Instant Pot Vegan Red Beans And Rice Recipe

Red beans and rice is one of the best side dishes around. In this case, the addition of vegan sausage makes the usual side dish a main course if you're so inclined. Recipe developer Miriam Hahn is known for coming up with some of the tastiest (and healthiest) recipes out there, and we must applaud her on this one. "I love this recipe because it is savory and flavorful and a great weeknight dinner," Hahn says. "[It's] super easy, and it is a great recipe to have leftover in your fridge for the rest of the week."

And there's something to be said about how easy it is to cook with the Instant Pot. "My favorite thing about doing this in the Instant Pot is you can leave it unattended," Hahn says. "I come and go a lot, and with the Instant Pot, you can comfortably leave the house, unlike if you were cooking this on the stove. Once it is done cooking, it switches to a "keep warm" setting and is perfect for when you are ready to eat."

This wonderful dish is filled with veggies, beans, vegan sausage, and rice. If it sounds like it's right up your alley, keep reading to find out how to make it.

Recipe prep begins with a trip to the grocery store to get all the ingredients on your list. For starters, you will need some small red beans and olive oil. In addition, be sure to pick up a package of Beyond Meat Italian sausage or a similar type of vegan sausage. When you head to the produce section, be grab an onion, celery, a green pepper, and garlic.

The recipe also calls for plenty of spices, which means it'll feature lots of flavor. You will need to grab bay leaves, Cajun seasoning, basil, oregano, salt, thyme, sage, and pepper. Last but not least, get a little vegetable broth and rice. You'll want to cook the rice before you make the recipe, or while your Instant Pot is working its magic. 

Now that you've gotten your grocery shopping out of the way, it's time to do the rest of the prep work. Grab your red beans and a large bowl that's big enough to hold them. Pour the red beans into the bowl and cover them with water. Let the red beans soak in the water for about an hour before draining them. 

"Soaking the beans helps them cook a little faster and also helps with digestion. I like to just soak [them] for an hour to get them started," Hahn notes. "You can soak [them] overnight. [If so], your cook time would be a lot less, in the 25-minute range."

Here's the part where your Instant Pot comes into play. Place the handy kitchen device in a safe spot on your counter and drizzle in the olive oil. Hit the "sauté" setting and add your sliced sausage. "I cut the sausage about ¼-inch thick. I like to use Beyond Meat, but Tofurkey makes a great vegan sausage that is actually firmer when you cut it," Hahn notes. "The Beyond Meat sausage is a little softer, which is why I usually keep it frozen and take it out a few hours before, and leave it in the fridge."

Sauté the sausage for 8 minutes, making sure to stir frequently. Then, remove the sausage and lay it on paper towels to dry the excess oil. 

When one goes out, another goes in. After removing the sausage from the Instant Pot, add the diced onion, celery, green peppers, and garlic. By the way, these have some great health benefits. "I love the veggies in this recipe. Green pepper is very high in vitamin C and Iron," Hahn notes. "I think they have great flavor when they are cooked and prefer them [cooked] over raw. Celery is full of natural mineral salts that are hydrating and [it's] full of antioxidants and fiber."

Sauté the veggies for about 3 minutes, and be sure to stir frequently. Then, add the sausage, broth, those soaked beans, and remaining spices and select "cancel" to stop the sauté setting.

Place the lid back on the Instant Pot and set the top nozzle to "sealing." Then, select "pressure cook" and set the timer for 40 minutes. Once the timer dings, let the Instant Pot release the pressure naturally. This should take about 30 minutes.

Once the time has passed, switch the nozzle on the lid to "venting," and if any steam is left, it will shoot out the top. When that's done, open the lid and remove the bay leaves. The bay leave add flavor when they cook, but they'd have a very bold flavor if you actually ate them. 

We bet you're ready to dig in! Once you remove the mixture from the Instant Pot, serve with rice and enjoy. "You can eat this totally on its own as it a great mix of protein, fat and fiber. But I love serving it with a big green salad." Hahn shares.

And if you have leftovers? "Leftovers last a week if you keep [them] in the fridge in an airtight container. If you are using canned beans, it is good for about 4 days. Canned beans tend to go bad much quicker than fresh beans made from scratch," Hahn shares.