Want to learn how to make delicious, healthy, hearty 5 Star ★★★★★Vegan Collard Greens, Beans, and Dirty Rice?
It's a recipe that blends simple ingredients with savory and spicy seasonings for a lively meal too scrumptious to pass up.
I relish reading my fellow bloggers' food posts and frequently search for online inspiration. If a recipe idea attracts me, I test it and adapt the dish to satisfy my hunger, make good nutritional sense, and feed my soul.
A few years ago, I saw a Cajun/Southern style Dirty Rice Recipe that featured animal protein. The "dirty rice" part of this dish got its name from chunks of fatty meat and seasoning that makes the rice and collards look dirty, the food too greasy, and high in cholesterol.
So I converted this conventional recipe into a plant-based, gluten free, cholesterol free main dish delight.
My adaptation is rich in flavor, vegan, and provides a good amount of calcium, protein, and antioxidants. See details about the health benefits of collards here. See the health benefits of beans too.
Please note: this post is intended for entertainment and information only, and not provided as medical/nutritional advice.
I hope my enthusiasm and information has piqued your interest, and you'll read the recipe below.
5 Star ★★★★★Vegan Collard Greens, Beans, and Dirty Rice
This dish is perfect for times you crave spicy, wholesome, and filling. Please let me know how you like it.
Ingredients:
3 cups low sodium vegetable broth
1 cup long grain brown rice (I used organic brown Basmati for the aroma, health benefits, and good taste)
1 bay leaf
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
1 15 oz. can garbanzo beans (drained) or same amount of pinto or other beans
1 bunch collard greens (about ten
leaves) middle stalk (stem) removed from each piece
1 chopped red or yellow onion, or a
bunch of scallions to equal 1 cup
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper up to 1/4 teaspoon depending on how hot you like it
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup raw shelled pumpkin seeds
1 Tablespoon low sodium non-GMO gluten free soy sauce
Freshly ground black pepper
2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast. "Nooch" as it is affectionally called, adds a savory layer of flavor, and pleasing golden yellow color to this dish. Nutritional yeast is available in the bulk section of most markets or comes in a shaker container located near the spices.
Optional ingredients: mushrooms, red pepper, celery, carrot, or other veggie you enjoy. If you're using additional veggies, clean and chop them before proceeding to step one.
What to do:
1. In a sauce pan bring 2 cups
vegetable broth to a boil. Add the rice, bay leaf, turmeric, paprika, and freshly ground pepper. Cover and
return to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cook 30 to 35 minutes, or until the
liquid has been absorbed. Remove bay leaf and let the rice sit for a few minutes. Then, fluff rice with a fork.
2. While the rice is cooking, prepare the collard greens, (one cup contains 10% of the RDA of protein and 27% for calcium).
Wash the collards in cool water. Place one leaf on your cutting board at a time. Remove the tough stalk that runs down the center of the leaf by slicing down each side of the stalk.
Stack the collard leaves one on top of the other, with the leaf tips all
at the same end. Roll the stack tightly in a long tube. Starting at the thick
end, slice the collards as thinly as possible to make spaghetti like strands.
Then cut the strands across into ½ in. pieces.
3. Place raw pumpkin seeds in a roasting pan in the oven. Set temperature to 450° F. When the oven reaches that temp, remove the seeds from oven and let sit. For health facts see Pumpkin Seed Health Benefits from Medical News Today.
4. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion or scallions. Sauté until tender for approximately 5-7 minutes. Stir in the minced garlic, grated ginger, and other spices and sauté another two minutes. Add any extra vegetables you want to include now.
5. Pour in the last cup of vegetable broth and add beans into the mixture.
One cup of beans provide 6g-9g of protein, 6 g of fiber, and 10% of the RDA for Iron. Beans add depth and creaminess to this recipe without adding fat.
Stir in the collard strands and cover the skillet. Cook over medium-heat for 5-10 minutes more, or until the collards are tender and beans are hot. If there is a lot of liquid left in the pan, refrigerate it to use in soups, gravies, or stews.
6. Combine collards, beans, roasted pumpkin seeds, low sodium gluten free soy sauce, and nutritional yeast.
Either serve on a bed of dirty rice as shown in the picture at the top of this post or mix all ingredients together as illustrated below.
Grind in a generous amount of black pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
Serve piping hot or at room temperature. This recipe goes well with a salad and cornbread. It will serve 4-6 hungry people. 💚
Before you go, don't forget to comment below.
I read and appreciate every comment, but will not publish those that contain links. Thanks for understanding.
Did you learn something new about dirty rice, beans, or collard greens? Will you try to include this dark green leafy vegetable powerhouse in meal planning? Sure hope you'll give it a try.
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