Who says you can’t have Beans and Rice for breakfast? In this recipe, I’m making the iconic Costa Rican dish called Gallo Pinto. Basically, Vegan Beans and Rice, with a Central American twist.
First off, why Costa Rica? Well, this dish is a VERY popular breakfast dish in Costa Rica and a great way to use up leftover beans and rice from the night before. This is THEIR comfort food!
And, Nicoya Costa Rica is one of the 5 Blue Zones, magical areas around the world where people naturally live longer, healthier lives. The other 4 areas are Okinawa Japan, Sardinia Italy, Icaria Greece, and Loma Linda California.
While they may seem like totally different parts of the world, the people who live here share similar traits. They are very social and absolutely love being a part of their community and family. They also have a strong sense of purpose. Exercise is built into their daily routine as well as a good night’s sleep. And they all, for the most part, eat a high fiber, high carb, plant-based diet.
And when you mix all those things together, you get happy, healthy people who live well into their 90’s and 100’s, mostly free from the chronic diseases that plague the rest of us like diabetes, cancer, and heart disease.
And this recipe is one that is a favorite in Nicoya, Costa Rica.
It’s fast, easy, very tasty, and SUPER healthy …. and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
Vegan Rice and Beans (Gallo Pinto)
You’ll need an onion, a sweet pepper, some garlic, a tomato, some cilantro, and of course your rice and beans. Traditionally, they use white rice but you can also use brown if you wish. And the beans of choice are usually red or black.
But there’s one more ingredient we need to discuss. The secret sauce that makes this recipe so iconic. And that sauce is literally on every restaurant table in Costa Rica. It’s comparable to our soy sauce, or ketchup.
It’s called SALSA LIZANO.
Now I’m not going to say you HAVE to have it to make this recipe, because I didn’t. There ARE alternatives. BUT, I did order a bottle of Salsa Lizano and it should be here today. And from everything I have read, it really does make this recipe. I’ve also seen it recommended in the McDougal Groups, so there is that too.
I have Amazon links below as I COULD NOT FIND IT locally, and I searched 7 different stores! If you have a Latino Market near you, check there, otherwise just order it from Amazon.
What about alternatives.
From what I learned when I researched this recipe, Worcestershire Sauce is a close alternative to Salsa Lizano, and there are many brands of Vegan Worcestershire now. Another choice (and what I used in this recipe) is a Jamaican Sauce called Pickapeppa Sauce. No worries, it is NOT hot, and trust me, my wife LOVES the stuff and she does NOT like spice. I found both sauces in several local grocery stores and I also added links to Amazon below.
The recipe is pretty straight forward so I’ll spare you the step-by-step verbiage here. Saute your veggies, add your beans, sauce, and cilantro, then stir in your rice. Easy peasy.
And note that when I DO get my bottle of Salsa Lizano (hopefully today), I’ll report back in with a taste comparison.
Amazon Links
The following links are Amazon Affiliate links and as an affiliate, I do earn from qualified purchases but at no extra cost to you.
Enjoy the recipe and the video will be out soon.
Vegan Rice and Beans (Gallo Pinto)
- Author: Brand New Vegan
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Prep Time: 10 min
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Cook Time: 20 min
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Total Time: 30 minutes
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Yield: 4 Servings
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Category: Main
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Method: Stovetop
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Cuisine: Latin America
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Who says you can’t have Beans and Rice for breakfast? In this recipe, I’m making the iconic Costa Rican dish called Gallo Pinto. Basically, Vegan Beans and Rice, with a Central American twist.
Ingredients
- 1 cup diced onion
- 1 cup diced red bell pepper
- 1/2 cup diced tomato
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 15oz can black beans (drained)
- 2 tablespoons salsa lizano *
- 2 cups cold, cooked rice
- 1/4 cup cilantro
*can sub vegan Worcestershire sauce or Jamaican Pickapeppa Sauce
Instructions
- Add 1 cup of diced onion to a skillet with 1-2 Tablespoons water/veg broth to prevent sticking.
- Saute on medium heat for 1 minute, stirring frequently
- Add peppers and continue sauteing for 1 minute, stirring frequently
- Stir in tomatoes and saute 30 seconds.
- Add garlic, stir, and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Drain beans and add them to the pan
- Stir in 2 tablespoons of the sauce and the cilantro
- Finally, add the cooked rice and stir well to combine, breaking up any clumps
- Cook until heated through.
- Garnish with additional cilantro, chopped onions, or sauce
Notes
Like This Recipe? Tips and Donations are Always Welcome!
Keywords: vegan beans and rice, Gallo pinto, blue zones
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