Vegan Beans and Rice

This is my favorite way to make beans and rice, a little sweet and a little spicy and with my favorite beans cannellini (a variety of white navy bean). It’s pretty simple and comes together easily, the only time consuming part is the rice. I usually go heavy on the hot sauce and lighter on the maple but you can adjust according to your tastes.

1 can drained and rinsed cannellini beans
1 average sized sweet potato
1 cup dry brown rice cooked in;
2 cups veggie stock or water
1 tbs margarine or olive oil
1/3 cup combined hot sauce and maple syrup
¼ tsp cumin (optional)
¼ tsp cinnamon
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1/8 tsp nutmeg


I cook my rice in my combined steamer/ rice cooker but you can just as easily make this in two pots on the stove top. Bring your two cups water or veggie stock to a boil (if using stove top, if using rice cooker, follow it’s instructions), add in the margarine or olive oil and the rice. Cover, turn down heat to low and let simmer for about 45-60 mins, till pretty much all the water is absorbed. While the rice is cooking, peel your sweet potato and cut in to about ½ in thick disks and then cut those in half so you have half moon shapes. Boil these or put in your steam basket and cook till tender but not mushy. While waiting on rice and sweet potatoes, make your sauce. Measure out your hot sauce/ maple syrup base. I like to use The Wizard’s Organic Hot Stuff; it’s just slightly spicy with a cumin-y flavor I love so much, which is why the cumin is optional, not everyone loves cumin like I do. If you choose to use a different sauce you may want to test out different proportions and adjust the spices to taste. Mix the sauce with the cumin (if using), cinnamon, red pepper flakes and nutmeg. Add in rice, sweet potatoes and beans. Combine everything. This will make about two average portions or dinner and lunch for the next day.