Fiesta Rice and Beans
Classic beans + rice get a flavorful makeover! Brown rice and black beans combine with a tasty blend of fiesta flavors in a creamy tomato sauce.
Servings5 people (main dish)
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)
Calories: 299 kcal | Carbohydrates: 61 g | Protein: 12 g | Fat: 2 g | Saturated Fat: 1 g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1 g | Potassium: 917 mg | Fiber: 11 g | Sugar: 8 g | Vitamin A: 1540 IU | Vitamin C: 47 mg | Calcium: 67 mg | Iron: 4 mg