Recipe: Vegan New Orleans-Style Red Beans and Rice, Allergen-Free

I was inspired to make up this recipe after watching the New Orleans episode of 
Somebody Feed Phil. Have you seen this show yet? Somebody Feed Phil: "Everybody Loves Raymond" creator Phil Rosenthal travels the globe to take in the local cuisine and culture of Bangkok, Lisbon, Mexico City and more". It's kinda of adorable. And the food photography is stunningly gorgeous!

Watching the New Orleans episode last week, I saw red beans and rice, a New Orleans Monday night staple. (Here's a recipe from Serious Eats, Camellia Brand and one from the New York Times.) I thought that looks yum and I bet I could make it vegan and with everything I already have in my well-stocked pantry. And that's exactly what I did. And it's yum! 

Recipe Notes:
Really this was all pantry stuff, so use what you have, no need to stress the details or buy special things.

I used an orange bell pepper because it's what I had on hand; green, red, yellow, orange, all fine.

I used tomato paste because I had some left over and already opened. If you have some too, or a tube use it but otherwise you can skip it.

Bump up the spice if you like. This recipe definitely has herby notes.

I used Goya Red Kidney beans, not dark red beans, although they'd be fine here, too. Only have chickpeas, I'm sure they would be fine, too.

I served this over cilantro lime rice (steamed white rice, with a squeeze of lime, a shake of EVOO and a sprinkle of fresh chopped cilantro) with a side of steamed broccoli, and some avocado. All yummers!

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Recipe: Vegan New Orleans-Style Red Beans and Rice, Allergen-Free

1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 t tomato paste (optional)
½ t dried oregano
½ t  dried thyme
1 bay leaf
½ t smoked paprika
½ t kosher salt
1/8 cayenne
1 can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can diced tomatoes, juice and tomato flesh
Oliver oil, water, salt and paper as needed

In a medium sized heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat, sauté onions in 1 T olive oil until translucent. Add peppers and sauté until they begin to soften. Add garlic, sauté for 30 second until fragrant and then add tomato paste if using, stirring until paste is incorporated into veggies. Add your spices and herbs (oregano, thyme, bay, paprika and cayenne) and stir until they are all fragrant. Add the drained beans and the can of tomatoes, juice and all. Give everything a stir and add up to a ½ cup of water to the mixture if needed. Bring all to boil and then turn down and let simmer for about 20 minutes, until flavors are melded. Taste and adjust for seasonings. 

Serve over steamed white rice and enjoy!