Savory Vegan Red Beans with Rice: A Flavorful Plant-Based Dish

Ingredients

• One package of dry red kidney beans (16 ounces)
• Finely chopped celery, three stalks in total
• Coarsely chopped medium-sized onion
• Diced green bell pepper
• Peeled large cloves of garlic
• Two tablespoons of vegetable oil
• Dried thyme (two teaspoons)
• Oregano (one teaspoon)
• Ground black pepper (half a teaspoon)
• Cumin (half a teaspoon)
• A pinch of cayenne pepper (quarter teaspoon)
• Divided into eight cups of water
• Four dashes of liquid smoke flavoring
• Two aromatic bay leaves
• Uncooked white rice (one cup)
• Salt for seasoning, as desired

Step 1

In a large container, place the red beans and cover them generously with cool water. Allow them to soak for about 8 hours or overnight. After that time, drain and give them a good rinse.

Step 2

For a burst of flavors, combine celery, onion, bell pepper, and garlic in a blender and blend until they form a delightful mixture, not quite a puree.

Step 3

Heat up some vegetable oil in a saucepan or stockpot over medium heat. Cook and stir the blended vegetable mix for about 5 minutes. Now, sprinkle in thyme, oregano, black pepper, cumin, and a pinch of cayenne pepper. Keep stirring as you let the spices mingle for another 2 minutes.

Step 4

Next, pour in 6 cups of water, the soaked beans, a dash of liquid smoke, and a couple of bay leaves. Give everything a good stir, crank up the heat, and bring it all to a joyful boil. Once bubbling, reduce the heat to low and let it simmer until the beans are tender and just about to fall apart, which could take around 2 to 3 hours.

Step 5

In a separate saucepan, bring the remaining water and rice to a boil. Lower the heat, cover the pot, and let the rice cook until it's tender and has absorbed all the water, which might take roughly 20 to 25 minutes.

Step 6

Before serving, carefully pour most of the cooking liquid from the beans into a bowl for later use. Discard the bay leaves. Mash approximately one-third of the beans, incorporating some of the reserved liquid to achieve your desired consistency. Mix the mashed beans back in with the whole beans, season with a pinch of salt, and serve the beans over the fluffy rice.