This Spanish Rice is a delicious, easy one-pot meal. Make with whole foods ingredients, perfect for meatless Mondays! Vegan, gluten-free, and oil-free.
This Spanish Rice recipe has been recreated from a childhood dish I ate often.
We all have food memories from our childhood, right?
Some we remember with distaste (ugh jigs dinner, fried caplin, cod tongues, and liver).
Others we remember with fondness – like this Spanish Rice.
As I’ve mentioned before, my mom had six children, all girls. She cooked many dishes from scratch, and her Spanish Rice was in regular meal rotation.
I don’t know where my mom’s Spanish Rice dish originated from. I figure she found the recipe in a magazine and cut it out, or it was passed along in a handwritten note by a friend.
Remember when we did that??
Tore out recipes from magazine and added them to a binder with handwritten favorites?
There was something so special and treasured about those homemade cookbooks.
Or, my mother may have ‘winged it’. She did that often, as I do.
When you cool often you don’t need to measure ingredients all the time. You just go by texture, smell, flavor, and build on those elements as you go.
What was always characteristic about this dish is that it always contained corn, chopped bell peppers, rice, and beef. It was more of a casserole than a stew, just prepped on the stove.
For years I wanted to veganize this dish from childhood. I didn’t ask her for the recipe. I’m not sure if she still has it in her collection of hand-written recipes.
I just began building the textures and flavors as I remembered. After a few trials, I think I came pretty close! It’s a comforting dish with homey flavors and textures.
Best of all, this vegan Spanish Rice is so simple to prepare. Get it all into a pot and let the magic begin!
I hope this Spanish Rice becomes a family favorite for you as well.
Enjoy! x Dreena
Looking for some Spanish or Mexican dishes? Check these out!
Vegan Spanish Rice
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp water (ore more if needed)
- 1 1/2 cups diced onion
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 1/2 tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 – 1 1/4 tsp sea salt start with 1 tsp
- black pepper to taste
- 1 cup dry green or french lentils
- 3 – 3 1/4 cups water
- 1-2 bay leaves
- 1 cup diced red bell pepper
- 2 1/2 – 3 cups precooked brown rice see note if using uncooked rice
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp pure maple syrup
- 3/4 – 1 cup corn kernels can use frozen
- extra salt/pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large pot over medium-high heat, add the water, onion, oregano, basil, paprika and sea salt. Stir, cover, and let cook for 5-6 minutes. If mixture is sticking, add another splash of water. Remove the cover, and add the lentils, water (starting with 3 cups), and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to low. Cook for about 30 minutes, then add the bell pepper, rice, tomato paste, vinegar, and maple syrup. Return cover and cook for another 5 minutes or until the lentils are fully cooked through. If lentils are still firm, add the remaining water and let cook another 5-10 minutes. Once cooked through, stir in corn kernels (let heat through for a couple of minutes if frozen corn kernels). Taste, season with additional salt or pepper as desired, and serve.
Notes
- Rice note: If you don’t have precooked rice, use 1 cup of dry brown rice, and add another 2 cups of water to cook.
Jane Connor says
Have only made this once but have been craving it ever since. Pot number 2 is on the stove and it is only 205pm. Trying to figure out if it is afternoon tea or dinner – or both! Just so delicious!!!
Dreena Burton says
Just love to read this, thanks Jane!
Nina Windhauser says
I made this in the Instant Pot tonight and it was a huge hit! Everyone devoured it! Thanks again for another amazing one pot meal!
Ro says
Made this and LOVED it Dreena, this is the second of your recipes I have made since discovering your website/insta etc and think I am going to be working my way through all your recipes….I have a feeling that they are all going to be as amazing as this and your Sweet Potato Choc Cake (which I have now made 5 times in less than a week as it is such a hit with family and friends who we have shared meals with!!! 🙂 ). THANK-YOU a trillion for what you do to help make being vegan and WFPB such an awesome and healthy culinary adventure 🙂 xxx
Dreena says
Hi Ro, well I’m delighted – 2 for 2! I hope you find many more recipes to love on my site. Happy cooking!
Darin Cordell says
Hi, I tried this in the Instant Pot. I used dried brown rice and dropped the liquid to 2 3/4 water. I just popped all the ingredients in and gave a good stir. Set the IP to 23 minutes and did a natural release for 10 minutes. I am here to say it was so easy and extremely delicious, but then again this is a Dreena Burton recipe, so that was already a given. 🙂
Dreena says
You’re a dear, Darin. Thanks so much. x
Stacey D'Amico says
Hi Dreena. This sounds so good. I was going over the steps before making this and I don’t see when we are supposed to add the bay leaves.
Thank you!
Dreena says
Hi Stacey, darn, sorry about that. I’ll pop back and make that tweak – thank you.
Denise says
I tried the Spanish Rice tonight. I followed the recipe but added 2T of chili powder and 2 tsp. of garlic. It was very tasty! I served it with guacamole and low fat chips.
Lisa Viger is Planted365 says
Nice! I LOVE Spanish rice! Oil-free and vegan … even better!
Dreena says
Thanks Lisa!
Lucy says
This looks great! How many will it serve?
Dreena says
Hi Lucy, it serves 4-5, though I have a hard time estimating that now because our older girls can eat a lot of food! I thought I had the servings in the recipe, I’ll check that!
Ellen says
Thank you, Dreena! Sounds great! Two questions though. Have you tried this in the instant pot? And for cooking it on the stove, if I use brown rice, would I add it with the lentils and cook for 40 -45 minutes?
Dreena says
Hi Ellen, thanks! I haven’t done it in the IP, though I’m going to give it a go. I figure it should take as long as green lentils to cook, but not needing quite as much water. Yep, add rice dry with the lentils. Enjoy!
Kate says
I would like to know how this would work with the Instant Pot as well.. thank you!!
Dreena says
Hi Kate, I plan to test it in the IP, haven’t yet. I figure it should take as long as green lentils to cook, but not needing quite as much water.
Jules Shepard says
We used to have spanish rice a lot growing up so it’s one of my favorites! This looks delicious, easy and quite pretty actually! Thanks for sharing!
Dreena says
Oh nice!! Thanks for that feedback, Jules.
Jeanne Kaiser says
This looks so delicious. How could you prepare this using the Instant Pot? Thanks!
Dreena says
Hi Jeanne, I plan to test it in the IP, haven’t yet. I figure it should take as long as green lentils to cook, but not needing quite as much water.