Cajun-inspired Beans and Rice (vegan)

A hearty, tasty, and surprisingly healthy dish that’s an easy meal prep. Liam (@the_plant_slant) would be proud!

Ingredients

• 1 medium brown onion, finely sliced
• 1 green capsicum (bell pepper), diced
• 3 large stalks of celery, trimmed and finely sliced
• 1.5 AU tablespoons (30mL) Cajun spice blend (I use Masterfoods)
• 1 tablespoon (20mL) tomato paste
• 400g can of red kidney beans
• 400g can of black beans
• 1 AU cup (250mL) uncooked white rice (Jasmine or Long Grain work well but try what you like)
  • If you’re in a place (like Australia) where rice comes “clean” (ie, without dirt, grit, etc), don’t wash it – the starch will help to bring the dish together like in a risotto
• 750mL water
• Soy sauce
• Balsamic vinegar
• Olive oil or neutral oil
• Salt & pepper
• Optional: chilli infused olive oil

Method

1. Heat a splash of oil over medium heat in a large pan or Dutch oven (ideally your widest pan you can cover), with an optional splash of chilli infused oil
2. Add the veggies, season with salt and pepper, and saute, turning, until all have softened (approx 5 min)
3. Turn the heat up to high and toss the veggies to give them a little bit of colour (approx 1 min)
4. Turn the heat back down, and stir in the Cajun spice mix
5. Add the tomato paste, stir through, and cook until fragrant (approx 1-2 min)
6. Lightly drain the beans (leave a little bit of juice in them), and add to your veggies. Stir through and allow them to warm up.
7. Add the rice, the first 500mL of water, and stir through
8. Once simmering, cover, and move to a low heat
9. Cook until the rice is tender (about 20 minutes)
   • Stir evey few minutes or so, being sure to bring up anything stuck to the bottom
   • Add the remaining water about half way through, and if it begins to look too dry, add a little more
10. Add a splash of soy sauce, and splash of balsamic vinegar. Stir through, taste, and adjust the seasoning to your liking – it may need more salt or chilli depending on what you like.

Serve

This dish is great on its own, with bread or toast, or with protein of your choice. For a vegan option try fried tofu. For non-vegans it goes great with chicken, steak, or eggs.