back
to top

Celebration Rice and Beans

With the addition of bright colored veggies and flavorful seasonings, this recipe for Celebration Rice and Beans is truly a party on a plate!

Celebration Rice and Beans in a bright colored serving bowl

I think of all the foods that fall into the (starchy) carb category, rice would have to be one of my favorites. Especially the brown and black rices with their nutty flavors and hearty textures.  I just love rice to pieces and could honestly eat it every day. As for my husband, Jeff, I think it’d be a toss up between tortillas and beans.  He loves them both so much that his favorite thing to order in a Mexican restaurant is a burrito filled with only beans. True story! So for this recipe, I decided to take inspiration from two of our favorite carbs – rice and beans!

Why this Recipe Works:

Why is this recipe called “Celebration” Rice and Beans?

  • What makes this dish so celebratory, you ask? Why, it’s the bright colors and flavors you get from the red bell pepper, yellow corn, green peas, and the seasonings. It looks (and tastes) like a party on a plate.

Looking for other easy side dish recipes? Then you have to try my Balsamic Glazed Brussels Sprouts, my Vegan Caesar Salad, my Easy Roasted Coconut Curry Vegetables, and my Roasted Asparagus with Balsamic Glaze.

How to Make Celebration Rice and Beans:

1. In a large pot or skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. After about one minute, add the onion and cook until slightly translucent, stirring frequently.

2. Add the bell pepper, corn and peas and stir to warm through, about one minute. Turn off heat.

Vegetables mixed together cooking in a pot

3. Next, add the oregano, cumin, garlic powder, salt, and pepper and toss to coat the vegetables.

4. Turn the heat back to medium and add the rice and beans to the mix. Stir gently but frequently until rice and beans are hot, about 5 minutes.

And that’s all there is to it! I hope you love this side dish as much as we do!

Beans, rice, and vegetables mixed together in a pot
Celebration Rice and Beans in a bright colored serving bowl

Top Tips for Making Celebration Rice and Beans:

  • Feel free to cook rice from scratch, but if you’re in a pinch, use the frozen type. Same goes for canned beans vs. those made from scratch.
  • I like to use pinto beans in this recipe, but black or garbanzo beans would work as well.
  • Before I chop any vegetables, I prep the beans: Once they are drained and rinsed, I like to return them to a cereal-sized bowl and cover them with water to soak.  I let them be until they’re needed, then I drain and rinse them again.  This seems to really help with the digestibility of the beans, (for those who usually have a little trouble with them!)

Did you try this recipe? Give it a star rating and let me know what you think in the comments below. Your feedback is very helpful!

Celebration Rice and Beans

Celebration Rice and Beans

With the addition of bright colored veggies and flavorful seasonings, this recipe for Celebration Rice and Beans is truly a party on a plate!
5 from 1 vote
Print Pin Rate
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: gluten-free, plant based, vegan
Keyword: Rice and Beans
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil or canola oil preferably organic canola oil to avoid GMO's
  • 1/2 medium white or yellow onion chopped
  • 1/2 red bell pepper seeded and diced
  • 1/3 c. frozen or fresh yellow corn
  • 1/3 c. frozen or fresh green peas
  • 2 tsp. dried oregano
  • 2 tsp. cumin
  • 1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
  • 1 tsp. salt + more to taste
  • ¼ tsp. ground black pepper
  • 4 c. brown rice (688 g) cooked and slightly, if not entirely, cooled (warm up the frozen type when in a pinch!)
  • 1 15 oz. can pinto beans, drained and rinsed (black or garbanzo beans work, as well)

Instructions

  • In a large pot or skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. After about one minute, add the onion and cook until slightly translucent, stirring frequently.
  • Add the bell pepper, corn and peas and stir to warm through, about one minute. Turn off heat.
  • Next, add the oregano, cumin, garlic powder, salt, and pepper and toss to coat the vegetables.
  • Turn the heat back to medium and add the rice and beans to the mix. Stir gently but frequently until rice and beans are hot, about 5 minutes.

Video

[responsive_youtube PwvdzChdUFQ]

Notes

  • Feel free to cook rice from scratch, but if you're in a pinch, use the frozen type. Same goes for canned beans vs. those made from scratch.
  • I like to use pinto beans in this recipe, but black or garbanzo beans would work as well.
  • Before I chop any vegetables, I prep the beans: Once they are drained and rinsed, I like to return them to a cereal-sized bowl and cover them with water to soak.  I let them be until they're needed, then I drain and rinse them again.  This seems to really help with the digestibility of the beans, (for those who usually have a little trouble with them!)
 
Tried this Recipe? Follow me Today!Mention @AudreyDunham or tag #AudreyDunhamRecipes!

print recipe

Filed under: Appetizers & Snacks, Main Dishes

Recipe Feature:

Comments

Jonna cunniff

do you have a cookbook out for people to buy.
ALso love your husbands specials, have seen them all.

Reply

Audrey Dunham

Don’t have a cookbook yet, but it’s definitely on my list of things to do! And thanks for the kind words!

Reply

Gking

Do you cook 4 cups of brown rice oR does that mean the 4 cups is already cooked??

Reply

Ellen Ostbo

5 stars
Tried this and we all LOVED it! One of us has a corn allergy, so I substituted some carrots and yellow pepper for it. Will be making this again!!

Reply

Audrey Dunham

So happy to hear this, Ellen!! Thanks for taking the time to let me know. 🙂

Reply

Please leave a comment and rate this recipe

If you love this recipe, please consider giving it a star rating when you post a comment. Star ratings help people discover my recipes online. Thanks for taking the time - your feedback means a lot!

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.