Black Beans and Rice

Submitted by Danya01

"This spicy recipe tastes so good, it's hard to believe it's healthy. It's convenient as a one-pot meal, but a cooling side dish such as fresh sliced mango or a cucumber salad would be good too. I use red pepper flakes because I don't like the acidity of fresh; instructions are included for fresh red pepper if you prefer. You can also replace the chicken broth with vegetable broth for a vegetarian meal."

 

• Ready In: 50mins
• Ingredients: 11
• Yields: 4 cups
• Serves: 4

ingredients

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped finely
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 3⁄4 cup uncooked brown rice
• 2 cups low sodium chicken broth, canned or homemade (or vegetable broth)
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 4 cups canned black beans, drained and rinsed (kidney beans would also work well)
• 1⁄4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or 1 red pepper, chopped, plus 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper)
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped (optional)

directions

1. Heat oil in a stockpot over medium-high heat.
2. Saute onion and garlic until onion softens, about 4 minutes.
3. Add rice and saute for 2 minutes (this crisps the outside of the rice).
4. Add broth and tomatoes. Bring to a boil, cover and lower the heat. Cook for 40 minutes until rice is done, stirring occasionally.
5. Add beans, spices, and fresh cilantro.
6. To replace the red pepper flakes with fresh: Saute a chopped red pepper with the onion and add a 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper with the beans.

Reviews

[JanetLouise]

I was attracted to this recipe because the spices looked as though they would add great flavor. I adapted it to suit our tastes and used white rice, added 1/4 cup white wine to the rice after heating it in the oil so it would be more flavorful. I used frozen italian tomatoes from our garden and chopped them before adding. I added prepackaged and precooked turkey/chicken with sun dried tomato and mozzarella sausage cut on the diagonal after everything was done just to heat the sausage. It was YUMMY! We all love this recipe and will make it often, of course with our "tweaks" and whatever else we have on hand. I would have given 5 stars but I really think the wine added more flavor. Oh, and I was light on the hot stuff. Our granddaughter cannot tolerate it and neither can I. It seems that a lot of recipes today have a lot of hot peppers in them.

 

[PaulaG]

I am attracted to this recipe because of the brown rice and fresh tomatoes. It did not disappoint. I loved the combination of spices. This is a recipe I will safe to make again. Thank you for sharing.

 

[luvmyfurrbabies]

This is a wonderful recipe that we will definitely make on a regular basis. Thanks for posting..we really enjoyed it!

 

[Bjork]

Great, easy and delicious - besides being healthy ! I will make this again.

 

[Cheeky Mommy]

This recipe is awesome!!! I use brown Basmati rice which I saute as suggested with the garlic and onion. I then cook the mixture along with the chicken broth in a rice cooker then add the remaining ingrediants. This is recipe is so great, I am able to prep everything while my 6 month old sleeps then combine the remaining ingrediants for a great dinner. Thank you Danya01 for a great recipe!!