Vegan Red Beans and Rice

It's been a while since I've posted a recipe, so here's a little something for those of you looking forward to mardi gras, or anyone hankering for something hearty, spicy and vegan.



Vegan Red Beans and Rice (with Veggie Sausage)

Ingredients

For the Rice
1/2 cup diced onion
1 Tb olive oil
1/2 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp oregano
2 cups of vegetable broth
1 cup brown basmati rice¹
a dash of salt and pepper

For the Beans
1 Tb olive oil
1/2 cup diced onion
3-5 cloves garlic minced
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 bell pepper², chopped
2 15oz cans of kindney beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups of chopped veggie sausage³
1 - 2 cups of vegetable broth
1 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
2 bay leaves
1 tsp or more cayenne sauce or other hot sauce
salt and pepper to taste

Let's get cooking!

Start with the rice. In a small pot over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the chopped onions and sauté until transparent. Add the spices, broth and rice. Bring to a boil, slap a lid on it and lower the heat to a soft simmer. Let simmer for 50 minutes or so until done. Easy Peasy!

While the rice is doing its thing, prepare the beans. In a large soup pot sauté the onions in the olive oil over medium heat until they are tender. Add the garlic and sauté another minute. Add the celery and bell peppers, and sauté for another 3 minutes or so. Add the kidney beans and sausage and stir well to combine. Add just enough vegetable broth to give the whole mess a stew-like consistency. (You don't have to drown everything, but you want enough broth so you can get a nice sauce going. I think I used about 1.5 cups.) Finally, add the spices and hot sauce and lower the heat so the beans can simmer. Stir occasionally, crumbling the sausage and mashing the beans as they soften; this will help thicken up the sauce. The beans will be done when the vegetables are all softened and the sauce is nice and thick - about 20-30 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.



When everything is cooked, filled your bowl with a big scoop of rice, a big scoop of beans, and maybe lace the top with some more hot sauce. This stuff is stick to your ribs good. It's even better after a day or two in the fridge.




FOOTNOTES

1. I used brown basmati, but you can use whatever kind of rice you have on hand. Just remember to adjust the cooking time and the ratio of broth to rice accordingly.

2.
Sad to say, but I'm with His Airness on this one. Green bell peppers are super delicious raw, but once you cook them they become bitter, mushy messes. Since I am a petulant moneybags these days I have switched over to yellow, orange or red bell peppers for anything that goes on or in the stove.

3. You can use store bought veggie sausages, or make your own. I used leftover homemade veggie sausages from this recipe:
Chorizo-style Vegan Sausages from Vegan Brunch by Isa Chandra Moskowitz. Here's what they looked like before I chopped them up: