Quick Take
Variety is the spice of life! Sick of your tried and true rice and beans? Spice things up with these 6 easy variations of this classic pantry meal.
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Cheap AND nutritious: health benefits of rice and beans
Brown rice vs. white rice
How to batch cook perfect rice every time
How to cook dried beans
6 ways to spruce up your rice and beans (easy plant-based recipes)
The Full Story
As we prepare for more time at home, many of us are stocking up on plant-based pantry essentials and looking to their staples to make healthy, easy meals. But cooking from your pantry doesn't mean eating the same old boring rice and beans every night. Spice things up with these 6 vegan variations of the classic pantry meal.
Cheap AND nutritious: health benefits of rice and beans
Why you should eat more beans
Beans are a superfood! They are loaded with iron, antioxidants, protein, and fiber. This means they can increase your regularity, slow the aging process, help to rebuild muscle, keep nerve function working properly, and help with oxygen distribution. The quantity of beans you consume can affect your longevity. In other words: the more beans you eat, the longer you will live, statistically speaking!
Why you should stock up on brown rice
Brown rice is incredible for your skin! It’s loaded with fiber and other important nutrients like protein. There is a correlation between consuming whole grains and lower chances of disease.
Brown rice vs. white rice - which is better?
Brown rice is rice in its original form. Once the bran and gram are removed, it becomes white rice. White rice is stripped of its fiber and the bulk of its nutrients. It’s better to consume grains in their whole form so your body can process the glucose properly.
When you consume carbohydrates that have been refined and stripped of their fiber (found in the bran), the glucose enters your bloodstream quickly and spikes your energy and glucose levels. When you consume grains with their natural fibers (most commonly found in the husk), glucose is steadily released into your bloodstream, giving you a nice steady stream of energy without shocking your body with glucose.
How to batch cook perfect rice every time
- Boil water (add veggie broth for extra flavor)
- Preheat oven to 350
- Pour the desired amount of rice in the bottom of a small baking dish or pan (no need to measure). Make sure you have a layer of uncooked rice that is at least 1’’ thick.
- Pour boiling water over rice. If rice is about 1’’ thick, make sure water is about 1 finger width above the rice. If you are using more rice, make sure water is about 2 fingers above the rice.
- Cover pan or dish with a sealed top or tight tinfoil.
- Bake for 45 minutes.
- Remove pan, uncover and fluff.
- If there is still some water in the pan, or rice needs to cook longer, cover dish and let sit for 10-15 minutes.
For yield: Rice will double in size once cooked
How to cooked dried beans
Use 10 cups of water per 2 cups of dried beans.
- Boil water
- Add beans and boil for 3 minutes
- Remove from heat, cover, and let soak for 1-4 hours, or until beans are soft
Note: you don't have to use dried beans to get the nutritious benefits of eating beans! Canned beans are just fine (though dried beans are cheaper). If using canned beans, look for no or reduce sodium and rinse before eating!
6 ways to spruce up your rice and beans (easy plant-based recipes)
1. Classic Mexican beans and rice recipe
Serves: 2
Ingredients
1 can black beans in liquid
1 cup of brown rice
Mexican Spice Mix:
1 avocado
1 lime
¼ cup of fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Cook brown rice per instructions on the bag, or directions above if you’re batch cooking.
- Mix in 1 teaspoon of Mexican spice mix
- Boil canned black beans in their starch until mixture thickens
- Once beans are thick, add a dash of sea salt, and the juice from ½ a lime
- Scoop beans on top of rice, and top with diced avocado. Squirt with more lime juice, and top with fresh cilantro and ground black pepper.
2. Sweet dijon lima beans over black rice
Serves: 2
Ingredients
1 can of lima butter beans in liquid
1 Tablespoon of dijon mustard
2 dates soaked and blended with water
2 cloves of garlic, minced
A dash of turmeric and black pepper
Veggie broth
Instructions
- Cook black rice in a water/veggie broth blend per instructions on the bag.
- Saute garlic in a little water until fragrant
- Add beans, mustard, date syrup, and spices. Boil until starchy water thickens
- Enjoy bean mixture over black rice
3. New Orleans stay rice and beans
Serves: 4
Ingredients
Brown Rice: 2 cups
1 can of kidney beans
1 white onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 green bell pepper, diced
2 stalks of celery
½ teaspoon of thyme
½ teaspoon of dried sage
Instructions
- Cook brown rice per instructions on the bag, or directions above if you’re batch cooking.
- In a nonstick pan, saute onion, garlic and celery in a little water or veggie broth until all ingredients are soft.
- Add spices
- Strain beans from liquid, add them to pan with veggies and heat
- Enjoy bean mixture over rice
4. Baked beans with baby carrot dogs over brown rice
Serves: 2
Ingredients
1 cup of long grain brown rice
1 can of Navy Beans
1 sweet onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
3 Tablespoons of MamaSezz Original BBQ Sauce
1 cup of baby carrots
- Cook brown rice per instructions on the bag, or directions above if you’re batch cooking.
- Saute garlic, and onions in a ban. Leave onions al dente
- Add navy beans and liquid, and MamaSezz Original BBQ Sauce and baby carrots
- Cook until liquid is gone and baby carrots are soft
- Enjoy over rice
5. Italian Beans and Rice
Serves: 2
Ingredients
1 cup of short grain brown rice
1 can of Cannellini Beans
4 cups of raw spinach
Lemon
¼ teaspoon parsley
¼ teaspoon basil
A small dash oregano
2 cloves of garlic, minced
Instructions
- Cook brown rice per instructions on the bag, or directions above if you’re batch cooking.
- Stir in parsley, basil, and oregano into rice
- Saute garlic in a little water or veggie broth until fragrant.
- Add drained beans, the juice from ½ a lemon, a dash of sea salt, and black pepper. Heat until warm.
- Add spinach and cook until slightly wilted.
- Enjoy beans over rice
6. Chickpea Fried Rice
Serves: 2
Ingredients
2 cups of uncooked brown rice for 4 cups of leftover rice
2 cups of frozen veggie medley (peas, carrot and corn work best)
1 teaspoon of garlic powder
1 tablespoon of Tamari
1 cup of chickpeas, drained
Instructions
- Cook short grain brown rice per instructions on the bag, or directions above if you’re batch cooking. This recipe works best with leftover rice that has dried out a bit.
- Heat veggies and chickpeas until warm on high heat in a nonstick pan
- Add cooked rice, garlic powder, and tamari. Use a spoon to move around rice frequently