This 30-minute Black Beans and Rice recipe if filled with protein and packed with flavor for a wholesome vegan and gluten-free meal. Delicious and so easy to make, it should be part of your weekly rotation.
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The day has come.
After 6+ years of blogging I am finally sharing with you one of my the most frequently-made meals in the My Darling Vegan household: 30-minute Black Beans and Rice. I’m not sure why it’s taken so long to share this simple and wholesome meal; I suppose sometimes I forget that the most common meals still need recipes.
And so, without further ado, here we go!
I think you’re going to love these 30 minute Black Beans and Rice. They are packed with protein, filled with flavor, and super quick to make. Best of all, this recipe is kid-approved by some of the pickiest eaters I know. It’s a meal your family will love AND you can feel great about feeding them.
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You may have heard before that beans and rice are among the few plant-based foods that, when combined, make a complete protein. This means that together they contain the 9 essential amino acids that our bodies cannot produce on their own. While it’s not necessary to eat complete proteins at every meal, it is important that everyone, especially those on plant-based diet, are paying attention to this.
The good news is that creating complete proteins is not hard on a vegan diet. When combining any bean or lentil with a grain like rice, quinoa, or whole wheat, you are getting all 9 essential amino acids, thus a complete protein, in your meal!
These Black Beans and Rice are especially big around my house because it’s one of the few meals with complete proteins (and complex carbs and veggies) that my kids will eat.
It’s a win-win-win!
So how do we make these Black Beans and Rice?
So simple! First we get our rice cooking. I recommend brown rice because it has more protein and is much lower on the glycemic index than white rice. Brown rice also has great benefits such as being anti-inflammatory and high in important minerals such as magnesium and manganese. For these reasons (and more), I almost always choose brown rice. While the rice cooks, we:
- Sauté onions and garlic
- Add some bell peppers, jalapeño, and spices
- Mix in the black beans
Once the rice is done, we add it to the seasoned black bean/veggie mixture and serve!
30 minutes. Check. Complete protein. Check. Vegan and Gluten-free. Check.
Just because a recipe is simple, doesn’t mean it’s not worth making.
I highly recommend you give these Black Beans and Rice a try for a quick and filling dinner that will give you and your family a complete source of protein while filling up your bellies and satisfying your taste bud.
This 30-minute Black Beans and Rice recipe if filled with protein and packed with flavor for a wholesome vegan and gluten-free meal. Delicious and so easy to make, it should be part of your weekly rotation.
- 1 cup brown rice
- 1 tsp oil
- 1 small red onion, diced
- 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 small jalapeño, seeded and thinly sliced
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/4 tsp cayenne
- 1/2 - 1 tsp salt
- juice of 1 lime
- 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
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Cook rice according to package instructions. While rice is cooking, prepare the beans.
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Heat oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and sauté for 5-7 minutes, until translucent and fragrant.
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Add bell peppers and jalapeños and stir to combine.
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Stir in cumin, cayenne, salt, and lime juice.
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Add black beans, stirring until well combined, then bring to a simmer. Simmer for 5 minutes while rice continues to cook. Remove from heat.
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Stir in cooked rice and serve immediately with fresh cilantro and lime juice.
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How spicy is this rice & Bean ? I haven’t made it yet but I want to
Not very spicy. My kinds don’t mind the jalapeño in it and they are pretty sensitive to spice. However, you could half or omit the jalapeño all together if you’re concerned about it.