Rich and flavorful Spanish rice and beans, the perfect weeknight dinner for vegetarians & vegans alike. Also, a tasty side dish for meat-eaters or pescetarians! Easy to make in one pot, with all the aspects of a supreme comfort food. This recipe is naturally gluten-free, dairy-free, and a great source of complete proteins.
Vegan Spanish rice is super easy to whip up in about 30 minutes. It’s a meal I eat about three times a week, sometimes even more often. This dish is a staple food in Central America (Mexican rice and beans), many Latin American & South American countries, and also in the Caribbean, where I currently live. Dominican rice and beans are quite popular, well seasoned, and tasty!
Why are rice and beans so popular in so many countries? Because the dish is cheap, easy to cook, delicious, healthy (rich in fiber), and furthermore it contains all essential amino acids. So if you are a vegan and get asked “but where do you get your protein from?!”, simply reply “from rice and beans (and other plants)”. 😀
Simple Ingredients
Below are the main ingredients and their substitutes. All ingredients, measurements, and also the calories in Spanish rice are listed in the printable recipe card below.
- Beans – I prefer using red beans (e.g. kidney beans), however, you can also use pinto beans or black beans. Either cook the beans from dry (for example in a pressure cooker/Instant Pot) or use canned beans. Cooking the beans from dry takes much longer, of course.
- Rice – My favorite rice is Basmati rice or Jasmine rice, even though it’s not typical for Spanish rice but I love that it cooks so fast. Sometimes I use brown rice, because it’s healthier, containing more vitamins and minerals.
- Bell pepper – I prefer red or orange peppers, but feel free to use yellow or green ones.
- Salsa – Use your favorite salsa or tomato sauce from a jar! My favorite brand contains basil, oregano, garlic, and onion (so yummy!)
- Fresh onion and garlic – Do not skip! Fresh onion and garlic add so much flavor to the Spanish rice and beans. Furthermore, the health benefits are unbeatable!
- Vegetable broth – I recommend using a store-bought veggie broth or stock to save time. Or simply dissolve a veggie bouillon cube in water.
- Spices – Paprika, smoked paprika, cumin, salt, and black pepper are a must. You can also add veggie sazon seasoning, red pepper flakes (cayenne pepper), hot sauce, and dried oregano.
- Olives – I also love adding green olives but you can leave them out if you don’t like olives.
How To Make Spanish Rice And Beans?
STEP 1: Start by adding the uncooked rice to a bowl with water and let it soak for about 10 minutes, then discard the water. Meanwhile, chop the onion, garlic, bell pepper, and prep the other ingredients.
STEP 2: Heat oil in a large skillet or pot (use veggie broth if avoiding oil), add onion and bell pepper. Sauté for about 3 minutes. Stir in garlic, and all spices and sauté for a further one minute.
STEP 3: Next, add the rice, salsa & veggie broth and bring the mixture to a boil.
STEP 4: Cover the skillet or pot and let simmer on the lowest heat setting for about 15-20 minutes or until the rice is cooked. Do not uncover the lid, and do not stir while cooking! The cooking time depends on the rice variety (check the package instructions of your rice brand). Jasmine rice or Basmati rice cook much faster than e.g. brown rice.
STEP 5: Turn off the heat, remove the lid and taste the rice. Adjust seasonings if needed, adding more salt, black pepper, cumin, red pepper flakes, etc. to taste. Stir in beans & olives (optional) and garnish with fresh herbs (cilantro or parsley) to taste. Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Helpful Tips And Variations
- Coconut rice and beans: Coconut is very often used in Dominican cooking (also in many other Caribbean countries). I love adding a splash of canned coconut milk to enhance the flavors!
- Rice and bean casserole: Interested in a variation? Check my Rice And Bean Casserole recipe for inspiration.
- Spanish rice stuffed peppers: I love making vegan stuffed peppers and this rice and beans recipe makes a great filling for bell peppers. Check out my Vegan Stuffed Bell Peppers recipe for the instructions.
- Instant Pot method: Press the sauté function of your Instant Pot, add oil, onion, garlic, bell pepper, and all spices. Sauté for about 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently. Then add rice, salsa, vegetable broth and seal the IP. Set to high pressure for 8 minutes. Quick release, open the Instant Pot, stir in beans & olives (optional) and fresh herbs.
Perfect For Meal Prep
This red beans and rice recipe is perfect for meal prep. Store in individual lunch boxes in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Add in other ingredients of choice, for example, cherry tomatoes, avocado or corn for a variation.
This Recipe Is:
- Vegan (dairy-free)
- Gluten-free
- Low-fat
- Protein-rich
- Easy to make
- A great weeknight dinner or side dish
- Also, great for kids
- A healthy 1-Pot recipe
- Perfect for meal prep
- Read in about 30 minutes
- Flavorful
- Comforting
Should you give this healthy Spanish rice and beans recipe a try, please leave a comment and rating below and tag me in your Instagram or Facebook post with #elavegan and use @elavegan.
If you love easy rice recipes, make sure to check out my other vegan recipes, that also happen to be gluten-free:
- Vegan Mushroom Risotto
- Creamy Vegan Risotto with Broccoli
- Turmeric Rice
- Vegan Chickpea Curry with Rice
- Sweet Potato Curry With Rice
- Rice And Bean Casserole
Spanish Rice And Beans
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp oil use veggie broth if you avoid oil
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1 medium red bell pepper chopped
- 3-4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- Pinch of red pepper flakes
- Salt & black pepper to taste
- 1 1/2 cups (300 g) white rice uncooked (*see notes)
- 1 1/4 cups (300 ml) vegetable broth or more, depending on rice variety
- 1 1/4 cups (300 g) salsa
- One 15 oz can (270 g) kidney beans drained and rinsed (*see notes)
- 1/2 cup (65 g) green olives halved (optional)
- Fresh herbs to garnish, e.g. cilantro or parsley
Instructions
- Check the video in the blog post for visual instructions.Add the rice to a bowl with cold or lukewarm water and let it soak for at least 10 minutes (I recommend 30 minutes if you have the time), then discard the water. Meanwhile, chop the onion, garlic, bell pepper, and prep the other ingredients.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet or pot, add onion and the bell pepper. Sauté for about 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic, and all spices and sauté for a further one minute.
- Add the rice, salsa & veggie broth and bring the mixture to a boil. Please note that you'll need more vegetable broth and salsa if using rice that requires a longer cooking time.
- Cover the skillet or pot and let simmer on the lowest heat setting for about 15-20 minutes. Do not uncover the lid, and do not stir while cooking! The cooking time depends on the rice variety (check the package instructions). Jasmine rice or Basmati rice cook much faster than e.g. brown rice.
- Turn off the heat, remove the lid and taste it. Adjust seasonings if needed, adding more salt, black pepper, cumin, red pepper flakes, etc. to taste. Stir in beans & olives (optional) and garnish with fresh herbs (cilantro or parsley) to taste. Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Notes
- Rice: My favorite rice is Basmati rice or Jasmine rice, even though it's not typical for Spanish rice but I love that it cooks so fast. You can use any other white rice or brown rice, simply adjust the cooking time and add more vegetable broth and salsa.
- Beans: You can also use cooked pinto beans or black beans.
- Tips: Read the blog post for more helpful tips and variations and for instructions on how to make the recipe in an Instant Pot.
- Recipe serves 4. Nutrition facts are for one serving.
Nutrition information is an estimate and has been calculated automatically
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Love green olives in spanish rice and I feel like people have forgotten what a great addition they are to rice and beans. I love the briny flavor.
So glad you love them as much as I do. I also think they add a wonderful flavor. 🙂
Hi Ela,
I’m intolerant to rice. Is it possible to use Quinoa instead?
Yes, that’s fine! 🙂
It’s amazing!!!!!
Thank you!
I am happy it turned out amazing, Noora. 🙂
Hi Ela!
What kind of salsa did you use?
Thank you!
A Dominican brand. It contains chunky tomatoes with basil, oregano, salt, and pepper. 🙂
So, I’m sorry. Is it store bought or I can make it?
Store-bought, as mentioned in the blog post. However, you can use any tomato sauce or passata or crushed tomatoes and just add salt, water, and Italian spices to taste. 🙂
It was delicious! I made it yesterday and it’s staying in my on repeat recipes!
Thank you!!!
We’ll try your lentil Bolognese next!
Hello
How long will it store? Is it freezable?
Hi Alex, I mentioned it in the post and recipe that you store leftovers covered in the fridge for about 3 days.
Also, freezing is totally fine, for up to 3 months. 🙂
I am so glad I found this recipe! I make it literally every week now (in my pressure cooker), and my toddler absolutely loves it, too, which is a huge plus! When it’s ready, I spruce it up for her with steamed veggies and sometimes homemade guacamole. She devours it every time. Thank you so much for this recipe!
That’s wonderful, Adi! I am so happy you and your toddler love the recipe. 🙂
This looks amazing!!
If I would like to make this recipe with coconut milk to this recipe, should I add it when it’s time to pour Vegetable broth?
Hi Emily, yes, you can add coconut milk in addition. Either at the same time, you add the vegetable broth or towards the end. 🙂
Hi Ela,
I love the flavours in this recipe! The only issue I had was that the rice got burnt to the bottom of the pot 🙁 I was scared not to stir it while cooking but thought I’d give it a go. I will cook it opened next time and will stir it frequently.
Thanks x
Thanks for your feedback, Martina! You could add more vegetable broth next time or cook it on the lowest heat setting. I am glad you loved the flavor. 🙂
I am making this now for my son! It smells divine.
Thank you so much
Amleth
I hope you enjoyed the meal! 🙂
This was by far, the very best Red Rice and Beans we have EVER had and we lived in TX and now in Cali and they all love this particular dish. Wonderful flavor, honestly husband was moaning almost thru the entire meal (me too). Didn’t change a thing! Thanks!
Aww, that’s awesome, Barbara! I am so glad you and your husband loved the recipe. 🙂
This rice was exceptional! I’m so grateful that you share your divine recipes with all of us. You’re so talented, thank YOU!!
Aww, Melissa! Thank you so much for your sweet comment. 🙂
Made this one today. Loved it!
Used sushi rice and added a bit of spinach.
Great recipe Michaela!
Thanks for your feedback, Emy! I am glad you loved the recipe. 🙂
Thank you Ella. So delicious I will definitely be making this again. Super easy and super flavoursome ????????
I am glad you enjoyed the dish!
Much love, Ela
agreed, not enough liquid to start. Add another 2 cups of liquid at least
Garreth, a lot of people on Instagram made the recipe without adding more liquid, I included. Especially, if you soak the rice for a while, you definitely don’t need to add another 2 cups of liquid. 🙂
This looks amazing and very easy, I happen to have all the ingredients, I definitely be making it this week!
Sounds great, Laura. Enjoy it. 🙂
I’m curious about what kind of salsa you used? The picture looks more like diced tomatoes rather than the kind of salsa I eat with tortilla chips.
You are right, Lauren, it’s a chunky salsa. You can actually use any kind of salsa, diced tomatoes, or passata. 🙂
Absolutely delicious! I made it with brown basmati rice (par boiled) in the IP. It was all gone!
That’s wonderful, Leada! I am glad it turned out great in the Instant Pot. 🙂
Attempting your recipe because it looks delicious. Followed the directions (using jasmine rice), but after 20 minutes there is a lot of crunchy rice. I added some stock and started simmering again.. It does smell tasty, so hopefully that will take care of the problem and we can call it dinner!
Hi Donna, I hope the stock will do the trick. Did you soak the rice beforehand? 🙂
Wow! This is a super tasty meal. Made this last night. with cooked dried red kidney beans and brown Jasmine rice. I had to add water a little at a time toward the end because the rice had to cook longer. I also threw in a little vegan meat crumbles. A keeper! Thank you so much.
That’s awesome, Irene! Adding a vegan meat substitute is a great idea (yes, it soaks up a lot of liquid). I am glad you enjoyed the dish. 🙂
Best rice and beans I’ve ever! I’ve never had rice and beans with olives before and it just adds another layer of flavor taking it to the next level. This dish is so flavorful. And my 5 year old loved it (I left out the red pepper flakes and we just added to individual bowls). It will be in our regular rotation. Thanks for another great recipe, Ela! I just discovered your blog a few weeks ago and every recipe I’ve made has been a slam dunk!
Wow, that’s awesome, Nicki!! I am so happy you guys loved it. Thanks for your feedback! 🙂
Vegan meat crumbles! This recipe certainly isn’t missing anything, but what an awesome idea! I’m going to try it the next time I make it 🙂
Absolutely DELICIOUS!!
I am glad you loved the recipe, Ana. 🙂
Thank you for this recipe! Eating this now w/ a squeeze of lime and fresh cilantro. So YUMMY and vegan comforty. ????????
Fantastic, Debra! Lime juice and cilantro is a great combo. 🙂
That looks absolutely delicious!!! Thanks for sharing this! I will definitely be trying this!!
Hi Deborah! I hope you will love it as much as I do. 🙂