Fiesta Rice and Black Beans

Overhead view of fiesta black beans and rice in a white bowl topped with avocado and lime slices

A "fully-loaded" version of Spanish Rice! Featuring black beans, fresh veggies, and warm seasonings in a creamy tomato sauce. Make it with white rice or brown rice... your choice!

AuthorKaitlin - The Garden Grazer

Cook Time:50

Total Time:50

CourseMain Dish, Side Dish

CuisineGluten-Free, Mexican-inspired, Oil-Free, Vegan

Servings (1-cup servings)

Ingredients

1 cup long-grain brown rice (or white)
1 small yellow onion
1 green bell pepper
3 cloves garlic
2-3 roma tomatoes
2 Tbsp. taco seasoning
15 oz. can tomato sauce
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
15 oz. can black beans
1 cup sweet corn, cooked

Toppings (optional):

Avocado, cilantro, chipotle crema, fresh tomatoes, hot sauce, dairy-free cheese shreds, tortilla strips, lime juice, etc.

Instructions

Rinse and cook rice according to package instructions.*
Finely dice onion and bell pepper.
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, sauté onion and bell pepper for 8-10 minutes. (I use about 3 Tbsp. broth/water to for no-oil sauté method, adding more as needed.)
Meanwhile, mince garlic and dice tomatoes.
When onion is translucent, add minced garlic and 2 Tbsp. taco seasoning. Stir and cook for 1-2 minutes.
Reduce heat. Add tomato sauce, nutritional yeast, black beans (rinsed and drained), sweet corn, and tomatoes. Stir and simmer on medium-low for 5 minutes.
When rice is cooked, add to skillet and stir well. Heat for 5 minutes to let flavors combine. Salt to taste if desired.
Serve with your favorite toppings. For an extra-cheesy version, add your favorite dairy-free shreds.

Notes

*Rice: Brown rice takes about 40 minutes to cook, but the sauce mixture only takes about 20 minutes. So you can begin cooking the rice, then wait 20-25 minutes to begin the rest of the steps if you'd like. (Otherwise it's fine to keep the sauce mixture warm until the rice is ready to be added.) The cooking time for white rice or quinoa (about 15 minutes) would pair nicely here.

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

Yield: This recipe makes about 8 cups. (It's a fairly large batch so reduce or halve if desired.)

Recipe originally published January 2019. Updated April 2024.

Nutrition Per Serving (Estimate)