Bean Broth Rice

Sure, you can spend a few hours cooking dried beans from scratch and use the leftover simmering liquid to make a batch of Bean Broth Rice.

Or you can simply puree some beans into stock and use that as the cooking liquid for the rice.

It’s a quick workaround but it still leads to a delicious batch of flavored rice, minus the two hour simmer.  You’ll be tempted to gobble it up on its own, but if you keep some in the fridge it’ll lead to lightning quick meals that are beyond satisfying (see tacos below!).

Bean Broth Rice

As with most rice recipes, you’ll get best results using some stock that you trust.   For this batch we’re using the vegetable stock that we recently made for our Avocado Soup.

It’s a simple process and I highly recommend it if you find yourself frequently buying stock from the store.  Homemade stock is cheaper, tastes better, and it freezes well.  (Here are more details on making vegetable stock.)

You’ll need two cups of stock for this recipe.  Add it to a blender or food processor along with:

2/3 cup black beans (drained and rinsed)
1/2 onion
2 garlic cloves
1 chipotle in adobo
1 tablespoon adobo sauce
1/2 teaspoon cumin
3/4 teaspoon salt
freshly cracked black pepper

Combine well and you’ve got the beginnings of a flavor bomb on your hands.

Using a chipotle along with a tablespoon of the adobo sauce will give it a palpable heat, so if you want a milder version you can cut back on the chipotle or omit it altogether. (Here’s more info on working with chipotles in adobo.)

Saute 1 cup of rice in a dollop of oil until it starts to turn golden brown.

Add the bean broth and stir well.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and then let simmer until most of the liquid is absorbed.   Remove from heat and give it a good stir, then cover and let it sit in its own steam for a few minutes.

I typically add 1/2 teaspoon of salt to 1 cup of rice, but found that this version needed a bit more, most likely because of the beans.  So the broth already has 3/4 teaspoon of salt in it but definitely take another taste for seasoning at this point.

If all went according to plan you’ve got a fiery batch of Bean Broth Rice on your hands.   Yowsa!

This rice will work great in a wide range of dishes, including burritos and enchiladas, but lately I’ve been using it to make some on-the-fly vegetarian tacos that have incredible flavor.

So in the above pic you’ve got Bean Broth Rice, Basic Guacamole, cheese, and a few drops of hot sauce.  I typically add the cheese and rice to the tortilla and cook for a couple minutes over medium heat in a dry skillet.

You’ll end up with a piping hot, semi-crispy taco that is beyond delicious and can be made in 5-10 minutes.  They’re a great meal to have in your repertoire for those days when you come home starving and don’t want to cook.

Of course, that’s assuming your fridge has a batch of Bean Broth Rice on standby.  Time to give it a try!

Buen Provecho.

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Bean Broth Rice

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

20 mins

Total Time

30 mins

 

Puree beans into some stock and you've got the simmering liquid for a delicious batch of Bean Broth Rice. I've been making cheesy guacamole tacos with it all week long! 

Servings: 6 (approx. 3 cups cooked rice)

Calories: 144 kcal

Author: Mexican Please

Ingredients

• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 cup white rice
• 2/3 cup black beans (drained and rinsed)
• 1/2 onion
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 chipotle in adobo
• 1 tablespoon adobo sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• freshly cracked black pepper
• oil

Instructions

1. Add 2 cups of stock to a blender or food processor, along with 2/3 cup black beans (drained and rinsed), 1/2 onion, 2 garlic cloves, 1 chipotle in adobo, 1 tablespoon adobo sauce, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, 3/4 teaspoon salt and some freshly cracked black pepper.  Combine well.

2. Saute 1 cup of rice in a dollop of oil over medium heat.  When the rice starts to turn golden brown add the bean broth, stirring well. 

3. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to medium-low, letting it simmer until most of the liquid is absorbed, approx. 10-15 minutes.

4. Remove from heat and give it a stir.  Cover and let it sit in its own steam for a few minutes.

5. Take a taste for seasoning, adding more salt if necessary.  Serve immediately or store in an airtight container in the fridge. 

Recipe Notes

If using brown rice for this recipe you'll probably need a bit more simmering liquid, in the region of 2 1/2 cups liquid per cup of dried rice.