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West Indian Red Beans & Coconut Rice

In the Caribbean, red beans and rice are cooked together, but at Moosewood we like to ladle saucy red beans over a bed of fragrant coconut rice and garnish with a little greenery.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

Coconut Rice (page 182)
1 1/2 cups diced onions
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes or 1 fresh chile, minced
Salt
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1 28-ounce can of diced tomatoes
1 28-ounce can of red kidney beans, drained
Chopped scallions and/or cilantro

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Cook the Coconut Rice.

    Step 2

    While the rice is cooking, in a saucepan on medium heat, sauté the onions in the oil for 3 or 4 minutes. Add the red pepper flakes, sprinkle lightly with salt, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft, 5 to 8 minutes. Add the thyme, allspice, tomatoes, and beans, cover, and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

    Step 3

    Serve the red beans on a bed of the rice and top with scallions and/or cilantro.

  2. Serving & menu ideas

    Step 4

    Delicious with a side of collards (page 162) or avocado and mango slices. Save room for Caribbean Sautéed Bananas (page 263).

Cover of the cookbook Moosewood Simple Suppers with a red floral motif.
From Moosewood Restaurant Simple Suppers: Fresh Ideas for the Weeknight Table. Copyright © 2017 by Moosewood Collective. Published by Clarkson Potter, an imprint of Penguin Random House, LLC. Buy the full book from ThriftBooks or Amazon.
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