Instant Pot or Stovetop
This is a super easy vegan Popeye’s red beans knock off that you can do in an instant pot. Use canned beans and skip the pressure cooking.
The Beans
The best beans to use are small red beans like the ones pictured above. You can buy canned small red beans and skip the pressure cook. I like to pressure cook for two reasons.
- I add a little salt to the pressure cook so the bean flavor comes out
- sometimes canned beans are inconsistent and have hard beans
I find Goya beans to be the most consistent.
Simple, Simple, Simple
Pressure cook a pound of beans with six cups of water, 1/2 tsp salt, for 19 minutes. If the beans aren’t soft pressure cook for two more minutes. Release pressure.
I like to transfer the beans to stovetop with the liquid. If you are using canned beans this is the starting point.
Add
- 1 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp black pepper, 1/2 tsp liquid smoke, 1/2 tsp cayenne
- cook on medium low heat. add water if needed. with your spoon break up some of the beans while stirring.
- keep breaking up beans and stirring. The starch from the broken beans will form a gravy like consistency
- once the beans are tender and gravy like adjust the salt
- serve with rice, scallions, and hot sauce.
Vegan Popeye’s Red Beans
This is an easy quick instant pot recipe. You could also use canned red beans and skip the pressure cooking.
Ingredients
- 1 lbs small red beans I like the Goya brand
- 6 cups water
- 1/2 tsp salt
Seasoning
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp liquid smoke
- 1/2 tsp cayenne
- salt or vegetable base to taste
Instructions
- put the beans, water, and half tsp of salt in an instant pot.
- set pot on pressure and 19 minutes. Let the beans cook. Release pressure.
- If your beans aren't tender pressure cook another 2 minutes. Some beans take longer because they are older.
- transfer beans and liquid to a pot. You can finish in the instant pot but you might keep getting burn messages.
- add everything but the salt and cook over medium low heat. Break up beans with your spoon as you stir. Add more water if necessary.
- You want the starch in the broken beans to form a gravy. Cook until very tender and you have a gravy like texture. Adjust salt and spices