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 elements 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 an incredible make-ahead recipe. A creamy topping of vegan cashew queso takes it to the following degree.

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 elements right into a casserole dish, protecting them, and permitting the oven to do the entire be just right for you.

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

The great thing about baked brown rice

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

I routinely make all colours—brown, white, black/purple, purple—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 a good supply of dietary fiber.

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

Rice of every kind might be baked by rinsing the grains, placing them right into a casserole or sq. baking dish, including liquid, protecting tightly, and baking until the grains are absolutely cooked.

Sometimes, this takes a little bit longer than it might 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 crucial for the water to be boiling, and for no matter cause, I’ve discovered that it turns into much less crucial when the rice has mix-ins. Room temperature water or broth (not chilly) is sweet sufficient.

Within the case of this brown rice casserole, the rice doesn’t bake by itself. It bakes together with seasonings and different elements 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 around the globe, particularly within the Americas and in Africa.

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

Collectively, rice and beans present:

Plant protein
Fiber
Iron
B nutritional vitamins
Magnesium
Potassium
Calcium* (this depends upon the sort bean)
Phosphorus
Vitamin E

A “full” plant protein

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

I’m going into extra depth in my submit on protein-rich mixtures 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.

Once we eat protein, our digestive techniques 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. Quite, 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. We’ve to acquire them from meals.

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

Such proteins are typically 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, comparable to quinoa, soy, or hemp hearts.

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

After I first grew to become vegan, there was a whole lot 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 a wide range of protein sources frequently will in the end acquire the entire important amino acids. The physique will then make the most of these amino acids as wanted.

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

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

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

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

However that is only a suggestion. You possibly can actually substitute different forms of beans for my decisions. The casserole could possibly be ready with:

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

Do I would like to make use of brown rice?

No, you don’t. Brown rice is my suggestion for the casserole, however the recipe might 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 okay. 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 value saying, although, that this distinction in fiber is about three grams. That’s not nothing—the USDA’s fiber suggestion for adults is 25 grams for ladies and 38 grams for males—however it’s not an unlimited distinction, both.

In case you love white rice, selecting to take pleasure in it isn’t some form of make-or-break vitamin problem. Particularly in case you get fiber from a number of different locations in your weight-reduction plan, 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. In case you do that, you’ll seemingly solely want to offer the casserole Half-hour of time within the oven.

A healthful set of toppings

Quite a lot 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 types of vegan cheese recipes through the years. The one which I perfected first and nonetheless depend on most frequently is my go-to cashew cheese recipe.

However with cashews main the best way, 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 element to the recipe, some tangy and “tacky” taste (that’s due to lemon juice, tomato paste, and dietary yeast), and an ornamental element as properly.

Because the high of the casserole begs for a little bit colour, I additionally add broiled tomato slices, which you’ll learn extra about within the recipe steps and directions.

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

The best way to make brown rice casserole with broccoli and beans

Drained? Careworn? Going by way of a cooking rut?

The brown rice casserole is your recipe.

For one factor, you don’t actually must prepare dinner something. Quite, you solely must dump elements 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.

With a purpose 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 elements into an oven-safe dish

No fancy strikes required right here. Simply add the rice, beans, and salsa, together with a little bit 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 implies that you could merely pile the entire elements 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 in all probability my favourite vegetable, they’re straightforward to work with in contemporary or frozen type, and so they rise up properly to baking. However you would use cauliflower florets, sliced zucchini, or minimize 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 the entire broth and be tender.

Step 4: Garnish (in case you like)

At this level, you can provide your earthy, not-especially-photogenic brown rice casserole a little bit 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 underneath the broiler for 3-5 minutes, or till the tomatoes slices have shrunken a bit and seem softened, even a little bit 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 colour and good ornament.

An overhead image of a vegan casserole dish that has been topped with herbs and a pale yellow sauce. — Broiling tomato slices on high of the casserole provides it some colour and good ornament.

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

In case you don’t have time for any of those ending touches, that’s OK. The baked rice and beans will nonetheless be nourishing and attractive.

Step 5: Serve or retailer (freezer choices included)

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

The Vegan Week

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

Whether or not you may have three, two, and even only one hour of time to spare, The Vegan Week will present you how you can batch prepare dinner diversified, colourful, and comforting dishes over the weekend.

The brown rice casserole can be an particularly good choice for vegan meal prep! The slices will preserve properly 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

In case you depend on the rice and bean combo as routinely as I do, I’ve a couple of concepts for you. Possibly they’ll encourage you to method this time-honored pairing in a contemporary method?

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 that you could make with virtually no effort—and that’s a win in my e book.