This is a true delight and was mostly invented by me, but is inspired by a similar red bean stew recipe from 3 years ago. Since it has rice, you don’t really need bread or anything else. The (vegan) sour cream is important!

This meal should be started as early as possible, in case it takes a while for the beans and rice to soften. I would plan for 3 hours and have an early dinner if it happens to finish early.

Print Recipe

Red Beans and Brown Rice Stew

Prep Time30

Cook Time2

Total Time2 30

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: California

Keyword: Dry Beans

Servings: servings

Calories: 499kcal

Equipment

Cast-Iron Dutch Oven

Ingredients

¾ pound red beans Hidatsa preferred
2 bay leaves
3 tbsp olive oil
1 large white onion chopped
6 cloves garlic minced
3 large carrots rough chopped
2 stalks celery rough chopped
2-3 green bell peppers rough chopped
2 tbsp sweet Hungarian paprika
1 tsp salt
½ tsp cayenne
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
Freshly ground pepper
1 cup brown rice medium-grain
¾ cup sour cream for topping, vegan optional

Instructions

Pre-soak the beans in 1% salted water for 6-10 hours.
¾ pound red beans
Drain the beans and place in a large, heavy Dutch oven. Add 3 quarts water. Add the 2 bay leaves. Heat over medium heat while you prepare the ingredients. You don't want the beans to start cooking too early, so gentle heat is fine here. If the beans start boiling, turn down the heat and cover.
2 bay leaves
While that warms, quickly prepare ingredients. Onion, carrots, celery and bell pepper can go into one big bowl. Garlic should be kept separate. Rinse and drain the rice.
Heat 2 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat in a very large skillet and add the onions, carrots, celery and peppers. Cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are starting to develop some color, about 8 to 10 minutes. Near the end of this, make sure the beans have started to come to a boil. If they haven't, turn up the heat.
1 large white onion, 3 large carrots, 2 stalks celery, 2-3 green bell peppers, 3 tbsp olive oil
Add the garlic to the skillet and continue to cook for another minute or so, until the garlic is fragrant. Season to taste with salt, around 1 tsp, and pepper. Add the 2 tbsp paprika. Cook, stirring, for a few minutes, until the vegetables are well coated with paprika and the mixture is aromatic. Add the 2 tbsp tomato paste and ½ tsp cayenne and stir well. Turn down the heat.
6 cloves garlic, 2 tbsp sweet Hungarian paprika, 1 tsp salt, ½ tsp cayenne, 2 tbsp tomato paste, Freshly ground pepper
Once the beans have come up to boiling, turn down the heat slightly. Remove about 2 cups of the water to a separate large Pyrex measuring cup and save for adding to the dish if needed. Remove another cup of liquid from the bean pot and and add to the vegetables’ pan and stir, scraping the bottom and sides of the pan to deglaze. Then add the vegetables and liquid into the beans. Raise heat to medium (if not already there) and bring to a gentle boil, covered.
Next, wipe out the skillet, warm to medium heat and add 1 tbsp oil. Rinse the brown rice and fry in the skillet until aromatic and crackling, about 5 minutes.
1 cup brown rice
Add the pan-fried rice to the beans and cover again, bringing it back to a low and gentle simmer. Simmer for at least 45 minutes. Check at 45 minutes and the every 15-20 minutes until the rice and beans are cooked.
Once the rice and beans are fully cooked, add in the 2 tbsp red wine vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. Remove the bay leaves.
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
Serve by topping each portion with a large dollop of sour cream.
¾ cup sour cream

Notes

Makes about 6 servings

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Red Beans and Brown Rice Stew

Amount Per Serving

Calories 499 Calories from Fat 126

% Daily Value*

Fat 14g22%

Saturated Fat 3g19%

Sodium 619mg27%

Potassium 1236mg35%

Carbohydrates 79g26%

Fiber 13g54%

Sugar 8g9%

Protein 18g36%

Vitamin A 7524IU150%

Vitamin C 41mg50%

Calcium 98mg10%

Iron 5mg28%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.