Instant pot red beans and rice vegetarian

Ingredients

1 lb dried red beans or kidney beans
1 onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
4-5 cups vegetable broth for Instant pot; 6-7 cups for stovetop
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
1/2 teaspoon sage, crushed
Salt to taste if desired.
1-2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Garnish with chopped cilantro or parsley, and sliced green onions, and hot sauce.

Table of Contents Show

Why Should I Make Instant Pot Red Beans And Rice?
Do I Need To Soak Beans Before Instant Pot Cooking?
How Do You Make Instant Pot Red Beans and Rice From Scratch?
How Do You Cook Beans In A Pressure Cooker?
Are Red Beans The Same As Kidney Beans?
How Do I Thicken Red Beans And Rice?
How Do I Make These Red Beans Vegetarian-Friendly?
Tips And Tricks To Make The Best Vegeatarian Red Beans and Rice
Other Recipes You Might Like
What can a vegetarian cook in an Instant Pot?
Is it safe to cook red kidney beans in an Instant Pot?
Can you cook rice and meat at the same time in Instant Pot?
How long does it take to cook raw beans in an Instant Pot?

Serves 6-8

Serve with cooked brown rice or other whole grain

Soak beans in water to cover overnight, Rinse and drain.

Select ‘sauté’ on the Instant Pot and dry sauté the onion [add to hot pan, set brown very lightly, add a few tablespoons of broth and stir, when it cooks down and onions begin to brown and caramelize, add a bit more broth to prevent burning, then add peppers, celery, and garlic. Stir and cook for 2-3 minutes more. Hit cancel to turn off sauté function. Stir in drained beans, broth, and seasonings, except cilantro and green onion.

Set to ‘pressure cook’ for 25 minutes, and use natural release. After depressurized, remove the bay leaves. Stir in lemon juice. Serve, with a slotted spoon if you want less broth, over hot cooked rice and garnished with cilantro and sliced green onion.

For stovetop: Follow direction above, dry sautéing in a 6-8 qt. stockpot. After adding all ingredients [note amount of broth for stovetop], bring to a boil for 5 minutes, turn down to a simmer and partially cover pot. Cook for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally, until beans are soft. Mash some beans against the side of the pot if you want a creamier consistency.

Adjust seasonings, including more Creole seasoning if desired, and serve.

Details

Use your pressure cooker and make the best Vegetarian Red Beans and Rice recipe you've ever had! It's warm and spicy and makes the perfect comfort food.

Jump to:

Why Should I Make Instant Pot Red Beans And Rice?
Do I Need To Soak Beans Before Instant Pot Cooking?
How Do You Make Instant Pot Red Beans and Rice From Scratch?
How Do You Cook Beans In A Pressure Cooker?
Are Red Beans The Same As Kidney Beans?
Other Recipes You Might Like
Instant Pot Red Beans and Rice

Why Should I Make Instant Pot Red Beans And Rice?

Fast. These Instant Pot Red Beans and Rice are done in a fraction of the time you expect with the help of your Instant Pot.
Easy. Pour the ingredients in the Instant Pot, cook pull the meat off of the bone, and enjoy.
Delicious. Delicious, rich flavors your whole family will love.
Inexpensive. A great meal to help you stretch your budget.

Outside of your Instant Pot making this an incredibly simple way to make red beans and rice. The flavors in this dish alone would make you want to make this over and over!

For many cultures, rice and beans are a staple food. In my experience, each culture has its own way to make it and adds its own spice mixes to make it unique to them. This Cajun version of Vegetarian Red Beans and Rice is a flavor bomb in your mouth.

Do I Need To Soak Beans Before Instant Pot Cooking?

Realistically, no. You don't HAVE to soak your beans before cooking them in the Instant Pot. Many people give them a quick rinse and throw them right in.

However, if you have a sensitive stomach or are prone to gassy discomfort from beans, I would highly recommend you soaking these beans before making this recipe. I'll tell you how to do this quickly below.

How Do You Make Instant Pot Red Beans and Rice From Scratch?

Soak the red beans for an hour in hot water, or overnight.
Add beans, ham hocks, vegetables, seasonings, water, and hot sauce to the Instant Pot.
Cook at high pressure for 15 minutes, and then let the pressure naturally release for 15 minutes.
Remove the ham hocks (or turkey legs, if you don't eat ham) and take off the meat.
Turn on sauté and add a can of Creole cream-style beans.
Add the meat back to the pot.
Cook until it all bubbles up thick, or about 10 minutes on sauté.
Serve over rice.

How Do You Cook Beans In A Pressure Cooker?

Cooking red beans in my pressure cooker is my favorite way to cook them. Each type of beans will have its own set of cooking instructions in the Instant Pot. But no matter the bean, you'll save tons of time cooking them this way.

If you want to see a cheat sheet for cooking beans and lentils in your Instant Pot, I made this video that should help you! Alternatively, if you want an easy printable you can keep on hand, I made a cheat sheet in a printable version HERE.

For more info on how to cook beans and lentils in your pressure cooker, check out my guide on How to Cook Beans in the Instant Pot!

Are Red Beans The Same As Kidney Beans?

No, they are not. Red beans are a smaller bean than kidney beans. However, there aren't a ton of differences between the two beans. They can be used similarly in many recipes depending on what you have available in your pantry.

How Do I Thicken Red Beans And Rice?

Believe it or not, I have a sneaky trick for this! I have actually added a can of Creole cream style red beans so that you can get some thickness from them as they cook down.

You can, of course, choose to omit them. If you would rather use only dried beans, increase your dry beans to 1 1/2 cups of dried beans and puré all but 1 cup cooked beans.

How Do I Make These Red Beans Vegetarian-Friendly?

To make a Vegetarian recipe version of red beans and rice, use liquid smoke and tomatoes to add a bit of that umami taste to the dish without the meat. The tomatoes will also help give it a great texture addition it may miss without the meat as well. Vegetarian Instant Pot Recipes are my favorite go-to comfort food.

Tips And Tricks To Make The Best Vegeatarian Red Beans and Rice

To help thicken the beans at the end, add in a can of Creole cream-style red beans and mix. Alternatively, puré a can of kidney beans and add at the end.
Cajun red beans, typically include Tasso sausage which is a smoked sausage. However, people often use andouille or ham as well. I have used 2 ham hocks in this recipe, but you could also use turkey legs if you don't eat ham.
For a vegetarian version, use liquid smoke and tomatoes to add a bit of that umami taste.
To save time, soak the dried beans in hot water for an hour, instead of overnight.
If you would like to add some ham to this or sausage, I would recommend that you wait until the beans are cooked and smashed. Then add in diced ham, and heat the pot on sauté. Cooking diced ham or smoked sausage for 20 minutes will make it complete mush and weird tasting with a mealy mouthfeel. I’ve done this. Never again.
To prepare ham hocks, remove and Discard the skin (preferably into the mouth of your eagerly awaiting puppy). Then cut off all the meat and add the meat back to the red beans.
Ham hocks vary in how meaty they are. I usually use two ham hocks, but feel free to add a third if you like more meat in your red beans and rice.
These beans get better overnight in the refrigerator. To reheat, add water and then either heat on a low flame, or do what I do: Put what you plan to eat into a Dutch oven. Cover with a lid and place in the oven at 300F for 30 minutes. Slow, hands-free, burn-free heating and totally yummy.
You will need to make the rice separately for this recipe as 15 minutes is too long for white rice and too short for brown rice. See all my pressure cooking rice times and get a printable cheat sheet HERE.

Other Recipes You Might Like

Indian Rajma

Jamaican Peas and Rice

Cajun Dirty Rice

Cajun Seasoning

Cajun Shrimp Boil

Try this Indian Rajma Red beans version for a change of pace
This Cajun seafood boil is one of my most popular recipes.
Jamaican Peas and Rice are another great way to eat red beans
This Cajun Not-so-dirty rice is also a well-loved recipe.
I would highly recommend making your own Cajun seasoning with this recipe.
My Instant Pot Beef Stroganoff is another fantastic Instant Pot recipe.
If you're looking for more great rice recipes, check out my Wild Rice Pilaf! This dish is rich with flavor and is loaded with delightful veggies.
Looking for more great comfort food dishes? Check out my Keto Meatloaf!
Instant Pot Basmati Rice - Make basmati rice quickly and easily.

This Instant Pot Red Beans and Rice recipe is so quick and delicious, you may have a new favorite comfort food. Make this for any night you're pressed for time or just need something hearty to feed your family. If you enjoy this recipe, consider sharing it on Facebook for your friends to make. Don't forget to pin it to make again later.

Make delicious Cajun food at home in your pressure cooker with this Instant Pot Red Beans and Rice recipe! It's the perfect comfort food.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Course: Main Courses, Side Dishes

Cuisine: Cajun

Keyword: Cajun Red Beans and Rice, Instant Pot Red Beans and Rice, Red Beans

Servings: 4

Calories: 409kcal

Click on highlighted ingredients or Equipment to see exactly what I use to make this recipe

▢ 1 cup Dried Red Kidney Beans, soaked for 1 hour in hot water, or overnight
▢ 1/2 cup Onion, diced
▢ 1/2 cup Celery, diced
▢ 1/2 cup Bell Peppers, diced
▢ 1 cup Canned Tomatoes, or fresh diced
▢ 1 tablespoon Minced Garlic
▢ 2 teaspoons Cajun Seasoning
▢ 1/2 teaspoon Dried Thyme
▢ 1/2 teaspoon Dried Sage
▢ 2 cups Water
▢ 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
▢ 2 tablespoons Louisiana Hot Sauce
▢ 2 Smoked Ham Hocks
▢ 1 can Creole Cream Style Red Beans

Dump all the ingredients into the Instant Pot, except for the can of cream style red beans.
Cook at high pressure for 15 minutes, and then allow them to naturally release pressure for 15 minutes.
Remove the ham hocks and pull the meat off the bone.
Turn on saute and add in cream-style beans.
Add the ham meat back into the pot.
Cook until it bubbles up thick, or about 10 minutes.
Serve over rice.

Cajun red beans, typically include Tasso sausage which is a smoke sausage. Peopleoften use andouille or ham as well.
For a vegetarian version, use liquid smoke and tomatoes to add a bit of that umami taste.
I have added a can of beans so that you can get some thickness from them as they cook down. You can of course choose to omit them. If you would rather use only dried beans, increase your dry beans to 1 1/2 cups of dried beans and purée all but1 cup cooked beans.
Alternatively purée a can of kidney beans and add at the end.
If you would like to add some ham to this or sausage, I would recommend that you wait until the beans are cooked and smashed. Then add in diced ham, and heat the pot on sauté. Cooking diced ham or smoked sausage for 20 minutes will make it complete mush and weird tasting with a mealy mouthfeel. I’ve done this. Never again.
You will need to make the rice separately for this recipe as 15 minutes is too long for white rice and too short for brown rice. See all my pressure cooking rice times and get a printable cheat sheet HERE.
To prepare ham hocks, remove and discard the skin (preferably into the mouth ofyour eagerly awaiting puppy). Then cut off all the meat and add the meat back to the red beans
Ham hocks differ in how meaty they are. Feel free to use 2-3 ham hocks if you prefer lots of ham in your beans.
If you don’t eat ham you can use a smoked turkey leg instead

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Originally Published September 7, 2019

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Is it safe to cook red kidney beans in an Instant Pot?

With an Instant Pot and about 1 hour, you can make perfectly cooked kidney beans every time!

Can you cook rice and meat at the same time in Instant Pot?

All you do is set a trivet right over the beef, then fill one Insert Pan with rice and water, set it on top of the trivet and cook both the beef and rice together.

How long does it take to cook raw beans in an Instant Pot?

Pressure cook on high pressure: 30 minutes for unsoaked beans or 15 minutes for soaked beans. Let the Instant Pot natural release for 15 minutes. Quick release any remaining pressure.