Slow Cooker Vegan Red Beans and Rice for 2 (or 3)

By Kathy_Hester

If you can’t find small red beans you can use pre-cooked kidney beans instead and make the dish in the morning. Kidney bean need to be boiled since they contain a toxin called phytohaemagglutinin which is destroyed when you boil the beans for 10 minutes. So either use rinsed canned kidney beans or boil the for 10 minutes before you finish cooking them in the slow cooker.

Ingredients

• This recipe uses a smaller slow cooker 1 1/2 to 2 quarts – you can double the recipe and use a 3 1/2 to 4 quart slow cooker
• 1 cup dry red beans
• 3 cups water
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon salt-free Cajun seasoning
• A few drops liquid smoke or smoked salt
• Tabasco, optional, to taste or serve on the side
• salt, to taste
• cooked rice for serving
• cooked vegan sausage links or grilled tofu, optional

Details

Servings 2
Preparation time 15mins
Cooking time 495mins
Adapted from healthyslowcooking.com

Preparation

Step 1

The night before: In your slow cooker add the dried beans, water, garlic, and bay leaves. Cook on low overnight. (If your 1 1/2 quart slow cooker does not have a low/high setting then it should run on low.)

In the morning: Add the Cajun seasoning, liquid smoke, and Tabasco if using and 1/4 to 1/2 cup of water depending on how long you will be gone for the day or if they just look to dry to cook all day. You can cook these a very long time if you just add extra water, so they are good for days you know you are coming home late.

Before serving: Taste and adjust seasonings and add hot sauce, and add salt if needed.

Serve over brown rice with vegan sausage or grilled tofu if desired. A side salad helps balance out the meal. (And it looks pretty too!)