Rice and Beans Recipe

5 from 3 votes

Easy Rice and Beans recipe with rice and grain mix. Meal prep and freezer friendly, and designed for better texture, flavor, and flexibility.

Prep Time5

Cook Time1

Soaking time (optional):6

Total Time1 5

Course: Side Dish or Main

Cuisine: Vegan

Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings: servings

Calories: 308kcal

Soak the beans: Add all beans to a large bowl and cover with water by about 2–3 inches. Soak for about 6 hours.
Cook the beans: Drain and rinse the beans. Transfer to a large pot and cover with fresh water, keeping them submerged. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook until tender, about 60 minutes, or until all the types of beans are cooked. Optional: Add salt toward the end.
Cook the grain: Cook the 7-grain rice mix (or rice of choice) according to package instructions. Once done, let sit covered for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.
Combine: Drain the beans if needed and mix with the cooked grain. Adjust salt to taste.
Optional cool and store: Spread the mixture in a thin layer to cool. Once cooled, portion into containers and refrigerate or freeze for later use.

Beans: Use 1 cup of any one type of dried bean instead of the mix of four, if preferred.
Use canned beans for convenience: Use about 3 cups cooked beans total in place of the dried beans mixture (about two 15-ounce cans, drained and rinsed). Add to the cooked grain and heat briefly for a quicker prep option.
Soaking step: If dried beans are not soaked, cooking time will be longer and may be less even.
Season the cooking water: Add garlic, onion, and a bay leaf while the beans cook to build flavor from the inside out.
Serving size is 1 packed cup cooked rice and beans. I portioned into ½-cup servings for faster freezing and thawing.
Nutrition facts are based on a 1-cup serving using the 7-grain rice mix.
Find the beans, 7-grain mix, and silicone portion trays used in this recipe linked here.