My inspiration for this recipe certainly wasn’t incidental… My partner is a Brazilian national and while we currently reside in South Africa, he was born and raised in the vibrant South American country. I was lucky enough to visit Brazil in 2019 and enjoy the insanely delicious local cuisine. One of the dishes that stood out to me were Brazilian-style beans with rice! Since then, rice and beans have become staples in our household.
What is typical about Brazilian-style beans?
In my experience, Brazilian-style beans are always saucy, tender and flavoursome. I’ve also learnt that beans are sacred to Brazilians and most of them eat them at least once a day. Usually, they are eaten with rice, meat and salad.
Brazilians use a variety of beans, but I used red-speckled beans, which are grown here in South-Africa and which are similar to pinto beans.
Is this meal nutritionally well-balanced?
This meal follows the signature Vegan Meal Prep Sunday balanced recipe blueprint! It contains starch, protein, veggies, and fat in the forms of rice, beans and vegan sausage, roasted string beans and olive oil. As a result, it will help you consume a variety of nutrients you need to function. Well-balanced meals generally also help you feel satiated.
Storage recommendation
I recommend storing this meal in the fridge and consuming it within four days from preparation. This will ensure the ideal nutritional and taste quality. This meal is also a great freezer-friendly option.
Serving recommendation
Not everyone is a fan of vegan meats so if that applies to you just leave it out. I personally really enjoy the extra texture it adds to the meal, and my partner also confirmed that it makes the meal feel more “Brazilian”.
You are welcome to replace the rice with any other grain, but this definitely takes away from what makes the meal Brazilian. In the same way, you can swop the roasted string beans for any roasted vegetables or you can replace it with a yummy side salad. The side salad option would make this meal more Brazilian.
The recipe for this meal is developed to make three moderate meals. If you prefer to eat large meals, you can simply double the recipe. In my household, I prepare moderate-sized meals for myself and large meals for my partner.
I recommend serving this meal hot – three minutes in the microwave should do.
More regional vegan meal prep recipes
Don’t forget to share your meals with me and other fellow VMPS preppers by tagging your posts with #veganmealprepsunday. I’d love to see how your meals turned out!
Brazilian-style Beans with Rice
Equipment
- (Electric) pressure cooker
Ingredients
Beans
- 1/2 cup dried red-speckled beans
- water to soak the beans
- 2 cups of water to cook the beans
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 TBSP olive oil
- 1 small onion finely diced
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 2 vegan sausages sliced, I used Asian tofu-based sausages
- 5 drops liquid smoke
Rice
- 3/4 cup jasmine rice
- 1 cup vegetable stock or broth
String Beans
- 600 g string beans tips removed
- 1 TBSP olive oil
- salt to taste
Instructions
- The night before you start your prep, pick through the red-speckled beans, discarding the damaged ones and any stones you may find. Wash the beans several times, until the water runs clear. Cover the beans with water and soak them overnight. The next day, drain the beans and discard the water.
- Once you are ready to start preparing the ingredients, rinse the jasmine rice in a colander until the water runs clear. Then, cover the rinsed rice with filtered water and allow to soak while you are preparing the rest of the ingredients. Soaking the rice for 15 minutes will reduce the cooking time by 10%. If you soak it longer, it will reduce the cooking time more. Drain the rice thoroughly before you start cooking it.
- Preheat the oven to 210 degrees celsius. Place the string beans on a sheet pan and sprinkle with olive oil and salt. As soon as the oven is heated, place the string beans in the oven. The beans will need to bake for 20 minutes.
- Add the drained red-speckled beans, bay leaf and water to the electric pressure cooker. Cook for 12 minutes on high pressure.
- Place the drained rice in a heavy-bottomed pot with the vegetable stock or broth. Bring the rice to a boil and cook, covered, on low heat for about 12 minutes until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender. Allow the rice to rest with the lid closed for at least 5 minutes.
- In a saute pan, heat the olive oil on medium-high heat. Fry the onion and garlic with a pinch of salt until translucent and slightly browned. Add the sliced vegan sausage and the liquid smoke drops and fry for approximately a minute. Then, add a large spoon of mashed beans and fry for another minute. Then, add the rest of the beans to the pan. Lower the heat to medium-low and allow to thicken for 10-20 minutes.
- After the string beans have baked for 20 minutes, remove them from the oven.