When I told Tim we were having “beans and rice” for dinner, he immediately quoted Baby Got Back lyrics, so I couldn’t resist using that as my title. Black beans and rice would be more accurate. This recipe is adapted from Vegan Yum Yum, a fantastic vegan cookbook—every recipe I’ve tried from it has been reliable.
The best part about this meal is that it includes kale, and I still like kale when it’s prepared this way. Many vegan and vegetarian bloggers rave about kale, and while I respect that, I’m honest about my own preferences: plain kale has never been my favorite. Except for kale chips, I usually find it underwhelming. Still, I try to include it periodically because of its excellent nutritional profile and the many benefits of eating dark leafy greens.
Enter Tahini Lemon Rice and Beans. I adjusted the original recipe a bit because it called for seitan in addition to kale, black beans, and brown rice. My only experience making seitan at home (a Veganomicon recipe) was a disaster—completely inedible—so I left it out. Without the seitan, the dish was delicious—so good that I wished I had a plate while writing this. The kale blends seamlessly into the dish and its usual bitterness is barely noticeable. The tahini-lemon sauce is rich, creamy, and bright, tying everything together. I’ll be making this again soon; it’s that satisfying.
One heads-up before the recipe: this isn’t the most photogenic meal. Tim suggested I skip photographing it, but I went ahead because I prefer seeing what a finished dish looks like before I try it. Color photos in cookbooks are a favorite of mine.
Red beans and rice did miss her!
- Author: Healthy Happy Mama
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
Description
Adapted from Vegan Yum Yum
Ingredients
- 1 cup brown rice
- Tahini Lemon Sauce (recipe below)
- Coconut oil for sautéing
- 1/2 bunch kale, deveined and chopped
- 1 1/2 cups cooked black beans, or one 15.5 ounce can, rinsed and drained
Tahini Lemon Sauce
- 1/4 cup low-sodium tamari or soy sauce
- 1/4 cup tahini
- Juice from 1 large lemon (about 2 tablespoons)
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- Start cooking the rice according to the package directions or your preferred method.
- Make the tahini-lemon sauce: whisk all sauce ingredients together in a bowl and set aside.
- When the rice is nearly done, heat a small amount of coconut oil in a sauté pan over medium heat.
- Add the chopped kale and cook until it begins to wilt. Add the black beans and heat through.
- Stir in the tahini-lemon sauce and turn off the heat. Cover the pan briefly while the rice finishes cooking.
- Add the cooked rice to the pan, toss to coat everything with the sauce, and serve.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main meal
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 507
- Sugar: 4.75g
- Sodium: 137mg
- Fat: 35g
- Carbohydrates: 34.7g
- Protein: 15.5g