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When I have the itch to try a new recipe, on a hot and muggy day, I turn to my pressure pot. Not only is my meal ready in minutes, the kitchen stays cool. I thumbed through one of my vegan pressure cooker books for inspiration. The one that caught my interest, Navy Beans, Brown Rice & Kale, was easily adapted to meet my dietary needs. I also had most of the ingredients on hand.
Navy Beans, Brown Rice & Kale
I chose this recipe because I love the combination of beans and rice. Throw in some greens…kale in this case…and some onion, garlic and seasonings and it’s the perfect quick meal for me.
After an afternoon busy with real estate, it was a joy to come home and prepare a fast and nutritious meal in the pressure cooker.
Navy Beans, Brown Rice & Kale
Equipment
- Pressure Cooker
Ingredients
- 1 cup dried navy beans
- 1/2 cup uncooked brown rice
- 1/2 yellow onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 cups chopped kale, loosely packed
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 3 cups vegetable broth or water
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp sea salt
Instructions
- Rinse and drain navy beans
- In uncovered pressure cooker, heat coconut oil. I set the pressure cooker to the "fish" setting to saute. Saute onion and garlic for 3 minutes, until onion softens. Cancel setting,
- Add navy beans, brown rice, kale, bay leaf, thyme and vegetable broth. Stir and cover. Cook for 25. Allow for a natural release.
- Carefully remove lid. Discard bay leaf. Add lemon juice and sea salt. Makes four servings.
- *Collard greens or spinach may be substituted for kale, if desired. Water may be substituted for vegetable broth.
The Start of Something Good
As I tidied up the kitchen, the tantalizing aroma of dinner cooking filled the room. If the navy beans, brown rice & kale tasted as good as it smelled, I’d count this recipe a success.
I didn’t have to wait long to find out! Twenty five minutes later, the timer went off. I allowed the steam to release naturally, which means I didn’t turn the knob on top of the pressure cooker to manually release the steam. Instead, I let it seep out, which took another 10 minutes or so.
At last I carefully lifted the lid. After removing the bay leaf, I added freshly squeezed lemon juice and a teaspoon of sea salt.
Navy Beans, Brown Rice & Kale Taste Test
After ladling up a bowl of this quick and hearty meal, and taking a photo of course, I sampled a spoonful.
This easy to prepare meal was SO GOOD! The flavors of the beans, rice and kale blended perfectly. And the thyme and bay leaf added just the right amount of seasoning.
I carried my steaming bowl into the living room and savored my meal, sitting in my favorite chair. I’ll definitely be making this recipe often. As summer gives way to the cooler temps of fall, navy beans, brown rice & kale will go into my meal rotation, to be enjoyed often.
Check out this pressure cooker recipe as well:
Order one of these plant based pressure pot cookbooks!
