vegetable or chicken broth , low sodium
- ¾ cup uncooked brown rice
- ½ Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ medium yellow onion , peeled and chopped
- ½ medium green bell pepper , seeded and chopped
- 15 ounces canned black beans , rinsed and drained
- ¼ cup diced fresh tomatoes
- 1 large garlic clove , minced
- 1 cup vegetable or chicken broth (additional) , low sodium
Measure spices into small bowl. Stir to combine/set aside.
Cook rice according to pkg. instructions, substituting 1¾ cups vegetable or chicken broth for water called for. Once done, and liquid has fully reduced, remove from heat; set aside.
Heat olive oil (medium heat) in a large skillet until hot. Add green peppers and onion. Sauté 4-5 minutes, stirring often to prevent sticking/burning. When done, add black beans, minced garlic, diced tomatoes, and spice mixture to skillet. Stir well.
Add one add'l. cup of broth to skillet. Cook uncovered, on medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring often. When finished, liquid should be fully reduced/absorbed. Add brown rice. Stir well. Cook on medium heat 2-3 minutes, stirring often, until heated through.
Serve immediately, topping each portion with avocado slices/sour cream dollop, if desired, Enjoy!
Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!