This Healthy Beans and Rice Recipe is a pleasing meal, and it can be served on its own. It is filled with protein and fiber.
It is guaranteed that this delectable combo of fluffy rice, soft beans, and spices is so flavorful.
This healthy recipe for beans and rice is also such a simple and easy meal to make that it will definitely become your favorite in no time.
Each ingredient you use here brings a good amount of flavor, with complementary spices that give this dish a tasty boost.
Black Beans and Rice
Black beans and rice are kind of a simple meal guide that can be personalized with different herbs or seasonings or with extra ingredients.
You can also make this a treat and place a collection of toppings for everyone to choose from.
I suggest you go for some dishes of sliced avocado, a bit of shredded cheddar, chopped tomatoes, or Monterey Jack cheese (or a Mexican blend).
It is also an excellent choice to serve with a bowl of salsa or pico de gallo. You should try some thinly sliced jalapeno peppers if you want a little heat.
Serving rice and beans along with these accompaniments is definitely an interesting way to get kids interested in the meal prep process.
However, I strongly recommend that you allow everyone to top their rice and beans as they prefer.
Quick and Easy Black Beans and Rice Recipe
This Healthy Black Beans and Rice recipe uses quick-cooking ingredients, which include basmati rice and canned beans.
This is for easy and extremely affordable cooking without putting any creamy flavor or texture on the line.
This version is delectable and simple, but you can always add different spices and flavors to it and customize it.
In addition, you can also use the leftover beans and rice as a filling for burritos. That said, let’s get right into the recipe.
- Course: Dinner
- Cuisine: American
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Servings: 4 servings
Equipment
- Potato Masher
- 2 small-medium pots
Ingredients
For the Rice
- 1 cup of basmati rice
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- ½ teaspoon of kosher salt
- 1 ¾ cups of water
- 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh cilantro (add more if you like, and just skip if you don’t like cilantro)
- ½ lime (juice and zest; the rest will be used in the beans)
For the Beans
- 28 oz. of canned black beans (drained and rinsed)
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- 1 cup of water
- 1 small onion (diced)
- 1 teaspoon of cumin
- ½ teaspoon of kosher salt
- ½ lime (juice and zest; you will use the rest of the lime from the rice).
- 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh cilantro (add more if you want; skip if you don’t like cilantro)
Laid-Out Instructions
- The first step to making the rice is to get a small or medium pot and stir together the 1 ¾ cups of water, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 1 cup of basmati rice, and ½ teaspoon of kosher salt in it.
- After that, you are to bring it to a boil. Proceed to stir once, cover, and simmer on low for 10 minutes.
- Or, just until there is no more water around the rice if you tilt the pot. Make sure you keep the cover on for an additional 5–10 minutes after you’ve turned off the heat.
- Now, fluff with a fork and stir in the chopped fresh cilantro, juice, and zest from the ½ lime. And, if necessary, adjust the seasonings.
- Make the beans while the rice is cooking. Just sauté the diced onion in the olive oil over medium-high heat.
- This should be done in a medium pot. Proceed until it becomes soft and starts to brown, which should be around 2–3 minutes.
- That being done, add the cumin and kosher salt and stir to coat. Also, add the drained and rinsed canned black beans and water.
- Proceed to stir, bring it to a boil, and simmer for around 10 minutes. Make sure it is uncovered.
- Now, turn off the heat, get the potato masher, and use it to mash the beans a few times and thicken the mixture.
- However, ensure that most of the beans are still intact. You can use a fork on the side of the pot or a few brief pulses with an immersion blender if you don’t have a potato masher.
- It’s time to stir in the juice and zest from the remaining ½ lime and chopped fresh cilantro. And, if necessary, just taste and season with more salt.
- You can serve the beans on top of the rice as a side or meal. As previously stated, you can top it with fixings like pico de gallow, diced avocado, shredded cheese, hot sauce, and so on. This is based on your preference.
Serving Suggestions
This Black Rice and Beans is certainly satisfying on its own. Below are some topping and side suggestions:
With Shrimp or Chicken
You can top it with sautéed chicken or shrimp, as this will make it more filling.
As a Burrito Filling
This combo is ideal for filling burritos and tacos. All you need to do is add a creamy topping like sour cream or guacamole.
With Avocado
For extra nutritious fats, you can just top each serving with sliced avocado.
Topped with Fried Eggs
For brunch, simply top this with a crispy-edged, soft-yolk fried egg.
How to Store Cooked Rice and Beans
To store, just refrigerate the leftovers in a tightly sealed container, which will last for up to 5 days.
And, if you intend to freeze it, get a freezer-safe zip-top bag and transfer it to it, then lay it flat in the freezer. It will last for up to three months.
Recipe FAQs
Can I Add Chicken to Rice and Beans?
Well, yes. To this black rice and beans, leftover cooked chicken would be a great addition, whether cubed, shredded, or rotisserie chicken.
Is Eating Rice And Beans Healthy?
Rice and beans provide you with vitamins, fiber, and important minerals such as selenium and zinc.
This combo is also an excellent source of protein, so this definitely makes it healthy for consumption.
Final Thoughts on Healthy Rice and Beans Recipe
And, for add-ins, you can try the addition of peas, olives, carrots, squash, or corn for a different flavor.
However, make sure that you sauté the harder vegetables, such as the carrots. This will help soften them.
In addition to cumin, you can also add garlic or other alliums with the onions and/or add more spices.
Well, that being said, this will be the wrap-up of this guide on the Healthy Beans and Rice Recipe. Now enjoy.
Healthy Beans and Rice Recipe
Ingredients
- *****For the Rice*****
- 1 cup of basmati rice
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- ½ teaspoon of kosher salt
- 1 ¾ cups of water
- 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh cilantro add more if you like, and just skip if you don’t like cilantro
- ½ lime juice and zest; the rest will be used in the beans
- *****For the Beans*****
- 28 oz. of canned black beans drained and rinsed
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- 1 cup of water
- 1 small onion diced
- 1 teaspoon of cumin
- ½ teaspoon of kosher salt
- ½ lime juice and zest; you will use the rest of the lime from the rice.
- 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh cilantro add more if you want; skip if you don’t like cilantro
Instructions
- The first step to making the rice is to get a small or medium pot and stir together the 1 ¾ cups of water, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 1 cup of basmati rice, and ½ teaspoon of kosher salt in it.
- After that, you are to bring it to a boil. Proceed to stir once, cover, and simmer on low for 10 minutes.
- Or, just until there is no more water around the rice if you tilt the pot. Make sure you keep the cover on for an additional 5–10 minutes after you’ve turned off the heat.
- Now, fluff with a fork and stir in the chopped fresh cilantro, juice, and zest from the ½ lime. And, if necessary, adjust the seasonings.
- Make the beans while the rice is cooking. Just sauté the diced onion in the olive oil over medium-high heat.
- This should be done in a medium pot. Proceed until it becomes soft and starts to brown, which should be around 2–3 minutes.
- That being done, add the cumin and kosher salt and stir to coat. Also, add the drained and rinsed canned black beans and water.
- Proceed to stir, bring it to a boil, and simmer for around 10 minutes. Make sure it is uncovered.
- Now, turn off the heat, get the potato masher, and use it to mash the beans a few times and thicken the mixture.
- However, ensure that most of the beans are still intact. You can use a fork on the side of the pot or a few brief pulses with an immersion blender if you don’t have a potato masher.
- It’s time to stir in the juice and zest from the remaining ½ lime and chopped fresh cilantro. And, if necessary, just taste and season with more salt.
- You can serve the beans on top of the rice as a side or meal. As previously stated, you can top it with fixings like pico de gallow, diced avocado, shredded cheese, hot sauce, and so on. This is based on your preference.
