Vegan Red Beans and Rice

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion
• 1 medium bell pepper
• 4 stalks celery
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 lb dry red beans
• 6 cups vegetable broth
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 whole bay leaf
• 1/2 Tbsp smoked paprika
• Freshly cracked pepper
• Pinch cayenne pepper
• 6 cups cooked rice
• 1 bunch green onions, sliced

Directions

1. The night before, put the beans in a large pot and add enough cool water to cover them by a few inches. Transfer the pot to the refrigerator and leave the beans to soak overnight.
2. When you’re ready to cook, finely chop the celery, bell pepper, and onion, then mince the garlic. Warm the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat, add the celery, bell pepper, onion, and garlic, and cook until everything has softened, 5-7 minutes.
3. Pour the soaked beans into a colander, then rinse them well with fresh, cool water. Add the rinsed beans to the pot with the vegetables, along with the vegetable broth, thyme, oregano, bay leaf, smoked paprika, freshly cracked pepper, and cayenne pepper.
4. Cover the pot and bring it to a strong boil over high heat. Once it boils, reduce the heat to low and let everything simmer for at least 2 hours. Check that the pot keeps bubbling gently the whole time, nudging the heat up if you need to, and stir now and then so nothing catches on the bottom. Leave the lid on while it cooks so the beans stay from drying out.
5. After 2 hours, or longer if you’d like, the beans should be tender and soft. Use the back of a spoon to press some of the beans against the side of the pot, which will help the mixture thicken into that creamy texture. Take out the bay leaf, then let the pot simmer for about 30 minutes more after mashing so it can thicken further.
6. For serving, spoon the red beans into a bowl and add a scoop of warm, cooked rice on top. Finish with sliced green onions and a little hot sauce, if desired.