Vegan Red Beans and Rice Recipe

With this Cajun-style vegan red beans and rice recipe, I get to enjoy a meat-free version of the traditional Louisiana dish. It’s actually easy to recreate the taste of the iconic red beans and rice dish, just without the sausages. Although, you can choose to add in vegan sausage as an alternative for those who still want a bit of meat-like flavor. But even without those added ingredients, most of the bold flavors come from the perfect blend of herb spices and vegetables. When combined with the red beans, the entire dish becomes even better.

It’s so easy to make this plant based protein dish. What you need is a lot of patience though as it can take awhile to prepare the entire dish. This is because you’ll need to soak the dried red kidney beans first before starting. I recommend soaking the dried beans overnight so it’s really soft and tender when mashed, but doing it eight hours before will also work. Once I had my beans soaked, I prepared the vegetables and seasonings next.

The secret to making this recipe extra delicious is the herb spices. I used a few essential Cajun spices and herbs such as dried thyme, dried oregano, cayenne pepper, and bay leaves. You can also use creole seasoning and spices that have smoked paprika as well for hints of spicy and smoky flavors. And if you want more heat, then adding crushed red pepper flakes or a dash hot sauce works as well. Other people would even include a tablespoon of red wine vinegar into the mix for a bit of tang, which also tastes good.

Besides the seasonings, cooking the seasoned beans in veggie broth is also a great way to add more flavor to the dish. I highly recommend using vegetable broth instead of water to cook both the bean mixture and white rice. This is because the veggie broth brings out a much fuller taste, which is essential for most vegetarian or vegan food dishes. It will provide that missing richness that you usually get from meat.

After combining both the vegetables and tender beans, I just had to wait a few more minutes for it to cook and then I served it over white rice. You can also use brown rice for this recipe as a substitute. Just take note that cooking this rice takes a bit longer. Brown rice has more fiber and micronutrients than white rice so it’s a good healthy alternative. Both are delicious when paired with the seasoned beans. You can even sprinkle a bit of sliced green onions or chopped parsley on top for added texture and flavor.

Overall, these vegan red beans and rice make for the perfect meal prep dish especially when it’s served with the rice. You can even try cooking this dish using an instant pot or slow cooker, if you have one at hand.