Description
This One Pot Vegan Caribbean Pelau with Beans and Spinach is a plant-based twist on the traditional West Indian comfort dish. Made with coconut milk, hearty beans, tender rice, and vibrant spinach, all simmered in fragrant spices and caramelized sugar, it’s a flavorful, nutritious, and satisfying one-pot meal perfect for weeknight dinners or meal prep.
Ingredients
2 tbsp neutral oil
2 tbsp sugar
1 large yellow onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
3 large carrots, peeled and finely diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
3 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp kosher salt
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 (13.5 oz) can coconut milk
1 cup water
1 cup long-grain white rice
2 (15 oz) cans red beans, drained and rinsed
10 oz baby spinach
Instructions
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Heat oil and sugar in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until the sugar is dark and smoking, about 4 minutes, stirring frequently.
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Lower heat to medium-low. Add onion, bell pepper, and carrots; cook for 10 minutes until softened.
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Raise heat to high. Add garlic, tomato paste, salt, and turmeric; stir to coat vegetables.
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Pour in coconut milk and water. Bring to a boil.
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Stir in rice and beans. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 25 minutes until rice is tender.
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Remove from heat. Stir in baby spinach, cover, and let sit for 10 minutes to wilt spinach.
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Fluff and adjust seasoning to taste. Serve warm.
Notes
Substitute red beans with kidney beans, black beans, or pigeon peas.
Add a scotch bonnet or habanero pepper for Caribbean heat.
Mix in other vegetables like zucchini, corn, or green peas.
Frozen spinach works—just thaw and drain before using.
This dish freezes well and tastes even better the next day.
