Dressed-Up Black Beans and Rice: A simple take on black beans and rice with lots of added veggies. Top with sliced avocado, guacamole, salsa, sour cream, or cheese and serve over spinach and/or rice for a hearty vegetarian meal.
As I’ve ventured more into vegetarian cooking over the past few years, I knew it was only a matter of time before I came up with my own version of classic rice and beans. My mom makes awesome Cuban black beans & rice, but her recipe calls for dried beans that have to be soaked overnight, plus she uses a stovetop pressure cooker. I wanted to make a quicker, college student friendly version that’s still packed with flavor. This one fits the bill and only takes about 25 minutes to make, start to finish.
I can’t claim that this black beans and rice recipe is “authentic” in any way, but I can claim that it’s delicious, packed with veggies, and one of the heartiest vegetarian meals I’ve ever had. I was going to call it “Simple Black Beans & Rice” but I realize that a truly simple version of this recipe is just black beans right out of the can served over microwave rice (and I’m not knocking that version!).
Mine’s “dressed up” with spices and veggies, and it’s served over spinach and rice and topped with as many additions as you’d like– guacamole, salsa, sour cream, and cheese are all great toppings. Step one is sautéing veggies (diced bell pepper, onion, and tomato) and spices together in a large skillet.
Step two is adding tomato paste, broth or water, and drained & rinsed black beans and simmering it all for 10-15 minutes, until the sauce thickens. Then, it’s ready!
Since I’m staying at home for a few weeks this summer, I used my dad and brother as taste-testers because they’re tougher critics for healthy dishes than I am. They’re also major meat eaters and typically don’t enjoy vegetarian meals, but they both gave this vegetarian black beans and rice two thumbs up. They did leave the spinach out of their servings, and they ate it out of cereal bowls. Boys.
If you try the recipe, feel free to let me know in a comment or take a picture and tag me @livbane on Instagram. Hope you enjoy!
Dressed-Up Black Beans & Rice
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil*
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1/2 cup red or green bell pepper, diced
- 4 medium garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh tomatoes
- 4 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 cup water or vegetable broth**
- 2 14-ounce cans black beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, stems removed (optional)
- Brown rice for serving (I used 1 1/2 cups brown rice, uncooked)
- Optional: spinach for serving
Instructions
- Start brown rice first since it typically cooks for about 40 minutes.
- While rice is cooking, heat a large skillet over medium-low heat and add cooking oil. Sauté chopped onion, bell pepper, and garlic for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add spices (chili powder, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, and salt). Sauté for 3 to 4 more minutes, until veggies are starting to soften.
- Add chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, water or broth, and drained black beans. Simmer uncovered on medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until sauce thickens. If sauce becomes too thick, add a little more water or broth. Add cilantro just before serving, if using.
- Serve over brown rice and/or spinach and top with guacamole or sliced avocado, pico de gallo, sour cream, or cheese.
Notes
**You can substitute chicken broth for a non-vegetarian version.
Inspired by this recipe
ah, boys will be boys. 😉
and love the simple recipe! everyone could use more veggies in their life– now if only all college students thought that! hah.
You’re right, we could always use more veggies!
That brother of yours sure is cute!
Hah! My sister and I tell him that all the time and he rolls his eyes 😉
This looks so great!! I’ve been looking for some easy beans-and-rice recipes to keep costs down with groceries for me and my husband, so I’ll be trying this out for sure! 🙂
Lovely pictures, too, Liv!
Rebecca Lindenbach | Life as a Dare
Awesome!! Beans and rice are such a cost effective meal! Hope you enjoy it 🙂
What a tasty version of the classic recipe! I can totally see myself using this as a dip for tortilla chips too!
Mm I didn’t even think of that, but it’d be awesome as a dip!
This looks wonderful! I’m going to give it a try tonight. =) Thanks for sharing!
Awesome, you’ll have to let me know what you think! 🙂
It was absolutely wonderful! I had to make a modification due to a food allergy I have (I’m allergic to bell peppers, so I just used half again as much of the onion and carrots) and I used kale rather than spinach and ancho chili powder because that’s what I had on hand. I cut the recipe in half and had half for dinner Friday and just ate half for dinner tonight, with a quarter avocado and a tablespoon of sour cream (and a bit of sriracha). Definitely a keeper and I’ll be making it regularly because it’s easy, healthy, and affordable.=) Thank you so much!
I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed it, Paula! All of your modifications sound delicious. Thanks for reporting back! 🙂
It looks SO good – but I’m allergic to beans 🙁 I have come to learn that putting avocado on anything tends to make it even better 😀
Oh no! I bet lentils would be great instead if you can have those. And so true about avocado!
This is definitely my kinda meal! This would be the perfect topping for so many things too – whether you use it in tacos or mix it with pasta – SO many possibilities!
Mmm I bet this would be delicious in tacos!!
I love easy, flavor-packed meals like this! And I totally use my dad to tell me whether a healthy recipe is too healthy-tasting, too 🙂
Dads make the best taste-testers! 🙂
A classic that never fails to satisfy!
This looks super tasty! We LOVE rice & beans in our house because I’m so frugal. I love the little extras that you added to this version to add more depth of flavor. Can’t wait to try it.
Looks like a delicious recipe. I love having ideas for vegetarian recipes.
This looks delicious! I love the addition of the other veggies. I pinned for later!
Thanks for pinning, Carly!!
We have this for dinner several times now and it’s become a family favorite. That it’s fast, tasty and cheap makes it all that much better. Thanks for sharing this.
I’m so happy to hear that your family has enjoyed this meal, Dave! Thanks for the feedback!
Black beans and rice are such a comforting and versatile dish! I love how simple ingredients can be transformed into something flavorful. Speaking of that, I recently had fried rice from an American-Chinese restaurant in the US, and it paired perfectly with their chicken entrees. They offer a variety of delicious choices, and it’s always fun to explore different menu options at Panda Express to mix and match sides with proteins. Your recipe here makes me want to try adding a bit of an Asian twist next time—maybe some soy sauce and green onions for extra depth!
Love how simple yet flavorful this black beans and rice recipe is — such a great staple for healthy, budget-friendly meals! If you’re looking for other convenient options with bold flavors, the Panda Express Menu has a few surprisingly tasty dishes worth checking out.
I always check the Panda Express Menu with pricesbefore ordering. It’s super helpful to know what to get within my budget. The Orange Chicken is a must-try so crispy and flavorful. Panda Express makes fast Chinese food taste amazing.