Hearty enough to be a meal or makes a FANTASTIC side dish with loads of textures in every bite!! A super FLEXIBLE recipe that's HEALTHY and makes a big batch for planned leftovers!!
Prep Time10 minutesmins
Cook Time20 minutesmins
Total Time30 minutesmins
Course: Rice
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: black beans and Mexican rice, Mexican black beans and rice, Mexican rice and black beans, Mexican rice with black beans, quinoa and beans
Servings: 8
Calories: 229kcal
Author: Averie Sunshine
Ingredients
3 to 4tablespoonsolive oilplus more if needed
1large or extra-large red oniondiced small
3 to 4clovesgarlicfinely minced or pressed
1cupdry rice and quinoa medleyall rice or all quinoa is okay
3cupswateror as directed on the package to cook 1 cup dry grains
one 15-ounce can black beansdrained and rinsed (I used low-salt)
one 14-ounce can corndrained and rinsed (fresh or frozen may be substituted)
2medium Roma tomatoesdiced small (cherry, grape, or heirloom may be substituted)
1medium yellow bell pepperseeded and diced small (another color pepper may be substituted)
½ to 1serrano chileseeded and diced micro tiny; optional and to taste (jalapeno may be substituted for less heat)
1 to 2tablespoonscuminnot teaspoons, or to taste
1teaspoonkosher saltor to taste
½teaspoonfreshly ground black pepperor to taste
⅓cupfinely minced fresh cilantroor to taste
1 to 4tablespoonsfreshly squeezed lime juiceor to taste
Instructions
To a large and fairly deep skillet, add the olive oil, onions, and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until onions have softened and just begin to lightly caramelize, about 5 to 7 minutes; stir frequently.
Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute, or until fragrant; stirring nearly constantly.
Add the rice and quinoa and stir it into the onion mixture and let it toast for about 30 seconds.
Add 3 cups water, or what the package instructs you to add if you're cooking 1 cup dry rice/quinoa.
Reduce the heat to low, cover the skillet with a lid, and cook for about 10 to 15 minutes, or until all the water has absorbed and the rice and quinoa are tender. Check at 10 minutes, stir, and cook for additional time as necessary. All grains cook at slightly different rates. Tip - Drizzle in another 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil into the water. This helps prevent sticking to the bottom of the pan.
When tender, add the beans, corn, tomatoes, bell peppers, optional serrano chile (if you are sensitive to heat, start with 1/4 of the chile and work up from there; or use a jalapeno which are less spicy; or omit), cumin (tablespoons is not a typo for teaspoons, but you can start with 1 or 2 teaspoons, and work up from there as desired), and stir to combine. If necessary to avoid dryness, drizzle in more olive oil at any time, to taste.
Add the salt, pepper, stir to combine, and taste. Depending on your preference for heat, you may want to add more serrano or jalapeno. Or additional cumin, salt, and/or pepper for more developed flavor. This is a fairly large batch of vegan food and in order to taste good, my advice is not to be shy with seasoning it.
Add the cilantro and lime juice to taste, stir to combine, and serve immediately. Medley can be served warm, at room temp, or chilled. Will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Notes
1. Tip - While the grains are cooking in step 5, make sure you are working ahead chopping everything you need for the rest of the recipe.