How to Cook Great Rice and Beans
Have you ever noticed that some dishes can be found in almost every area of the world? They might go by different names or be spiced differently, but they are almost identical if you look beyond that. That’s true for rice and beans.
An example of this is flatbread. Mexico has tortillas, and India has chapati. Go to Africa and find injera; visit Russia for blini, Malaysia for roti, and Greece for pita.
Most cultures also have some dumplings, “whether they be called ravioli or pot stickers or Jamaican patties,” and some stew. Curry, coq au vin, beef Bourgignon, Hungarian goulash, bouillabaisse and gumbo, just to name a few.
The one I want to focus on is simple rice and beans. Rice and legumes are inexpensive to produce, are nutritious (the combination of beans and rice yields a complete protein), and can be stored for long periods.
As a result, many cultures make their own versions of rice and bean dishes.
Also, since meat has historically been featured as a main dish only on special occasions, it only provides a background flavoring note, if it is present at all. This allowed the cook to stretch meat much farther and offer a less expensive meal full of protein.
Rice and Beans Recipe
Ingredients
- 1½ tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1½ lbs smoked sausage cut in 1/3 inch slices
- 1 lb dry red kidney beans
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 large onion chopped
- 2 ribs celery chopped
- 3 bay leaves
- 2 green bell peppers seeded and chopped
- Salt and black pepper - to taste
- Cajun seasoning such as Louisiana or Tone's, to taste
- Hot sauce such as Tabasco, to taste
- 1 beer optional
- 7 - 8 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable stock
- Hot cooked white rice
Instructions
- Soak kidney beans in cold water overnight. Water should be at least 2 inches over the beans.
- Heat a large Dutch oven until hot. Pour in the oil and heat until it shimmers. Brown the smoked sausage and set aside.
- Add a little more oil to the bottom of the pan, if necessary, and over medium heat sweat onion, celery and green pepper until onions are translucent.
- Add the bay leaf and a heavy pinch of salt, pepper and Cajun seasoning. Cook until onions start to color.
- Add the optional beer or about one cup of chicken or vegetable stock. Stir and cook to scrape off any bits stuck to the bottom of the Dutch oven.
- Add enough stock to cover the beans by about 1 ½ inches.
- Add several shakes of hot sauce and bring to a simmer. Simmer gently, uncovered, for about an hour. Add more liquid and turn down the heat if the liquid is reducing too quickly.
- Taste, and adjust seasonings. Return the smoked sausage to the beans and cook an additional 20 minutes, or until the beans are soft
- Mash some of the beans against the side of the pot to break them up and thicken the mixture.
- Taste again, and add more seasonings or hot sauce, as needed. Remove bay leaves.
- Serve over hot cooked rice. White is traditional, but brown rice adds a little more interest and fiber.
A Step-by-Step Playbook for Rice & Beans
| Step | Instructions | Country Adaptations |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Choose Beans | Select your beans (black, red kidney, pinto, etc.). Rinse and soak if needed. |
Caribbean: Red kidney beans Mexico: Pinto beans Brazil: Black beans West Africa: Black-eyed peas |
| 2. Cook Beans | Simmer beans with aromatics (onion, garlic, bay leaf) until tender. |
Caribbean: Add Scotch bonnet pepper for heat Mexico: Add epazote herb Brazil: Use smoked pork or sausage West Africa: Add smoked fish or crayfish |
| 3. Prepare Rice | Rinse rice until water runs clear. Cook separately or with beans. |
Caribbean: Use coconut milk to cook rice Mexico: Cook rice with tomato sauce Brazil: Cook rice plain or with garlic West Africa: Often cooks rice separately plain |
| 4. Combine & Season | Mix cooked beans with rice or serve side by side. Season with salt, pepper, and herbs. |
Caribbean: Add fresh thyme and scallions Mexico: Use cilantro and lime Brazil: Add chopped parsley West Africa: Add chili peppers and ginger |
| 5. Serve | Serve hot as a main or side dish, often with protein or vegetables. |
Caribbean: Serve with fried plantains Mexico: Serve with grilled meats or salsa Brazil: Serve with farofa or salad West Africa: Serve with fried plantains or stew |
Canned Bean Substitutions & Equivalencies
If you are in a hurry, you can substitute canned beans, although the results will differ. Some will say there is a huge difference, some will say not so much.
I don’t always remember to soak beans the night before, so if in a hurry, I pull out a couple of cans of beans from the pantry and prepare this meal in under 1/2 hour.
Canned Beans to Cooked Beans
- 14 -16 oz can = 1.5 cups cooked beans
- 19 oz can = 2.25 cups cooked beans
- 28 oz can = 3 – 3.25 cups cooked beans
Dry Bean Yields After Cooking
- 1 pound dry beans = 6 cups cooked beans, drained
- 1 pound dry beans = 2 cups dry beans
- 1 cup dry beans (most kinds) = 2.5 cups cooked beans
- Chickpeas, great northern beans, and lima beans: 1 cup dry beans = 3 cups cooked beans
- Lentils: 1 cup dried lentils = 3 cups cooked
You can refer to this page if you need assistance with your bean conversions.
Other Names for Rice and Beans
A sampling of other names for rice and bean dishes. Many recipes are available in ethnic cookbooks and on the Internet:
| Dish Name | Country | Main Ingredients | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rice and Peas | Jamaica / Puerto Rico | Rice, kidney beans or pigeon peas, coconut milk, thyme, scallions | A flavorful dish cooked with coconut milk and spices, often served as a staple side. |
| Congri | Cuba | Rice, black beans, garlic, onion, bell pepper | Cuban-style rice and black beans cooked together with sofrito for rich flavor. |
| Moros y Cristianos | Cuba | Rice, black beans, garlic, onion, bell pepper, cumin | Meaning "Moors and Christians," this dish symbolizes black beans and white rice cooked together. |
| Risi e Bisi | Italy (Veneto) | Rice, fresh peas, onion, Parmesan, butter | A creamy risotto-like dish combining rice and fresh peas, lighter than typical risotto. |
| Kao Ap Mu Tordang | Thailand | Rice, red beans, coconut milk, sugar, salt | Sweet coconut rice with red beans, often enjoyed as a dessert or snack. |
| Alubias con Arroz | Spain | Rice, white beans, garlic, onion, paprika, olive oil | A hearty Spanish dish of rice cooked with tender white beans and smoky paprika. |
| Arroz e Feijão | Brazil | Rice, black or brown beans, garlic, onion, bay leaf | Brazil’s classic staple, often served with a variety of meats and farofa. |
| Gallo Pinto | Costa Rica / Nicaragua | Rice, black beans or red beans, bell pepper, onion, cilantro | Traditional Central American rice and beans mixed with fresh herbs and spices. |
| Waakye | Ghana | Rice, black-eyed peas or beans, dried millet leaves (for color), spices | A popular street food combining rice and beans, often served with sides like boiled eggs and fish. |
| Hoppin' John | Southern USA | Rice, black-eyed peas, bacon or ham, onion, spices | Traditional Southern dish eaten on New Year's Day for good luck. |
5 Responses
Having grown up with rice and beans in Brazil, I still eat them a couple of times a week. If you buy a pressure cooker (the way we cook it in Brazil), you can cook the dry beans in about 30-45 minutes. The younger the beans (recently harvested), the more tender they will be, rendering a thicker broth as well. If they are old, the result will be watery.
As for rice… the only thing I have never seen cooked right outside of Brazil… here is a quick recipe:
– 2 cups of long grain rice
– 5 cups of boiling water
– half a small onion, chopped (finely or coarsely, depending on your taste for them)
– 3 garlic gloves, sliced thinly and then chopped
– salt to taste
Sautee the onions and garlic in about two tablespoons oil.
Soak rice in water for a couple of seconds and strain.
When onion is translucent, add the rice and sautee for a couple of minutes, stirring so as not to burn the bottom. Rice should dry up and start to stick to the sides (of your non-stick pan).
Add the boiling water (or extremely hot water) at once. Stir a little and add salt to desired taste (about 3-5 teaspoonfuls).
Reduce heat to medium low and and let it boil gently until the water dries up – do NOT stir. When water dries completely (you can hear the bottom of the pan start to sizzle – water must dry fully!), turn heat off (remove from burner if using an electric range) and cover to finish cooking. In about 10 minutes it should be ready to eat.
Enjoy!
Rob, thanks for sharing your recipe for rice. I can’t wait to try this myself. RG
Thanks for sharing these recipes.
Hi Jyothi, you are welcome. – RG
Awesome recipe; I’ll try it together with my lady this evening. Hope I get it right! Cheers