Spanish rice and beans dish (Printable Version)

Hearty brown rice with beans and Mexican spices, perfect for family meals or sides.

# Ingredient List:

→ Base

01 - 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
02 - 1/2 medium white or yellow onion, finely diced

→ Rice & Broth

03 - 2 cups long grain brown rice
04 - 3 cups vegetable broth

→ Flavoring

05 - 1 1/2 cups tomato-based salsa
06 - 1 teaspoon ground cumin
07 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
08 - Salt to taste

→ Beans

09 - 1 (15 ounce) can black beans or kidney beans, drained and rinsed

→ Garnish

10 - Fresh chopped cilantro (optional)

# Directions:

01 - In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Sauté the diced onion for 3 to 4 minutes until softened and translucent.
02 - Add the brown rice, vegetable broth, salsa, ground cumin, smoked paprika, and a pinch of salt. Stir to combine thoroughly.
03 - Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for approximately 40 minutes, or until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed.
04 - Once the rice is cooked, gently stir in the drained and rinsed beans. Taste and adjust salt as needed.
05 - Remove from heat and let the rice and beans sit, covered, for at least 10 minutes to allow flavors to meld.
06 - Fluff the rice with a fork, sprinkle with fresh chopped cilantro if desired, and serve warm.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together in under an hour, which means weeknight dinners stop feeling like a scramble.
  • The spice blend creates depth without requiring a long ingredient list or specialty items hiding in the back of your pantry.
  • Beans and rice together make this filling enough to stand alone or play nicely as a side dish for whatever else is on the table.
  • Leftovers taste even better the next day when the flavors have had time to get to know each other.
02 -
  • Brown rice really does need the full 40 minutes—I learned this the hard way by trying to rush it and ending up with rice that was still chalky in the center and broth still pooling at the bottom.
  • Don't stir the rice while it's cooking; I thought more stirring meant better distribution, but it just breaks the grains and releases starch that makes everything gummy.
03 -
  • If your salsa is chunky, give it a quick blend or just crush it with the back of a spoon so it distributes evenly through the rice instead of settling in pockets.
  • Tasting the rice at the 35-minute mark gives you time to add a splash more broth if it looks like it's drying out too fast, because every stove is different.
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