Recipes Main Dishes Rice Beans and Rice Recipes Vegan Red Beans and Rice 4.3 (3) 3 Reviews 2 Photos This is a healthier, vegetarian/vegan/Lent-friendly version of one of my favorite Creole dishes. This dish is typically made with ham hocks, so this version has less fat and salt by default. In Louisiana, it is traditionally served on Monday. Make it part of your weekly rotation! Allow each person at the table to add Cajun seasoning and Louisiana hot sauce to taste. Submitted by Lauren Reese Published on January 18, 2020 Save Rate Print Share Close Add Photo Prep Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 2 hrs 15 mins Additional Time: 8 hrs Total Time: 10 hrs 25 mins Servings: 6 Yield: 6 servings Jump to Nutrition Facts Cook Mode (Keep screen awake) Ingredients 1 (16 ounce) package dry red kidney beans 3 stalks celery, chopped 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped 1 green bell pepper, chopped 6 large cloves garlic, peeled 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 2 teaspoons dried thyme 1 teaspoon dried oregano ½ teaspoon ground black pepper ½ teaspoon ground cumin ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper 8 cups water, divided 4 dashes liquid smoke flavoring 2 bay leaves 1 cup uncooked white rice salt to taste Directions Place red beans into a large container and cover with several inches of cool water; let soak, 8 hours to overnight. Drain and rinse. Add celery, onion, bell pepper, and garlic to a blender and process until just shy of a puree. Add vegetable oil to a saucepan or stockpot over medium heat. Cook and stir vegetable mixture for 5 minutes. Add thyme, oregano, black pepper, cumin, and cayenne pepper. Cook, stirring regularly, for 2 minutes more. Add 6 cups water, the beans, liquid smoke, and bay leaves. Stir to combine and turn heat up to high. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and let simmer until beans begin to fall apart, 2 to 3 hours. Bring remaining water and rice to a boil in another saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until rice is tender and water has been absorbed, 20 to 25 minutes. Pour most of the cooking liquid from the beans into a bowl and reserve. Remove bay leaves. Mash about 1/3 of the beans, adding as much of the reserved liquid as necessary to reach preferred thickness. Mix with the unmashed beans and season with salt. Serve beans over rice. Cook's Notes: More or less rice may be needed, depending on your preferences. I like brown rice to make it even healthier. After cooking, you can stir in 1 tablespoon butter to add some vegetarian-friendly (but decidedly not vegan) richness. This will thicken a lot upon cooling. You may want to reserve the extra liquid in the refrigerator if intending to keep leftovers. The number of servings indicated is for eating as a main dish. As a side, it will make approximately twice as many servings. I Made It Print Nutrition Facts (per serving) 436 Calories 7g Fat 76g Carbs 20g Protein Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label Nutrition Facts Servings Per Recipe 6 Calories 436 % Daily Value * Total Fat 7g 8% Saturated Fat 1g 5% Sodium 65mg 3% Total Carbohydrate 76g 28% Dietary Fiber 13g 47% Total Sugars 3g Protein 20g 40% Vitamin C 23mg 26% Calcium 119mg 9% Iron 7mg 41% Potassium 1202mg 26% * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs. ** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data. (-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.