Red Beans and Rice
Have you heard that beans and rice together make a complete protein? I’ve read that it is and I’ve also read that it’s a myth. I’m fascinated by how foods work together and how even a single food has many nutrients that work together in a way that we can’t quite replicate with a pill. Also the idea that foods have nutrients that we’ve yet to even discover!
Anyway, beans and rice! I love them. Even if the complete protein thing is a myth, beans have fiber, folate, iron, magnesium, copper, etc. and protein!
I used to buy the boxes of Zatarains and if I was feeling fancy, I’d add some kielbasa sausage. But then I started caring about the sodium and other ingredients and began trying to find a good recipe that I could make myself. There were some decent attempts and some flops, but I finally got it last year. This recipe is inspired by Budget Bytes but, as usual, I made some changes.
Red Beans and Rice
Equipment
- Big pot or Dutch oven
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp Vegetable oil
- 1 onion chopped
- 2/3 cup celery finely chopped, optional
- 4 cubes frozen garlic 0r 4 cloves minced
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp thyme
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 3 cans red kidney beans
- 1 package Morningstar Farms Chorizo Crumbles
Instructions
- Add oil to pot and cook onions and celery on medium heat for 10 minutes or so, stirring occasionally.
- Add garlic, bay leaves, thyme, and oregano.
- Stir to combine and add broth and drained kidney beans.
- Let simmer 30-45 minutes or until celery is cooked through. This would be a good time to start cooking your rice according to package instructions.
- Cook Chorizo crumbles according to package instruction and add to bean mixture in pot.
Here they are together:
I made brown rice because I’m trying to get every possible gram of fiber into my kids.
I realize the pic of the beans in the pot isn’t the greatest, but I was trying to get a better shot and the steam kept clouding up my phone. So I was blowing away the steam and trying to get the best photo I could.
