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    Home » Food » Quick One Pot Vegan Red Beans and Rice Recipe (with Canned Beans)

    Published: Feb 4, 2021 · Updated: Apr 7, 2021 · Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. I may also earn from other companies mentioned.

    Quick One Pot Vegan Red Beans and Rice Recipe (with Canned Beans)

    vegan red beans and rice

    This vegan red beans and rice recipe is Cajun comfort food at its finest! Between soft carbs and tasty Southern spice, this dish is an incredibly satisfying vegan copycat of a traditionally non-vegan dish. With my recommendations, you can make it much quicker than other recipes, and in one pot!

    vegan red beans and rice

    Vegan Substitutes for Red Beans and Rice

    Liquid smoke, vegetable broth and vegan sausage make the perfect substitutes for animal-based sausage and broth. And frozen or microwave-ready rice will save you tons of time.

    It’s one of my (non-vegan) husband’s favorite dishes I make for him! He studied in New Orleans and loves the Cajun style of the dish, especially on cold nights. We love to pair it with the best fiction books about New Orleans.

    Best Ingredient Recommendations

    Before we get to the recipe, I want to note the Louisiana based ingredients we recommend based on my husband’s time living there:

    • We highly recommend Amazon’s Choice Crystal, Louisiana’s Pure Hot Sauce, which is mild and thus, a crowd-pleaser. (Check the price on Amazon.)
    • We highly recommend Amazon’s Choice Tony Chachere’s Original Cajun Seasoning, which also originates in Louisiana, and is a great mix of spiciness and saltiness. (Check the price on Amazon.)
    • We usually use Tofurky Original Sausage in the Kielbasa flavor, which is similar to the Andouille sausage traditionally used. (Check the price on Amazon.)

    For the most authentic style dish, use these specific ingredients. You can buy easily buy them on Amazon via the above links!

    And, before we get to the recipe, below are answers to frequently asked questions about red beans and rice.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Are Popeye’s red beans and rice vegan?

    No, Popeye’s red beans and rice dish is not vegan. It is reported to contain fish and/or pork fat.
    (Source)

    Is Zatarain’s red beans and rice vegan?

    No. Per Zatarain’s, their red beans and rice are vegetarian, but not vegan.
    (Source)

    Is Uncle Ben’s red beans and rice vegan?

    No. Per Uncle Ben’s, their red beans and rice are vegetarian.
    (Source)

    Vegan Red Beans and Rice in New Orleans

    You can get vegan red beans and rice at the following New Orleans establishments:
    Meals From the Heart Cafe
    Sweet Soulfood

    The Recipe

    Quick One Pot Vegan Red Beans and Rice Recipe (with Canned Beans)

    Quick One Pot Vegan Red Beans and Rice Recipe (with Canned Beans)

    This recipe is the finest Cajun comfort food! It’s a satisfying copy of a non-vegan dish to make quickly in one pot.

    Pin
    Print
    Recipe by Jules Buono – Where Books Meet Lifestyle
    5 from 2 votes
    Course: DinnerCuisine: CajunDifficulty: Moderate
    Servings

    4-6

    servings
    Prep time

    5

    minutes
    Cooking time

    40

    minutes
    Total time

    45

    minutes

    Ingredients

    • 6-8 cups cooked basmati or other long grain white rice (I use frozen or packaged / microwaveable rice to cut down on time.)

    • 1 tablespoon olive oil

    • 1 package vegan sausage, grilled or pan fried

    • 1 small yellow onion, diced

    • 1 green pepper, sliced into 1-2 inch strips

    • 2 celery ribs, thinly sliced

    • 2 tablespoons tomato paste

    • 3 garlic cloves, minced

    • 1 ½ teaspoons cajun seasoning

    • 3 cans red beans, drained and rinsed

    • 3 cups vegetable stock

    • 1 tablespoon mild hot sauce, or 1 teaspoon of a spicier hot sauce

    • 1 bay leaf

    • 5 drops liquid smoke

    • salt and pepper, to taste

    • Toppings
    • green onions, thinly sliced

    • hot sauce, drizzled

    • Optional
    • sliced and toasted French bread, served on the side

    Directions

    • Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large stockpot or Dutch oven and add onion, green pepper and celery. Stir until tender, for about 3-4 minutes.
    • Stir in tomato paste, garlic and Cajun seasoning for about 1 minute.
    • Stir in red beans, vegetable stock, hot sauce, liquid smoke and bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Bring to a boil, then cover, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Uncover, then continue to simmer until reduced into a thick gravy, for an additional 15 minutes.
    • While the red beans are simmering, cook rice according to package instructions and set aside.
    • While the red beans are simmering, grill or pan fry the vegan sausage. Slice thinly and set aside.
    • Using a wooden spoon, mash some beans repeatedly until sauce is thickened, and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
    • Stir in vegan sausage.
    • Serve in bowls, with scoops of rice, and garnished with green onions, hot sauce and/or French bread.

    Notes

    • We recommend Crystal, Louisiana’s Pure Hot Sauce, which is mild and thus, a real crowd-pleaser.
    • We recommend Tony Chachere’s Original Cajun Seasoning, which also originates in Louisiana and is a nice mix of spiciness and saltiness.
    • We usually use Tofurky Original Sausage in the Kielbasa flavor, which is similar to the Andouille sausage traditionally used.
    • The end result should be thick in consistency like gravy and, while it should be somewhat reduced, it should not be totally reduced. The extra broth will be soaked up by the rice and/or bread upon serving, like a curry.

    Do you like this recipe?

    Follow @julesbuono on Pinterest for more like it.

    Shop The Recipe


    This recipe is one of our absolute favorites for a comforting dinner. I hope you enjoy the added smoky and Cajun flavors as much as I do!

    Best Southern Cuisine Vegan Cookbooks

    Also, since this is a blog “where books meet lifestyle,” I am pairing this recipe with the following related cookbooks for more like this recipe:

    • Vegan Comfort Classics (I love this specific one!)
    • Mississippi Vegan
    • Vegan Soul Food

    Related Vegan Recipe Posts

    If you enjoy vegan food, check out more of my simple vegan (and mostly gluten-free) recipes:

    • “Shrimp” and grits (another one of our Cajun favorites)
    • Spicy penne alla vodka sauce
    • Broccoli “cheese” soup
    • Philly cheesesteaks
    • Spring pasta with lemon, asparagus, peas & mushrooms
    • 15 minute chocolate chip cookies
    • Banana oat bars with blueberries and walnuts
    • Easy red sangria
    • Warm mulled wine
    • Creamy tortellini soup
    • 12+ quick vegan meals for dinner or lunch
    • Roasted cauliflower & leek soup
    • Vegetable casserole with baked veggies
    • Pasta primavera with red sauce

    Pin this recipe to Pinterest because you can refer back to it when you are in the mood for a comforting dinner.

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    Filed Under: Food Tagged With: Cajun, dinner, vegan

    About Jules Buono

    I'm Julianne a/k/a Jules Buono, a Philly lawyer by day and book blogger by night. My blog is "where books meet lifestyle" -- a book blog with pairings for a classic and timeless lifestyle. It's like Reading Rainbow for women! I've been on The Today Show's Read with Jenna book club on TV, as well as Oprah's Book Club and Reese's Book Club on Instagram, and I am a contributor at The Co-Op Reads. Email me directly at: [email protected]

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    Where books meet lifestyle

    Jules Buono

    I'm Julianne a/k/a Jules Buono, a Philly lawyer by day and book blogger by night. My blog is "where books meet lifestyle" -- a book blog with pairings for a classic and timeless lifestyle. It's like Reading Rainbow for women!

    I've been on The Today Show's Read with Jenna book club on TV, as well as Oprah's Book Club and Reese's Book Club on Instagram, and I am a contributor at The Co-Op Reads.

    Email me directly at: [email protected]

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    Happy world book day my friends!! ❤️ Happy world book day my friends!! ❤️
    **BOOKISH TV RECOMMENDATION** Kudos to my husband **BOOKISH TV RECOMMENDATION**

Kudos to my husband for finding out about and recording the Hemingway documentary on PBS!

This is the Hemingway House we visited in Key West in 2016, which is inhabited by six-toed cats. It's an absolute blast to visit Key West and the Hemingway House is an absolute must visit there. (I have a full Key West guide on my blog if you need it.)

Anyway, the documentary is 3 parts, took 6 years to make and is narrated by a full cast of top celebs, including Jeff Daniels, Meryl Streep and soo many more (30+ people). We are THOROUGHLY enjoying it, and I definitely recommend you check it out.

In high school, I read Old Man and the Sea and The Sun Also Rises. I felt kind of mediocre about both but wonder how I would feel about them now. And would love to try A Farewell to Arms at some point. Do you have a Hemingway fave?
    To celebrate my collaboration with @Peepers on my To celebrate my collaboration with @Peepers on my most recent blog post (link in bio), I'm giving away a pair of their blue light glasses (an Oprah’s favorite thing 4x as well as a Jules favorite thing.😉)! The winner will receive one pair - the frames that are shown in the box in this picture, which is Peepers universally flattering frame for both men and women. And there is NO correction in the lenses so anyone can wear them, you can wear them over contacts, etc. 

How to enter:

1. Make sure you are following me @bookish_jules
2. Tag a friend or friends in the comments who may also be interested in this giveaway.

Bonus Entries:
Optional: share this post in your story and let me know you did in a comment below.

Official Rules:
1. U.S. residents only.
2. Must be over age 18.
3. This giveaway is not affiliated with Instagram.
4. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited by law.
4. The giveaway starts at the time of this post and ends at 12p.m. EST on 4/23/21.
5. The winner will be chosen randomly and notified by direct message and has until noon EST on 4/26/21 to claim the prize by providing their address.
    Which one is your fave? I’m leaning towards bot Which one is your fave?  I’m leaning towards bottom left right now. 🤔 🤓Today on the blog, I collaborated with @peepers to provide a full review of their blue light glasses for e-reading and other screen time.  Blue light glasses just happen to be the #1 bestselling lifestyle product on my blog.  I started using them a year ago after experiencing pretty severe eye strain and dry eyes and I have worn them all day, every day since then.

The blog post dives deep on how to pick the best frame for you using the Perfect Pair Finder and Virtual Try On.  It also links up all of my favorite frames and Oprah's favorite frames (these glasses made her Favorite Things list 3 years in a row). And it provides all the other need-to-know details about blue light glasses generally and Peepers specifically. 

For the full blog post, visit TheLiteraryLifestyle.com at the link in my bio.

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