Quick and easy black beans and rice recipe {vegan}
Except for the little sprigs of cilantro (from my herb garden), every ingredient in this quick and easy rendition of classic black beans and rice came right from the pantry. The quick comes from pre-cooked rice, which could be leftover rice from Chinese takeout or from a big batch you've made in the rice cooker. Canned black beans and store-bought sofrito speed things up, too. Sometimes black beans and rice are served side by side (as in moros y cristianos, "moors and christians"), but I figure it's all going to get tossed together in your tummy, so why not cook everything together from the outset? You can double or triple this recipe, or make a huge batch for a crowd, to serve with grilled chicken or fish, or rolled up in a burrito.
Quick and easy black beans and rice
From the pantry, you'll need: canola oil, onion, garlic, cumin, chili powder, canned green chile peppers, long-grain white rice, canned black beans.
Serves 4-6.
Ingredients
2 tsp canola oil
1 small onion, peeled and chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled and chopped
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground chili powder (I like Penzeys Chili 3000)
2 oz canned roasted green chile peppers (half a small can)
2 cups cooked white rice
1/4 cup red sofrito (available in supermarkets, in the Latino foods section)
1 15-oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
Directions
In a large nonstick frying pan, heat the oil over medium-low heat. Add the onion, and cook 2-3 minutes, until soft and translucent. Stir in the garlic, cumin, chili powder and green chile peppers, and cook for 2 minutes.
If the rice is cold, break it up with your hands as you add it to the pot. Stir well to combine the rice and onion mixture; cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes until the rice is warmed through. Add in the sofrito and black beans, and stir gently, until the sofrito is incorporated and the beans evenly distributed throughout the rice.
Season with the salt and pepper. Taste, and add more if needed. Serve warm, or cool completely and refrigerate. You can make this up to 2 days in advance; add a few drops of water and reheat in the microwave.
More recipes in The Perfect Pantry:
Vegan black bean and sweet potato stew
Black bean cakes with guacamole
South End Deep Root Chili
Black bean and peach soup
Quinoa, avocado, tomato and black bean salad with chipotle lime dressing
Other recipes that use these pantry ingredients:
Southwestern bean salad with black beans, black-eyed peas, peppers, and cilantro, from Kalyn's Kitchen
Coconut rice with black beans, plantains, and mango salsa, from Herbivoracious
Spicy tamarind black beans, from Lisa's Kitchen
Butternut squash with black beans and walnuts, from eCurry
Southwestern chicken soup with black beans and corn, from For the Love of Cooking
Turkey black bean burgers, from Dine and Dish
Disclosure: The Perfect Pantry earns a few pennies on purchases made through the Amazon.com links in this post. Thank you for supporting this site when you start your shopping here.
Yum! Your beans and rice look absolutely delicious.
This is my kind of perfect weeknight dinner. I keep rice and beans available all the time, so I can assemble something hot and freshly made after work.
Love those words quick and easy! You can also add the words delicious because this certainly looks delicious!
Yum! Can I have a little extra cilantro on mine please!
Sour cream please! Looks great
This looks delicious - a great pantry meal! My youngest son has decided to eat mostly vegetarian food, so I am looking for new and interesting (and easy!) recipes.
I love the Penzeys Chili 3000 too. I have never heard of sofrito, but it is now a must-find pantry item. Thanks, Lydia!
Barefeet, this is one of my very favorite ways to prepare rice and beans.
TW, cooked rice and cooked beans are always on hand in the fridge or freezer. It makes dishes like this so easy to whip up in a hurry.
Maris, I love that -- quick, easy and delicious.
Kalyn, yes indeed, though the cilantro in my garden has bolted and gone by now.
Riyaad, yes, sour cream would be a nice topping. The rice and beans are so flavorful that you just might not need anything else. Oh, well, maybe a bit of salsa fresca (coming later this week).
Judy, sofrito is a Goya product available in supermarkets (or, of course, you can make and freeze your own). It is a vegetarian sauce with a bit of a kick.
YUM - Thanks for the dinner inspiration - I am going Mexican tonight!
Lydia,
I love rice and beans, such an easy healthy vegetarian dish. Penzeys' chili powders are one of my favorites and I like the convenience of prepared sofrito, a nice pantry item for quick dinners.
In Brazil, black beans and rice are always served together, but it is a personal preference to mix them or not. Children usually don't like to mix them, but my Dad had a huge influence on me, and I grew up with him mixing it all very well before digging in
Thanks for the memories! I did not expect to get nostalgic when I opened your blog ;-)
Made this last night. Accidentally used the whole can of chilies, but it was no prob. Served with grilled jalapeno smoked sausage. Hub loved it! Thanks!
I just made this and it was AWESOME!!! Thanks for a great recipe!