With the addition of bright colored veggies and flavorful seasonings, this recipe for Celebration Rice and Beans is truly a party on a plate!
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:
- Using a mix of easy-to-prep vegetables, frozen vegetables, and a handful of spices, this recipe is so simple to throw together, but is quite impressive in the end.
- This dish is so colorful and delicious, it truly is the perfect side dish for so many meals. It goes especially well with my Easy Black Bean Veggie Enchiladas, Roasted Vegetable Tacos with Chipotle Pomegranate Sauce, my 5-Ingredient Tex Mex Jackfruit Tacos and my 5-Ingredient Vegan Fajita Tacos.
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.
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!
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
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
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!)
do you have a cookbook out for people to buy.
ALso love your husbands specials, have seen them all.
Don’t have a cookbook yet, but it’s definitely on my list of things to do! And thanks for the kind words!
Do you cook 4 cups of brown rice oR does that mean the 4 cups is already cooked??
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!!
So happy to hear this, Ellen!! Thanks for taking the time to let me know. 🙂