Instant Pot Cuban Black Beans and Rice (Vegetarian & Vegan Recipe)

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Quash the outdated opinions that vegan and vegetarian food is dull, by serving this hearty Cuban Black Beans and Rice dish. A super simple, meatless Instant Pot recipe, featuring oregano and cumin and topped with avocado and red pepper.

Cuban Black Beans and Rice

The full ingredients list and instructions are found in the printable recipe card at the end of this post. I highly recommend reading the blog post all the way through so that you don’t miss any tips or substitution suggestions; to ensure that you have all the ingredients and equipment required, and to understand the steps and timings involved.

No Cuban meal is complete without a portion of Frijoles Negros and rice. This black bean dish is great as a side or as a delicious vegetarian or vegan meal on its own.

This recipe uses dried black beans, but because we’re cooking in an Instant Pot, they don’t need to be soaked in advance. This dish takes around an hour or so to make, and the beans taste even better the next day!

If you don’t need to keep this dish vegetarian or vegan, the addition of some smoked bacon would add another delicious layer of flavor to the beans.

Ingredients & Equipment Used In This Recipe

While most ingredients can be bought in grocery stores, for your convenience, any specialized or notable ingredients (and equipment) needed for this recipe have been listed below and linked to Amazon or other stores if available online.

It does not include staple ingredients such as oil, salt, and pepper, as you’re likely to have those in your kitchen already. The complete list of ingredients with measurements is found in the recipe card.

• Fresh Produce – Red Bell Pepper, White Onion, Avocado, Cilantro (Coriander), Limes
• Dried Black Beans
• Dried Oregano
• Ground Cumin
• Garlic Powder
• Bay Leaves
• Vegetable Broth/Stock
• Red Wine Vinegar

Recipes on The Purple Pumpkin Blog use both cup measurements and/or weighted measurements. American cups and kitchen food scales are handy pieces of equipment to have in your kitchen as it means you’ll be able to make all of the different recipes on my blog. I try to give American, imperial, and metric measurements in my recipes. You can mix cup measurements with weighted measurements, but never mix imperial (pounds, ounces, pints, etc.,) with metric (kilograms, grams, litres, etc.,).

More Recipes Using Black Beans

One of the hero ingredients in this dish is black beans, so here are some more recipes using the same:

• Southwestern Chicken Soup with Black Beans
• Chicken and Black Bean Burrito Skillet – A One-Pan Recipe
• Vegan Black Bean Lettuce Wraps

More Cuban Recipes

Looking for more Cuban dishes to make? Check these recipes out next:

• Cuban Mojo Pork – Perfect For Making Cubano Sandwiches!
• Cuban Mojo Potatoes – A Delicious Side Dish with Chili, Garlic & Lime
• Cuban Black Bean Soup

Recipe Tips

• Reserve the red portion of the pepper top for garnish
• This recipe was tested at 30 minutes of active cook time. Although the recipe works at that time, the beans were a little firm. Add an additional two minutes to the active cook time for less firm results.
• Although not featured here, a tablespoon of tomato paste added prior to cooking would be a nice addition to the flavor profile of this recipe, especially if served as leftovers the next day.

How Do I Make Cuban Black Beans & Rice?

Check out the printable recipe card below with full ingredients and instructions. Any demonstration photos do not print out to save your ink.

Continue to Content

Instant Pot Cuban Black Beans and Rice

Yield: 4

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 32 minutes

Additional Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 7 minutes

Quash the outdated opinions that vegan and vegetarian food is dull, by serving this hearty Cuban Black Beans and Rice dish.

Print

Ingredients

• 1 cup dried black beans, rinsed and picked over
• 1 medium red pepper, seeded and cut into large pieces
• ½ medium white onion, cut into large pieces
• ½ Tbsp dried oregano
• ½ Tbsp dried cumin
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
• 2 whole bay leaves
• 1½ cup vegetable broth
• 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
• 2 Tbsp red pepper, diced
• 3 Tbsp avocado, diced
• 2 Tbsp fresh cilantro (coriander) leaves, chopped
• 1 whole lime, cut into wedges (optional)
• 3 cups cooked white or yellow rice

Instructions

1. Add the beans, red pepper, onion, oregano, dried cumin, garlic powder, salt, black pepper, and bay leaves to Instant Pot.
   
   
   
2. Pour broth on top and add the lid. Set the pressure valve to “sealing” and select the “Manual” cooking option on the “High” setting. Set cook time to 32 minutes.
3. When done cooking, allow the pressure to release naturally for 20 minutes, and then do a quick release of any remaining pressure.
4. Turn the unit off and carefully remove lid. Transfer red pepper, onion, and ½ cup broth to a blender or food processor. Cover and blend until smooth. Pour pureed vegetable mixture back into the Instant Pot®
   
   
   
5. Add red wine vinegar. Season with additional salt and black pepper, as desired, and stir to combine.
   
   
   
6. Serve immediately over a bed of cooked rice, topped with chopped red pepper, avocado, and cilantro. Offer lime wedges, if desired. Enjoy!
   
   

Notes

Tip: Reserve the red portion of the pepper top for garnish

This recipe was tested at 30 minutes active cook time. Although the recipe works at that time, the beans were a little firm. Add an additional two minutes to the active cook time for less firm results.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

• 
  Instant Pot Duo 7-in-1, 6 Quart
• 
  Instant Pot Ultra 3 Qt 10-in-1 Multi-Use 

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 510Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 48mgSodium: 699mgCarbohydrates: 71gFiber: 10gSugar: 4gProtein: 27g

This site uses Nutritionix to provide estimated nutrition. Nutritional information is always approximate and will depend on the quality of ingredients used and serving sizes. If you need exact calories and macros, please do your own calculations.

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Make It A Full Meal

You’ve made the main dish, but what about the rest of the courses?

Here are additional recipes to make a full meal for a dinner party or special occasion:

• Appetizer: Quick & Easy Spicy Salsa Recipe
• Soup: Roasted Fennel & Tomato Soup with Coconut Milk
• Salad: Pesto, Orzo and Cannellini Bean Salad
• Beverage: Frozen Miami Vice Cocktail – A Double Rum Cocktail!
• Dessert: Marvel’s The Falcon and The Winter Soldier Cupcakes

There are 500+ Recipes on The Purple Pumpkin Blog for you to enjoy – please feel free to check them out too.

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