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This vegan and vegetarian red beans and rice recipe is a budget-friendly meal with ingredients that are accessible in most supermarkets. It’s full of veggies, legumes, and Cajun spices for a delicious plant-based dinner option.
When I first started experimenting with vegan and vegetarian cooking, I was intimidated by traditional Louisiana dishes. Many classic Cajun recipes rely on meat for flavor—like sausage or ham hocks in traditional red beans and rice. But I’ve discovered that with the right spice blend and technique, you can create a flavorful plant-based version that honors the spirit of the original dish!
This vegetarian red beans and rice takes the original idea and makes it into a simple vegan dinner everyone will love! While traditional red beans and rice often calls for dried red beans that are soaked overnight, I’ve made this recipe accessible for busy weeknights by using canned kidney beans. This dish has become more than just a recipe in our household—it’s a reminder that delicious, nutritious food can be accessible to everyone!
Recipe highlights
This vegan and vegetarian spin on a classic Louisiana dish has become one of our family’s go-to weeknight meals. Here’s why it’s earned a permanent spot in our dinner rotation:
- Ready in under 45 minutes, making it perfect for busy weeknights
- Budget-friendly ingredients that are available year-round at most grocery stores
- Packed with plant-based protein and fiber from red beans
- Customizable heat level, from mild to spicy, depending on your preference
- Makes excellent leftovers that taste even better the next day
- Naturally vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free, making it perfect for accommodating various dietary needs
- Loaded with vegetables and complex carbohydrates for a nutritionally complete meal
Red beans: an affordable plant-based protein
Red beans and rice isn’t just affordable—it’s also incredibly satisfying! The combination of beans and rice creates a complete protein, providing all nine essential amino acids your body needs. This makes it an excellent option for vegetarians and vegans looking to ensure they’re getting adequate protein. The red kidney beans in this recipe are nutritional powerhouses, offering:
- High levels of plant-based protein (about 15g per cup)
- Plenty of dietary fiber to keep you feeling full
- Iron, potassium, and folate
- Antioxidants that support heart health
The secret to flavor without meat
The key to making this vegetarian red beans and rice taste authentic lies in three elements:
- The “Holy Trinity” – The aromatic base of onions, celery, and bell peppers that forms the foundation of many Cajun dishes
- The right spice blend – A homemade Cajun seasoning with paprika, oregano, thyme, and just the right amount of cayenne
- Low and slow cooking – Allowing the beans to simmer until they begin to break down slightly, creating that creamy texture that makes this dish so comforting
I like to let the beans cook until some of them naturally break down to thicken the sauce. For an even creamier texture, you can mash about a quarter of the beans against the side of the pot with the back of a spoon.
Make it your own
One of the things I love most about this recipe is how adaptable it is. Here are some of my favorite variations:
- Heat level: Adjust the cayenne pepper and hot sauce to suit your spice preference
- Rice options: Serve with brown rice for added nutrition, or white rice for a more traditional approach
- Add smoke: Liquid smoke adds wonderful depth that mimics the smokiness traditionally provided by ham or sausage
When Alex and I make this for dinner parties, I like to set out small bowls of extra hot sauce, sliced green onions, and chopped fresh parsley so everyone can garnish their bowls to taste.
Sides to pair
This vegetarian red beans and rice pairs beautifully with:
- A simple green salad with vinaigrette dressing
- Homemade skillet cornbread or corn muffins
- Roasted broccoli or roasted Brussels sprouts
- Southern-style collard greens
- A cold glass of sweet tea or, for the adults, a crisp lager
I particularly love serving this when we need something warming and substantial that’s also economical! It’s become one of Alex’s most-requested dishes, especially when we’re cooking for friends with different dietary needs.
Storing leftovers and make ahead tips
This recipe is perfect for meal prep! Like many bean-based dishes, the flavors continue to improve after a day in the refrigerator. You can try making a batch on Sunday and portion it out for weekday lunches. To prep ahead:
- Chop all vegetables and store in an airtight container
- Pre-cook your rice (it keeps well for 3-4 days refrigerated)
- Make the entire dish and refrigerate—it will stay fresh for 3 to 4 days
When reheating, add a splash of vegetable broth if the mixture has thickened too much in the fridge.
Dietary notes
This recipe is vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, and plant-based.
Vegetarian Red Beans and Rice
This vegetarian red beans and rice recipe is a budget-friendly meal with ingredients that are accessible in most supermarkets. Zesty and nutrient-dense, it’s full of veggies, legumes, and Cajun spices for a delicious plant-based dinner option.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4 to 6 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Cajun
Ingredients
- 4 cups cooked brown rice (use How to Cook Rice or Instant Pot rice)
- 1 yellow onion
- 4 stalks celery
- 1/2 green pepper
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes
- 2 15-ounce cans red kidney beans (3 cups cooked)
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Black pepper
- ¼ cup chopped parsley, to garnish
- Hot sauce, to garnish
Instructions
- Cook the rice according to package instructions.
- Dice the onion and celery. Dice the pepper. Mince the garlic.
- In a large saucepan (or dutch oven), warm the olive oil over medium heat. Sauté the onion, celery, and pepper for 8 to 10 minutes over medium heat until softened. Add the minced garlic and cook for about 2 minutes more; watch the pan to avoid burning the garlic.
- Meanwhile, drain and rinse the red beans. When the vegetables are ready, add the beans, diced tomatoes with their liquid, and vegetable broth. Stir in the cayenne pepper, paprika, oregano, thyme, 2 bay leaves, kosher salt, and a few grinds of pepper.
- Simmer over low heat for 20 minutes, until the sauce thickens. Meanwhile, roughly chop the parsley leaves.
- When simmering is complete, remove the bay leaves and serve the beans over rice. Garnish with chopped parsley and hot sauce. Leftovers store 3 to 4 days refrigerated.
Hands down, the BEST red beans and rice recipe! So good, and I’ve made many different recipes for this meal. I serve it topped with cut up scallions and sour cream. Mmm mmm. Thank you for sharing!
This recipe is awesome!! I used Rotel and it was just the right amount of spicy. I also served it with Cilantro Lime Rice and it was great!
This is my favorite RB&R recipe. And I’ve made many. I definitely put my own spin on it, but I use every single ingredient in the recipe, just in varying quantities. I also mix the cooked rice in before serving. It is delicious!
I’ve been making red beans and rice for years and years. Your recipe is, hands down, my favourite! My family loves it too. We add chopped tomatoes atop the finished meal, along with a dollop of sour cream. I also add a few splashes of Cholula sauce. The changes I make: 6 cloves of garlic, double green pepper, double celery, double the beans, double all spices except cayenne (which I use half, as family is sensitive to spicy), double canned tomatoes, and I use red onions. I know it seems like I just double the recipe, but I make the 4 cups of rice, and, after the simmering, I add the rice to the mixture. It’s sooooo good! Thank you for sharing this recipe, and many others I definitely will make…
Thank you!
Can you make the beans in advance and freeze in individual portions? I’m a 1 person household.
Yes!
This was a great recipe, I felt the beans were a little loose after simmering so I smashed some up with a potato masher, worked like a charm. Thanks!
So I know this recipe is old now but I just found it and it’s delicious!
I made it exactly as written and served it with some Impossible sausage. Thank you for posting it!
Started “Meatless Mondays” a few months ago and have been looking for interesting vegetarian options. Happened upon your website and am delighted to tell you that the house if filled with the amazing aroma of this red beans (and rice) recipe. Been simmering for about 30 minutes now and I can already tell this is going to be great. Thank you so much!
You’re welcome! :)
This was so good. Going to try int in a crock pot.
Love this recipe, it’s so delicious! We make it at least once a week in our household :) We put Cholula chipotle hot sauce on it, and it is AMAZING! Thank you for such a great recipe!
Yum to the cholula chipotle sauce! Glad you enjoyed it :)
Delicious! My family and I love it.
Ahhh so glad to hear it! Thanks for making it!!
My family and I have refently turned to a vegetarian diet and this was JUST what I was looking for. Made this for dinner and even the children liked it! I will absolutely will be making this again and again! Thank you so much!
are so glad to hear this! Thank you so much for making it!
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this recipe. We make it at least three times per month in this house. Thank you!
Oh wonderful! We’re so glad you enjoy this — thank you for letting us know!!!
I can vouch that this recipe is simple and very, very good. My boyfriend actually said, definitively, “this is the best dish you have ever made.” Which at first I’ll admit I was a touch annoyed– I’ve made dishes that were way more complicated! But it’s true, this meal is that good. Congrats, you guys nailed this recipe.
Thank you for the recipe, which I will be trying tonight. And thank you for the information about hunger in the US and beyond. I plan on checking out the movie you mentioned too.
Hi Sonja and Alex,
Thank you for raising awareness of this issue and for the recipe! I’m not sure if it’s cajun per se to me (but I’m not from down south, so I’m not an expert at that), but I like this easy to make recipe. Do you have more recipes using the $3-$4 budget you mentioned?
Made it tonight and it was delicious! I will be adding it to my recipe box. Very flavorful even without meat.
Would I be able to use beef broth instead of vegetable? I already have that in my cupboard and I’m looking for a reason to use it!
Yes. This would work.
I’m a recent vegetarian (~6 weeks now)… I used to think of myself as a pretty decent cook but a lot of my know-how is based on the Midwestern meat-and-potatoes diet. I’ve been looking for some satisfying vegetarian staples and decided to give this a try… it definitely makes the cut! Yum – thank you!
So glad to hear it! We’d love to hear what other go-to recipes you discover :)
Thanks so much for this recipe! I love red beans and rice, however it is difficult to find meatless versions of the recipe. My family loved this. I omitted the celery because my husband dislikes it, but other than that I followed the recipe. What a wonderful, easy to prepare and very filling meal. I will definitely be making this again soon.
I loved this recipe! I made it while on the Daniel Fast and it was delicious, easy to make also! I’m making it again tonight for the family. I know that they will love it as much as I did.
I have been looking for a red bean and rice recipe. I came across this recipe and made it last night. The only thing I did different was I added some organic soyrizon meatless soy Chorizo. Thank you for this easy and tasty recipe.
This was very yummy! Even better the next day! Left out most of hot stuff because we are wimps.
Irene what did you leave out? I’m worried about it being spicy with 2 little kids.
I am from New Orleans and this is a good recipe. My mom and grandmother started teaching me to cook more than 20 years ago. I do have to say, if you can get lucky enough to find cans of Blue Runner red beans, especially Creole Creme Style, then tant mieux! If not and you like your beans a little creamy, just puree a portion of the cooked beans. Tony Chacherie’s seasoning is good; Slap Ya Mama is good also and has less salt. White pepper and bay leaves are also a common addition to Cajun and Creole foods. This recipe is healthy and seems delicious!
Thanks, and thanks for the tips! We’ll have to try to get ahold of these seasonings!
Hi this recipe looks great- reminds me of the beans and rice I had in Africa which seems to be a staple there. Can you tell me please what is hot sauce? I am in the UK and not sure exactly what it is. Is it just chilli sauce? I think it’s great what you are doing and whole heatedly agree with the lady who said that we are losing the skills to cook real food.
Hi! Yes, it appears that you would refer to it as chili sauce or pepper sauce :) I think we used Tabasco for this recipe.
For this recipe, is it dried oregano and thyme or fresh?
Looking forward to make this later this week!
This recipe is for dried. Thanks for clarifying!
Thank you so much for this recipe! This is the best vegetarian red beans and rice I have ever had. Though, I made a few changes. I doubled the amount of cayenne pepper, used 6 cloves of garlic instead of 4, and added 2 diced serrano peppers with seeds. This made it have more of kick, but I still added hot sauce while eating it, as I adore spicy foods. I’ve bookmarked this, and will definitely make it again in the future!
So glad you enjoyed it! Sounds like this version is super spicy — we may have to try this variation!
I love this recipe and as a family on a budget it is perfect! I could eat this a couple times a week. I made it tonight and doubled everything since we had company (I always add more peppers and celery) and it was good, even the one who never clears a plate, at cleared 2 tonight! Thanks.
Kiyomi, thank you for writing! It is so nice to hear that you found this recipe enjoyable, and it worked on a budget! It’s encouraging since we develop in our own kitchen, but never know how it might translate to others. Thank you for letting us know!
Thanks for this. I just saw it today so I clearly missed the April 8 event but this post led me to Nicole at The Giving Table. I emailed her and asked if there are any other events coming up and she responded right away with some suggestions.
The food crisis in our country is a cause that tugs at my heart and ultimately what led me to blogging. Collectively, we’re forgetting how to cook real food. The more we rely on someone else to do our cooking (whether it’s restaurants or factories), the more they can charge us for it. My goal is to help people in the kitchen so I love blogs like yours who teach people how to cook with whole ingredients, too. Thank you for making me (and many others) aware of this organization. I’m excited to get involved!
Stephanie — Yes! Thank you so much for your passion for this issue! I took a look at your site and it is very in depth with a great amount of information. Your heart for helping people in the kitchen is evident! I’m excited to hear about how you continue to become involved — I’d love to stay in touch! Thanks for this note.
I have been looking for a vegetarian red beans and rice recipe for a long time and I was so excited when I saw this recipe. My husband and I loved this meal, and it will surely become a staple in our rotation. Thank you so much!
Awesome! So glad you enjoyed it :-)
I ate a whole lot of Red Beans and Rice when I was in college and I still have a fondness for it! It’s one of those rare comfort foods that’s also good for you. And the budget-friendly aspect of it is a great bonus too!
Beans and rice is pretty standard, but we’d actually never made red beans and rice Cajun style! We were pleasantly surprised at how tasty they were :)
We were going to post a beans and rice recipe as well, then we opted for a breakfast dish. But you’re right, never everyone drinks and eats like Pinterest shows us, it’s important to know that others don’t have those opportunities!
Yes, as much as we’d love to live in a Pinboard, it’s good to know it’s not reality — for most of us :)
I think it is awesome that you are raising awareness for this! Whenever I throw something away, I feel guilty as I know so many families are suffering from hunger out there. I totally support this cause and love your simple and wholesome recipe!
Thank you so much for your support, Sarah!
This is the prettiest beans and rice I’ve ever seen, and I’m sure the tastiest! What a great cause, too. I wish I would have known about it earlier!
Oh, thank you Ashley!
Thank you so much for participating in this event and for sharing this AMAZING recipe! I am definitely going to be making this soon.:)
I’ve tried many times to make a good vegetarian RB&R but I can’t get it to taste right without a ham bone and homemade chicken stock. I’ll have to give veggie stock a try. I’ve tried a “curried” variation that replaced meat with potatoes and used curry and coconut milk instead of stock that came out pretty good.
Adding the tomatoes is interesting. Louis Armstrong’s RB&R recipe adds tomato paste. I’ve tried it a few times but I found it was too heartburn inducing.
I can’t believe you only stew it for 20 minutes! I leave mine on at minimum 2 hours.
Yeah! We definitely aren’t going traditional here — and using the canned beans it can be cooked rather quickly. You’ll have to let us know if you try it and what you think!
This is such a fabulous project, and this recipe looks so lovely!
This is so my kind of meal!!! I have been all over mexican food lately and rice is a staple in our house! Seriously, we have it multiple times a week! Cant wait to make this!