Vegan Brown Rice Casserole with Broccoli and Beans

April 4, 2024

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This vegan brown rice casserole with broccoli and beans couldn’t be any simpler. Merely place the components right into a baking dish, cowl them tightly, and bake—this can be a quintessential “dump and bake” recipe! The casserole is stuffed with healthful vitamin, and it’s a fantastic make-ahead recipe. A creamy topping of vegan cashew queso takes it to the following stage.

A photo of a round, grayish white plate, which has been topped by a bean and brown rice casserole. Green cilantro leaves are garnished on top.

I’m calling this dish of baked brown rice and beans a casserole. However “casserole” could also be a little bit of an overstatement.

After I suppose “casserole,” I take into consideration lasagna, enchiladas, gratin, or one thing equally concerned.

That is actually a “dump and bake” recipe—a meal that’s created by placing a bunch of components right into a casserole dish, overlaying them, and permitting the oven to do all the give you the results you want.

It couldn’t be simpler. And, because of the healthful constructing blocks of brown rice, black beans, and broccoli, the dish might hardly be extra nutritious, both.

The fantastic thing about baked brown rice

There most likely isn’t a grain that will get extra use in my kitchen than rice.

I routinely make all colours—brown, white, black/purple, crimson—and shapes: quick grain, lengthy grain, medium grain.

Rice is hearty, healthful, and versatile. It’s a supply of B nutritional vitamins, folic acid, magnesium and potassium, and selenium. Brown rice is an honest supply of dietary fiber.

More often than not, I put together rice by boiling it on the stovetop. This recipe, nonetheless, has jogged my memory of how stress-free and efficient it’s to bake rice as a substitute.

Rice of all types may be baked by rinsing the grains, placing them right into a casserole or sq. baking dish, including liquid, overlaying tightly, and baking until the grains are absolutely cooked.

Sometimes, this takes just a little longer than it could take to boil the rice as a substitute: about 1 hour for brown rice and 25-Half-hour for white rice. The oven temperature that I exploit is 375°F / 190°C.

When baking rice on it’s personal, it may be useful to make use of already scorching water: in different phrases, to boil the water earlier than including it to your baking dish.

Nevertheless, it’s not strictly needed for the water to be boiling, and for no matter cause, I’ve discovered that it turns into much less needed when the rice has mix-ins. Room temperature water or broth (not chilly) is nice sufficient.

Within the case of this brown rice casserole, the rice doesn’t bake by itself. It bakes together with seasonings and different components that quantity to a hearty and full dish.

A beloved ingredient pair

I don’t actually need to sing the praises of rice and beans. This ingredient duo is way beloved in recipes all over the world, particularly within the Americas and in Africa.

As is usually the case with time-honored recipes or ingredient pairings, the combo of rice and beans is really nourishing.

Collectively, rice and beans present:

Plant protein
Fiber
Iron
B nutritional vitamins
Magnesium
Potassium
Calcium* (this relies on the kind bean)
Phosphorus
Vitamin E

A “full” plant protein

You will have come throughout rice and beans being given for instance of a “full” protein. What precisely does this imply?

I am going into extra depth in my submit on protein-rich combos of plant meals, however right here’s the abstract: proteins are constructed from completely different sequences of amino acids. In a way, amino acids are the “constructing blocks” of protein.

After we eat protein, our digestive programs break down protein molecules, releasing amino acids for absorption. This occurs largely within the jejunum of our small intestines.

We don’t solely acquire amino acids from meals. Reasonably, our our bodies can produce lots of the amino acids that we want for protein synthesis: for instance, making peptide hormones or neurotransmitters.

Nevertheless, there are 9 different amino acids, referred to as the “important amino acids,” that we are able to’t produce endogenously. Now we have to acquire them from meals.

A “full protein” is a meals supply of protein that comprises all the 9 important amino acids.

Such proteins are generally referred to as “excessive organic worth,” or HBV, proteins. An LBV, or decrease organic worth protein, is one which’s lacking a number of of the 9 important amino acids.

Animal proteins like meat, fish, whey, and eggs, are HBV proteins. So are sure plant proteins, similar to quinoa, soy, or hemp hearts.

Different plant proteins are LBV proteins, which implies that they comprise a number of the important amino acids, however not all of them.

After I first grew to become vegan, there was lots of speak concerning the significance of placing full plant proteins onto one’s plate.

Over time, vitamin schooling has shifted. At this time we perceive that an individual who eats quite a lot of protein sources regularly will finally acquire all the important amino acids. The physique will then make the most of these amino acids as wanted.

In different phrases, you don’t need to stress about getting full proteins with each meal. As an alternative, give attention to getting sufficient protein total and sourcing it from diversified meals: beans, tofu, tempeh, wheat, and so forth.

After all, when components in a recipe can present all of these important amino acids, it’s a simple win. This brown rice casserole with broccoli and beans is such a recipe.

Talking of beans, what sort of beans ought to I exploit within the recipe?

After I make the brown rice casserole, I like to make use of a mixture of black beans and kidney beans.

However that is only a suggestion. You possibly can actually substitute different sorts of beans for my selections. The casserole might be ready with:

Black-eyed peas
Pinto beans
White beans (cannellini or nice northern)
Chickpeas
Adzuki beans
Butter beans

Do I want to make use of brown rice?

No, you don’t. Brown rice is my suggestion for the casserole, however the recipe may be ready with white rice, too.

A lot of my vitamin purchasers ask me whether or not brown or white rice is healthier. My response is that a mixture of each is ok. I routinely use each brown and white rice in my cooking.

From a well being standpoint, brown rice comprises the bran and the germ of the rice, so it has a bit extra fiber and protein than white, in addition to modestly greater micronutrient content material.

It’s price saying, although, that this distinction in fiber is about three grams. That’s not nothing—the USDA’s fiber advice for adults is 25 grams for ladies and 38 grams for males—but it surely’s not an enormous distinction, both.

For those who love white rice, selecting to take pleasure in it isn’t some type of make-or-break vitamin situation. Particularly should you get fiber from a number of different locations in your weight loss program, which many plant-based eaters do.

With all of that stated, I occur to love the nuttiness of brown rice on this specific recipe.

I additionally like the feel of brown rice for a casserole: once I examined it with white rice, the rice tended to clump collectively, so it had a mushy impact.

You possibly can substitute an equal quantity of long-grain white rice for brown. For those who do that, you’ll seemingly solely want to present the casserole Half-hour of time within the oven.

A healthful set of toppings

Lots of casserole recipes name for melted cheese on high. I like the comfort of store-bought vegan cheese, however I even have a particular love for do-it-yourself vegan cheeses.

I’ve made all kinds of vegan cheese recipes over time. The one which I perfected first and nonetheless depend on most frequently is my go-to cashew cheese recipe.

However with cashews main the way in which, I’ve expanded my choices to incorporate 10-minute vegan ricotta cheese, vegan yellow cheese sauce, melty vegan cashew mozzarella, cashew parmesan cheese, and versatile vegan cashew queso sauce.

A small, circular bowl of a creamy vegan nacho sauce is accompanied by corn chips. One of the corn chips has been dipped into the sauce.

It’s the cashew queso that I exploit to high this casserole. It provides a creamy part to the recipe, some tangy and “tacky” taste (that’s because of lemon juice, tomato paste, and dietary yeast), and an ornamental part as effectively.

For the reason that high of the casserole begs for just a little coloration, I additionally add broiled tomato slices, which you’ll learn extra about within the recipe steps and directions.

I like utilizing this technique for lasagna and vegan pasta bakes in addition to the brown rice casserole.

The way to make brown rice casserole with broccoli and beans

Drained? Confused? Going by means of a cooking rut?

The brown rice casserole is your recipe.

For one factor, you don’t actually need to cook dinner something. Reasonably, you solely need to dump components into an oven-safe dish and permit the oven to take it away.

Additionally, there’s no sautéing of onion or garlic required earlier than the casserole is transferred to the oven.

As a way to incorporate alliums, I exploit a hack that I additionally depend on for the seasoned chickpeas in my chickpea burrito bowls: salsa.

Salsa, particularly a roasted tomato salsa, comprises onions which have already had their uncooked “chew” softened. Utilizing a jar of roasted salsa in a recipe is like including ready onions, tomato, garlic, and different seasonings to your dish.

No chopping or sautéing required.

So, collect up your favourite, flavorful jar of salsa, two cans of beans that you’ve got within the pantry, a bag of rice, and one thing inexperienced—and let’s get began.

Step 1: Preheat your oven

You’ll need to preserve the oven temperature at 375°F / 190°C for this recipe.

Step 2: Place your components into an oven-safe dish

No fancy strikes required right here. Simply add the rice, beans, and salsa, together with just a little avocado oil, a heap of broccoli florets, and a few vegetable broth, right into a 9 x 13-inch / 24 x 36cm baking dish.

An overhead image of a casserole dish, which is filled with rice, beans, salsa, and broccoli. — This can be a “dump and bake” recipe, which suggests you can merely pile all the components right into a casserole dish and switch it to the oven for cooking.

I exploit broccoli florets on this recipe as a result of they’re most likely my favourite vegetable, they’re straightforward to work with in recent or frozen kind, they usually get up effectively to baking. However you might use cauliflower florets, sliced zucchini, or reduce items of inexperienced beans, too.

The avocado oil helps to maintain the rice grains fluffy and distinct, in addition to to hold flavors within the recipe.

Step 3: Bake

The brown rice casserole will want about one hour within the oven. After baking, the highest ought to seem darkened. Tomato items and beans will each rice to the highest throughout cooking.

An overhead image of a baked rice and bean dish. The top is has darkened tomatoes and little pieces of broccoli visible. — A few of the tomato, salsa, and beans will rise to the highest of the casserole because it cooks, given the highest a darkened look.

The rice ought to have absorbed all the broth and be tender.

Step 4: Garnish (should you like)

At this level, you can provide your earthy, not-especially-photogenic brown rice casserole just a little further adornment and love.

I do that by slicing a beefsteak tomato and layering these slices on high of the freshly baked casserole. Flip the oven to it’s broiler setting, on excessive.

Place the casserole beneath the broiler for 3-5 minutes, or till the tomatoes slices have shrunken a bit and seem softened, even just a little browned in locations.

An overhead image of a baked rice dish that has been garnished with thin, round slices of tomato. — Broiling tomato slices on high of the casserole provides it some coloration and good ornament.

Then, drizzle your cashew queso sauce excessive of the casserole. I like so as to add a sprinkle of recent, chopped cilantro after I do that for a pop of inexperienced.

For those who don’t have time for any of those ending touches, that’s OK. The baked rice and beans will nonetheless be nourishing and engaging.

Step 5: Serve or retailer (freezer choices included)

At this level, you’ll be able to reduce the casserole into sq. slices and dig in. Serve them along with your favourite aspect salad, slaw, or another easy vegan vegetable aspect dish.

The Vegan Week

Embrace the enjoyment of consuming do-it-yourself meals daily with the hearty and healthful recipes in The Vegan Week.

Whether or not you’ve got three, two, and even only one hour of time to spare, The Vegan Week will present you tips on how to batch cook dinner different, colourful, and comforting dishes over the weekend.

The brown rice casserole can also be an particularly good possibility for vegan meal prep! The slices will preserve effectively in an hermetic container in your fridge for as much as 5 days.

They are often frozen for as much as six weeks and defrosted in a single day within the fridge earlier than serving.

Extra rice and bean dishes to savor

For those who depend on the rice and bean combo as routinely as I do, I’ve a number of concepts for you. Possibly they’ll encourage you to method this time-honored pairing in a recent means?

And right here’s my new favourite addition to that checklist.

It’s not the fanciest or most intricately seasoned casserole you’ll ever make, by any means. However it’s one thing hearty and healthful you can make with virtually no effort—and that’s a win in my e-book.