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You will fall in love with this New Orleans Style Vegan Red Beans and Rice recipe! These red kidney beans are slow-cooked and flavored to perfection just like the authentic version from New Orleans. There are few things as comforting to me as a hot bowl of smokey beans and rice. Sweet potato pie, mashed potatoes and gravy, popcorn…oh…and chocolate. I’m sure there are others, but beans really have a way of sticking to your ribs and making you feel all loved on the inside.
How To Make Vegan Red Beans & Rice
This pot of beans may take overnight to soak, and about an hour to cook, but they are really easy to make. Heck, if you have a slow cooker you can throw them in there! I also included instructions for making them in the Instant Pot. Making beans from scratch is well worth the effort. They are more tender and tastier than their canned cousins.
How to better digest beans
If you have any issues digesting beans toss some kombu (a mineral rich seaweed) in the pot as they cook, and it’ll reduce the raffinose sugars (which are responsible for giving you gas and digestive problems). Adding kombu to reduce the toots will also help you to absorb more of the nutrients in the beans. Beans are obviously a great source of fiber and protein, but they also supply our bodies with important minerals––like magnesium, iron, zinc, and folic acid––b vitamins, and even antioxidants.
In New Orleans there is a tradition of making your red beans on Monday. You soak them
Sunday night, cook them Monday, and by dinner you’ve got a hearty meal that will last the week.
So, Happy Monday, now go make them beans!
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New Orleans Style Vegan Red Beans & Rice
Ingredients
- 1 pound red beans // kidney beans rinsed, picked through, and soaked at least 10 hours
- 2 cups celery diced
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 3 garlic cloves diced
- 10 cups water
- 1 4- inch strip of kombu
- 4 bay leaves
- 2 tsp dried thyme
- 1-2 vegetable bouillon cubes
- 3 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp liquid smoke more to taste if you like
- 1 tsp cajun seasoning more if yours doesn't have salt already
- 2 cups rice Any kind. My favorite is medium-grain brown rice
- 4 Field Roast smoke apple sage or Italian sausages sliced
- 1 cup parsley chopped
Instructions
- Heat a couple tablespoons of oil in a [url href="http://amzn.to/1OY8RZA" target="_blank"]heavy bottomed pot[/url]. If you're oil-free, warm some water to sauté.
- Add the celery, onion, and garlic and sauté for a couple of minutes. Add a pinch of salt in there too.
- Add the beans, followed by 10 cups of water.
- Bring to a boil, then add the kombu, bay leaves, and thyme.
- Reduce to medium low heat to simmer and cook for about 45 minutes. Check halfway through to skim off any foam that may form on the top.
- While the beans are cooking, make your rice following the package instructions (brown and white have different instructions).
- This is also a good time to fry your vegan Field Roast sausage in a couple tbsp of oil.
- When the beans have finished cooking (taste a bean to make sure), remove them from the heat and stir in the bouillon, smoked paprika, liquid smoke, and Cajun seasoning.
- Add another bouillon cube if you want it saltier (I usually do 2 cubes).
- Stir in the vegan sausage.
- Serve over rice, and garnish with parsley.
Instant Pot Instructions
- Sauté the aromatics as instructed above, only in the Instant Pot. Add the beans, kombu, bay leaves, and thyme to the sautéed veggies. Add enough water or vegetable broth to cover the beans by a centimeter. If you are using water, add the veggie bouillon cube or paste now. Cancel the sauté setting and secure the lid on the Instant Pot. Set it to pressure cook on high for 15 minutes. Once it has finished cooking, allow the pot to naturally release pressure for another 15 minutes before quick pressure release (follow the instructions for your Instant Pot or electric pressure cooker). Add the smoked paprika, liquid smoke, and Cajun seasoning. Season to taste with more salt or bouillon. Stir in the vegan sausage. Serve over rice.
Shola / September 6, 2023 at 12:23 pm /
Can you prepare this in a slow cooker?
Chloe / March 20, 2023 at 2:00 pm /
It was delicious! Easy to prepare, even for a beginner like me.
soundos / January 25, 2023 at 4:36 am /
The site is very rich in important and valuable information.
Michele Michael / May 8, 2019 at 3:51 pm /
I have read that with kidney beans there is a special toxin in there which requires 30 minutes of BOILING (whereas most beans need only 10 min of boiling). I’m making this now! Had no celery so added some celery seed. So excited to be making it right now! My “Gimme Lean” vegan sausage was frozen but once its thawed out, tonight or tomorrow, will be sauteeing and adding that too. What fun! Oh, and I’m using an un-chicken broth I made that is made up of spices and nutritional yeast. I made it before I went mostly salt-free, so will wait and add that after the beans have been simmering a while. Going to do that 3-4 hour simmering thing in my (newly gifted) cast iron enameled pan.
Aisha / August 22, 2016 at 7:55 am /
love your videos!
Thank you for the recipe 🙂
Jenné @ Sweet Potato Soul / August 31, 2016 at 12:30 am /
Thank you, Aisha!
Jenné @ Sweet Potato Soul / August 1, 2016 at 2:42 am /
Hey Jackie! That’s so cool 🙂 Thanks for the notes too!! xo
Jenné @ Sweet Potato Soul / May 30, 2016 at 2:54 am /
How did they turn out? Water amount is right. 😉
Tiffany Baker / March 8, 2016 at 2:30 am /
This was fantastic Jenne’. Instead of the Field Roast sausages, which I do enjoy; I added browned chopped tempe. Super yummy, filling, and ohhhh sooo comforting. Keep it up! 🙂
Jenné @ Sweet Potato Soul / March 8, 2016 at 4:26 am /
Wowie, that sounds delicious 🙂
Jazzie Moore / January 24, 2016 at 2:30 am /
Thanks for the tip on the Camellia beans! I love this recipe! My hubz now requests this !
Jenné @ Sweet Potato Soul / January 25, 2016 at 6:35 pm /
Amazing! I’m happy to hear that 🙂 Thanks Jazzie!
Tondaleya / August 29, 2015 at 12:46 am /
Thank you!! Kombu is a sea vegetable. Here’s a link to it via Amazon: http://amzn.to/1X3gbKp
If you don’t want to buy kombu, then it’s okay to skip. The purpose of it in this dish is both to add a little flavor from the sea, and to make the beans easier to digest. Still, it isn’t necessary 🙂
Deborah Likens Christy / June 4, 2015 at 3:43 pm /
Not believing that before I found your site this morning I was soaking red beans to make a “dirty rice” for our dinner! I don’t have access to the vegan sausage so I am sort of thinking about doing the same as Chioma and using the coconut milk (which I have) and the dino kale (which is growing in my garden!). We shall see! So excited to connect with your blog!
Jenné @ Sweet Potato Soul / June 5, 2015 at 8:08 pm /
Hi Deborah! I’m so happy you found my blog 🙂
I think it would be great like Chioma recommended. Now I want to make that for myself! Let me know how it goes.
Kowaii Onna / May 16, 2015 at 12:57 pm /
I am heading out the door to Mom’s Organic market to get the ingredients and making this today!
Jenné @ Sweet Potato Soul / May 20, 2015 at 12:59 am /
Fantastic!! Enjoy 🙂
Helena / May 13, 2015 at 12:34 pm /
Just made this with some toast in stead of rice, delicious! When I saw the thyme in the ingredients list I was a bit surprised, but it was so good!! Was planning on saving some for later this week, but think I am going to help myself with a second serving!
Jenné @ Sweet Potato Soul / May 14, 2015 at 10:11 pm /
Oh lovely!! Thank you so much for letting me know. I’m craving this goodness right now 🙂
Helyn @ Helyn's Healthy KItche / May 7, 2015 at 12:04 pm /
Looks great! Thanks for sharing!!!
Jenné @ Sweet Potato Soul / May 11, 2015 at 8:51 pm /
Thank you so much!!
K. Elizabeth @ YUMMommy / April 28, 2015 at 3:08 pm /
I love red beans and rice. My brother in-law got me hooked on them during one of my stays in New Orleans and now I make them for my family. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Jenné @ Sweet Potato Soul / April 28, 2015 at 6:58 pm /
Aren’t they the best?! My dad makes them really well too. He’s the one who got me hooked on Camellia beans 🙂 xo
Zadry Ferrer-Geddes / April 28, 2015 at 2:46 pm /
I love red kidney beans. Growing up in my Panamanian household no meal was complete without red kidney beans or lentils. I can’t wait to try this recipe and the photos are on point– which means that little bowl on the side inspired you well! 🙂
Zadry
http://www.curvesalamode.com
#BLMGirl
Jenné @ Sweet Potato Soul / April 28, 2015 at 7:00 pm /
Hey Zadry! I’m loving hearing about all these other varieties of red beans & rice. I had no idea it was a popular dish south of Louisiana!!
Thanks, I’m glad you like my pics. I’ve been working really hard to get them better. A snack always helps 🙂
xoxo my fellow #BLMGirl <3
Chioma / April 28, 2015 at 1:07 am /
I like to make kidney beans/red beans with a coconut milk broth (vs boullion) and add a rich, dark green leafy veggie to it (like collard or dino kale). Augment the flavor with a strong chile (which is dampened with the coconut milk). Option to add a faux meat if desired (I’m partial to BBQ soy curls :)) or just enjoy the beans and rice as is….I have honestly had times where I’m out of rice and opt to eat the beans solo or over a piece of toast. #thatsinglelife
Jenné @ Sweet Potato Soul / April 28, 2015 at 2:01 am /
Sounds delicious! I’ve been planning on soaking my last bag of red beans to cook for coconut curry. I’m going to have to add those dark leafy greens and chile. Sounds gooooooood!