Cheesy Fiesta Beans & Rice

Beans and Rice gets a flavorful makeover with a satisfying blend of fiesta flavors in a simple creamy tomato sauce! This dish reminds me of a "fully-loaded" version of Spanish Rice! (Vegan, gluten-free, oil-free.)

Let's bring it back to basics with beans and rice!

Except this simple yet satisfying dish gets a flavor-packed makeover.

We combine black beans and brown rice with a medley of colorful vegetables. Then it is simmered in a creamy, cheesy, tomato sauce spiked with my homemade taco seasoning blend.

It reminds me of a "fully-loaded" version of Spanish Rice.

Ingredients for Fiesta Rice

For this recipe you will combine in a large skillet:

• Brown rice: I use long-grain brown basmati rice for this recipe.
• Yellow onion: Or white onion, red onion, etc.
• Bell pepper: I use orange bell pepper, but yellow, green bell pepper, or red bell pepper work great too.
• Garlic cloves: Or substitute with dried garlic powder.
• Taco seasoning: I use my homemade taco seasoning blend for this recipe, but simply use your own favorite.
• Tomato sauce: This comes in a 15 ounce can.
• Nutritional yeast: This gives the sauce a cheesy, savory taste.
• Black beans: Or you can substitute another bean such an pinto beans or kidney beans if desired.
• Sweet corn: Either canned, frozen corn kernels, fire-roasted corn, or freshly cooked corn.
• Grape tomatoes: Or cherry tomatoes, roma tomatoes, or other garden tomatoes.

Customizing

Make it spicy: Stir in chili powder, red pepper flakes, jalapeno, chipotle in adobo sauce, or simply top with hot sauce to taste.

Make it meaty: Simply add your favorite vegan beef crumbles. I suggest cooking them separately according to package instructions. Then toss with the fiesta rice before serving.

Make it extra-cheesy: The cheesy flavor in this dish comes from nutritional yeast. But you could certainly add more, or increase the cheesiness with your favorite vegan shreds or dairy-free cheddar cheese.

Quinoa: You could also replace the brown rice with quinoa for the base of this dish.

Serving

This rice bowl is a great side dish, but it's also filling enough as a main dish. (And a good source of plant-based protein and fiber.)

Enjoy as is, or add your favorite toppings before serving such as:

• Fresh cilantro
• Avocado or guacamole
• Crumbled tortilla chips
• Squeeze of fresh lime juice
• Vegan sour cream

You can also enjoy it as a burrito filling, chip dip, taco salad, layer it in a baked enchilada casserole, etc.

It's a great make-ahead meal for the week. Simply reheat in the microwave and enjoy!

For more inspiration, also browse all oil-free recipes or Mexican-inspired recipes.

Cheesy Fiesta Beans & Rice

Classic Beans & Rice gets a flavorful makeover! Brown rice and black beans combine with a tasty blend of fiesta flavors in a creamy tomato sauce.

5 from 5 votes

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Cook Time: 50 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Author: Kaitlin - The Garden Grazer

Course: Main Dish, Side Dish

Cuisine: Gluten-Free, Mexican-inspired, Oil-Free, Vegan

Servings: 5 people (main dish)

US CustomaryMetric

Ingredients

• 1 cup brown rice (uncooked)
• 1 small yellow onion
• 1 orange bell pepper (or other color)
• 3 cloves garlic
• 2 Tbsp. taco seasoning
• 15 oz. can tomato sauce
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
• 15 oz. can black beans
• 1 cup sweet corn (frozen, canned, or freshly cooked)
• 1 cup cherry/grape tomatoes (or roma, etc.)
• Salt to taste

Toppings (optional):

• Avocado, cilantro, fresh tomatoes, hot sauce, dairy-free cheese shreds, tortilla strips

Instructions

• Cook rice according to package instructions.*
• Meanwhile, make the taco seasoning and set aside.
• Finely dice onion and bell pepper.
• In a large skillet over medium-high heat, sauté onion and bell pepper for 8-10 minutes. (For no-oil sauté method, I use 3 Tbsp. broth/water to sauté and add more as needed.)
• Meanwhile, mince garlic and dice tomatoes.
• When onion is translucent, add minced garlic and 2 Tbsp. taco seasoning. Cook 1-2 minutes.
• Reduce heat. Add tomato sauce, nutritional yeast, black beans (rinsed and drained), corn, and tomatoes. Stir and let simmer on medium-low for a few minutes (or longer if the rice isn't finished cooking yet).
• When rice is cooked, add to skillet and stir well. Heat for 5 minutes to let flavors combine. Salt to taste.
• Serve with your favorite toppings. For an extra-cheesy version, add your favorite dairy-free shreds.

Notes

*Rice: Feel free to cook the brown rice in advance and store in fridge until ready. Brown rice typically takes about 40 minutes to cook, and the dish only takes about 20 minutes until you need to add the rice, so you can wait 20-25 minutes to begin the rest of the steps. (Otherwise it's totally fine to let the sauce gently simmer, stirring occasionally during that time until the rice is ready.)

Quinoa substitute: You could also substitute quinoa for the rice as it only takes about 20 minutes to cook and the timing would work very well here.

Yield: This makes a fairly large batch so reduce/halve if desired.

Taco seasoning: The homemade taco seasoning recipe yields 3 Tbsp. although you will only need 2 Tbsp. for this recipe. I like to make a double or triple batch and store in a sealed glass jar to have on hand.

Nutrition Per Serving (Estimate)

Nutrition Facts

Cheesy Fiesta Beans & Rice

Amount per Serving

Calories

299

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

2

g

3

%

Saturated Fat

 

1

g

6

%

Polyunsaturated Fat

 

1

g

Monounsaturated Fat

 

1

g

Potassium

 

917

mg

26

%

Carbohydrates

 

61

g

20

%

Fiber

 

11

g

46

%

Sugar

 

8

g

9

%

Protein

 

12

g

24

%

Vitamin A

 

1540

IU

31

%

Vitamin C

 

47

mg

57

%

Calcium

 

67

mg

7

%

Iron

 

4

mg

22

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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If you are enjoying this cheesy vegan beans and fiesta rice recipe, also check out:

• Vegan Burrito Bowl with Creamy Chipotle Sauce
• Refried Bean Tostadas
• Easy Vegan Bean Enchiladas

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