Italian Beans & Rice
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Savory, simple and delicious, these Italian Beans & Rice are made with vegan sausage, veggies, white beans and brown rice.
Beans and rice are a go-to in my house. But these Italian Beans & Rice are a fun twist on a staple. White beans are simmered in a spicy tomato sauce and served up with crispy Italian sausage and brown rice. Topped off with fresh parsley, this is a quick, easy and delicious vegan dinner idea.
Step One: Cook the Vegan Sausage
To be honest, the vegan sausage is not a necessity for this recipe. And if you don’t like vegan sausage, just skip this step. But I think it adds some great flavor and a great texture to the beans and rice.
Start by heating some olive oil in a skillet. Add the sausage (I used Beyond Meat Italian sausage) and crumble it with a wooden spoon.
Let the sausage cook down for about 5 minutes. It should be cooked through, crumbled and have a nice crispiness to it. Remove the sausage from the skillet and place the empty skillet back on the stove.
Step Two: Sauce & Beans
To the same skillet add onions, garlic, carrots, Italian seasoning, salt & pepper. Let everything cook down for a couple of minutes, or until the veggies start to get tender.
Add in some tomato paste, sun-dried tomatoes and Calabrian chili paste (if you want some spice). Let the tomato paste cook off for about a minute, then pour in 2 cans of drained white beans and some broth. Bring everything to a boil, cover and simmer on low heat for 15-20 minutes. You can definitely let it cook longer if you have the time!
Right before serving, add some fresh lemon juice and a sprinkle of parsley.
Step Three: Serve
And now it is time to serve. I used some frozen brown rice – it is ready in 3 minutes, can’t beat that! But you can use any rice you want or have on hand.
Add rice to each bowl and top with the beans & veggies. Serve with more fresh parsley and lemon wedges on the side. I also don’t hate a piece of french bread on the side for dipping. You could also add some kale or spinach to the skillet for some extra greens.
This is a great make ahead recipe – make a batch and eat it for lunch all week!
Need more recipe inspo? Check these out:
Italian Beans & Rice
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 8 ounces vegan Italian sausage I used Beyond Meat
- 1 small yellow onion diced
- 2 medium carrots diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- salt & pepper to taste
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons sun-dried tomatoes roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoons Calabrian chili paste or sub red pepper flakes, to taste
- 2 15-ounce cans white beans drained and rinsed
- 1.5 cups broth I used vegan chicken broth
- lemon juice to taste
- parsley chopped, to taste
- 2.5 cups cooked brown rice or sub another grain
Equipment
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage and crumble it with a wooden spoon. Cook until the sausage is browned to your liking (approx. 5 minutes). Remove from the skillet.
- Add the onion, garlic, carrots, Italian seasoning and a pinch of salt & pepper to the skillet – if the skillet is too dry, you can add a little more oil. Cook down for 3 minutes.
- Add the tomato paste, sun-dried tomatoes and chili paste and cook for another minute. Pour in the beans & broth and bring to a boil. Cover, lower the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Add the sausage back to the skillet.
- Right before serving add lemon juice and parsley. Taste and adjust the seasonings as needed. Serve hot over brown rice with more parsley on top.
Video
One day I would like to see a recipe without red pepper flakes in it
What ever happened to just plain flavor?
I can’t eat red pepper flakes as allergies.
Plus I grew up with Italians. There may have been red pepper flakes on the table in a shaker but never added to a dish
I will make a kind of this
This recipe doesn’t call for red pepper flakes – it is an optional ingredient if you can’t find Calabrian chili paste 👍
Incredibly easy.
Incredibly delicious.
Thanks so much Frances!
This is my first recipe that I’m commenting on and others have turned out pretty good. This is beyond delicious. I used vegan chorizo instead. It’s easy. I had most of ingredients already. You don’t know me, got no followers, but take my word this is good!
Love this easy and filling recipe! It’s delicious and flavorful!
This was delicious! I love this take on a beans and rice dish. We do so many Mexican and Indian variations, I appreciate these different flavors. I used a half package of Plant Boss Italian sausage cooked to directions.
Thanks Ashley! So glad you liked it!