Rice and beans – the simplest of meals and yet so nourishing and balanced. This one uses the sheet pan method to roast a bunch of veggies and beans in spices until caramelized and crispy. Serve that on top of some warm rice and top with a simple avocado lime sauce for a comforting, protein-packed vegetarian meal!
Ingredient Highlight
Black beans! and legumes are a great way to get protein along with a heavy dose of fiber, complex carbs, folic acid, iron, magnesium, and potassium to name a few. They are famous for making you fart (hehe) because of the specific sugars (oligosaccharides) they contain that we have trouble breaking down. Cooking your beans from scratch reduces the fart-causing substances!
Servings 4
Prep Time 10 minutes 
Cook Time 25 minutes Ingredients
- 1 cup jasmine white rice or short grain brown rice
- 1 bell pepper, seeds removed, chopped*
- 1 sweet potato, cut into ½-inch cubes (about 2 cups)*
- ½ cabbage, chopped (about 4 cups)*
- 2 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed (about 3 cups)
- 3 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 1 ¾ tsp kosher salt, divided
- 2 tsp ground cumin, divided
- 2 tsp garlic powder, divided
- ½ cup toasted pumpkin seeds
- ½ cup crumbled queso fresco, cotija, or feta cheese (optional)
For the sauce:
- 1 ripe avocado
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 1 cup cilantro, leaves and stems (about ½ bunch)
- ½ jalapeno, seeds removed (optional)
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½-¾ cup water
- *Any combination of veggies can be used here, you just want about 7 cups worth.
- Note: ~ highly recommend doubling this sauce if A. you’re like me and like to drown your bowls in sauce or want leftovers to use on other things (eggs, veggies, etc…)
Instructions
- Cook your rice (see instructions here).Preheat the oven to 450F or 425F convection. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Add bell pepper, sweet potato, and cabbage to one baking sheet and the beans to the other. Drizzle veggies with 2 tablespoons oil and the beans with 1 tablespoon oil. Add 1 teaspoon cumin and 1 teaspoon garlic powder to each baking sheet. Sprinkle ¾ teaspoon salt over the veggies and 1 teaspoon salt over the beans. Toss both to coat in the oil and spices.
- Transfer both baking sheets to the oven and bake for 15 minutes, or until the beans are dried out a little and slightly crispy. Continue to bake the veggies for 10 more minutes, or until browned in spots.
- Add all sauce ingredients to a blender (starting with ½ cup water) and blend until smooth. Depending on how large your avocado is, you may need more water. If too thick, thin it out with more water until it’s pourable rather than thick and gloppy. Taste and add more salt, if needed.
- Serve warm rice topped with roasted beans/veg and drizzle generously with sauce. Top with cheese (if using) and toasted pumpkin seeds.
Items you can prep ahead (optional)
- Cook 1 cup rice
- Chop 1 bell pepper
- Cube 1 sweet potato (2 cups)
- Chop ½ cabbage (4 cups)
- Toast ½ cup pumpkin seeds
- Make avocado lime sauce
Substitutions:
- Easily add more protein by adding shredded chicken into the mix.
- Use any veggies you want here. You should have a total of about 7 cups.
- Not into the rice? Turn it into a taco or even a taco salad by adding in some chopped romaine.
Storage:
-
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer:
- Leftover beans and veggies: up to 5 days in the fridge or 2 months in the freezer
- Rice: up to 5 days in the fridge or 2 months in the freezer
- Sauce: up to 6 days in the fridge or 2 months in the freezer
Leftovers + Repurposing:
- Warm up the beans, veg, and rice in the microwave until warmed through. Top with sauces, seeds, and cheese + a squeeze of lime. Top with a fried egg if you’d like.
- Repurpose the beans and veg into a breakfast taco by adding scrambled eggs.
- Make it a salad by adding in chopped romaine.
