Vegan Red Beans & Rice

These vegan red beans and rice are a plant-based version of the Louisiana classic, but still with just as much flavor as the traditional dish. This recipe is perfect for meal prep and loved by all types of eaters.

Before we get into anything else, let me just mention that I don’t want you to be turned off by the long cook time of this recipe! Most of my recipes can be made in well under an hour, but this is an exception.

Traditional vegan red beans and rice is made with dry kidney beans, which means it takes a solid 2 hours to cook.

I know that seems like a lot (it is), but most of the time the dish will just be simmering so you won’t be actively cooking for the whole 2 hours, don’t worry!

Red beans and rice is a classic Louisiana dish made with red beans, sausage, spices and certain vegetables. This vegan and vegetarian version eliminates the sausage, but I promise it’s still just as big on flavor.

Red and kidney beans are not actually the same type of bean. They’re in the same family, but red beans are slightly smaller than kidney. For hot dishes like this one, kidney yields the best flavor, so that’s what we’ll be using!

As written, this dish is moderately spicy, but it really depends on the type of hot sauce you use. I use cholula which is pretty mild, but you can use sriracha for more spice or lower the amount to 1-2 tsp if you don’t like spice.

How to make red beans and rice

The night before (or at least 10 hours before cooking), add the kidney beans to a large bowl and add double the amount of water. The beans will absorb a lot of water as they soak, so be sure to add enough to cover them by about 2-3 inches. 

After soaking, drain and rinse and set aside. Dice the onion and add to a large pot or dutch oven with the olive oil. Saute for about 5 minutes or until translucent. 

Add in the minced garlic, diced bell pepper, finely chopped celery and saute an additional 5 minutes.

Stir in the salt, oregano, paprika, thyme, parsley and saute an additional 2 minutes.

Add in all remaining ingredients including the beans and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low.

Cover and let simmer for at least 2 hours. I know this is a long time, but it’s well worth it! Stir every 30 minutes or so to make sure nothing sticks, then put the lid back on. 

After 2 hours the beans should be soft. Scoop 2 cups of the mixture into a blender and process until completely smooth.

It should look kind of like refried beans at this point. This step is essential for giving the dish the classic creamy consistency. 

Transfer the blended portion back to the main pot and stir to combine. 

Let simmer, uncovered for about 10-15 minutes to thicken. If you’re prepping this ahead of time, keep in mind that this will continue to thicken as it sits (and especially once it’s in the fridge), so avoid simmering for too long. 

Serve with cooked white rice and chopped scallions and enjoy!

How to store and freeze

Once prepared, this vegan red beans and rice will keep in the fridge for 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. If frozen, let thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.

This recipe can easily be prepped in advance and is totally freezer friendly! The final dish will thicken quit a bit as it sits, so I suggest heating it up with a touch of veggie broth to get back the creamy consistency.

Kidney vs. pinto beans

Are kidney beans and pinto beans the same? No, kidney and pinto beans are two different kinds of beans. Make sure you’re using dry red kidney beans for this recipe.

Looking for more recipes? Try these!

• Lentil Chili
• Sesame Chickpeas
• Chickpea Burgers

Be sure to follow along on on instagram and subscribe to my email list for more recipes and updates. Leave a comment and rating below if you try this recipe and let us know how it turns out!

5 from 7 votes

Authentic Vegan Red Beans & Rice

by: claire cary

These vegan red beans and rice are a plant-based version of the Louisiana classic, but still with just as much flavor as the traditional dish. This recipe is perfect for meal prep and loved by all types of eaters.

Print / Pin / Rate

Prep: 10 minutes mins

Cook: 2 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Total: 2 hours hrs 40 minutes mins

6

1x2x3x

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 pound dry kidney beans soaked overnight
• ▢ 1 large yellow onion
• ▢ 1 green bell pepper
• ▢ 2 stalks celery
• ▢ 5-6 cloves garlic
• ▢ 2 tbsp olive oil
• ▢ 2 bay leaves
• ▢ 2 tbsp fresh parsley 2 tsp dried
• ▢ 1 tbsp hot sauce
• ▢ 1 tsp thyme
• ▢ 1 tsp paprika smoked or regular
• ▢ ½ tsp oregano
• ▢ 2 tbsp tomato paste
• ▢ ½ tsp salt
• ▢ 5 cups veggie broth
• ▢ Cooked white rice rice and chopped scallions for serving

Instructions

• The night before (or at least 10 hours before cooking), add the kidney beans to a large bowl and add double the amount of water. The beans will absorb a lot of water as they soak, so be sure to add enough to cover them by about 2-3 inches. 
• After soaking, drain and rinse the beans and set aside.
• Dice the onion and add to a large pot or dutch oven with the olive oil.
• Saute for about 5 minutes or until translucent. 
• Add in the minced garlic, diced bell pepper, finely chopped celery and saute an additional 5 minutes.
• Add in the salt, oregano, paprika, thyme, parsley and saute an additional 2 minutes.
• Add in all remaining ingredients including the beans.
• Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low.
• Cover and let simmer for at least 2 hours. I know this is a long time, but it’s well worth it! Stir every 30 minutes or so to make sure nothing sticks, then put the lid back on. 
• After 2 hours the beans should be pretty soft. Scoop 2 cups of the mixture into a blender and process until completely smooth. It should look kind of like thick refried beans at this point. This step is essential for giving the beans the classic creamy consistency. 
• Transfer the blended portion back to the main pot and stir to combine. 
• Let simmer, uncovered for about 10-15 minutes to thicken. If you’re prepping this ahead of time, keep in mind that this will continue to thicken as it sits (and especially once it’s in the fridge), so avoid simmering for too long. 
• Serve with cooked white rice and chopped scallions and enjoy!

Notes

I know this recipe has a long cook time, but I promise it is worth it! You don’t want to sub the dry kidney beans for canned ones since the flavor won’t be very strong and it will completely change the amount of broth you need. Stick to the recipe as written for best results! 

As written, this dish is moderately spicy, but it really depends on the type of hot sauce you use. I use cholula which is pretty mild, but you can use sriracha for more spice or lower the amount to 1-2 tsp if you don’t like spice.

Serving: 11/2 cups / Calories: 333kcal / Carbohydrates: 55g / Protein: 18.1g / Fat: 5.7g / Fiber: 13.3g / Sugar: 6.2g

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