Easy Israeli Rice and Beans is a simple recipe for a hearty Mizrahi meal of navy beans seasoned with the warm, earthy taste of Middle Eastern cumin and generously poured over white or yellow rice, combining to make a complete protein.
About this Israeli dish…
This budget-friendly, savory bean and rice dish is popular in Israeli cuisine and served in Israeli restaurants in the U.S.
The earthy cumin flavor is perfect for anyone who loves Middle Eastern food.
It’s a delicious and healthy comfort food that’s not only vegan, but the combination of rice and beans also creates a complete protein!
And if you don’t want to have the beans over rice, you can have them as an absolutely delicious white bean soup!
The longest part of preparing this recipe is soaking and boiling the beans, so if you want to considerably shorten the prep time, just use pre-cooked navy beans!
This dish warms up well, so make it ahead and have it ready for when you get home after a busy day at work or school!
And its uniqueness will make it the perfect dish to bring along to a potluck dinner.
A little about white beans
White beans are also known as navy beans in the US, because the navy has served them to its sailors as a staple since the middle of the 19th century.
White beans are a common type of bean that has been domesticated in North and South America.
And these beans have nutritional benefits! They contain protein and are rich in copper, folate, and iron.
A little about Israeli cuisine
National cuisine is often a mingling of food from a variety of cultures, often due to a change of ruling countries and a shifting of borders.
Turkish cuisine, for example, goes back to the Ottoman Empire and was a combination of several cultures under Ottoman rule.
When people move from country to country, they will take their cultures with them, and their descendants may adapt their traditional cuisine to that of their new home.
That being said, “Israeli cuisine” is basically Middle Eastern (as opposed to Eastern European food) that was brought to Israel by Jews when they fled or were expelled from Muslim countries and moved to Israel mostly after the declaration of the State of Israel (collectively known as Mizrahi Jews).
Even though decades have past, the foods are still known by the culture they came from, but everyone seems to have their own way of making them and there are many variations of pretty much any “Israeli” recipe because of background, custom, or even just taste.
When choosing a recipe, one has to know what actually constitutes the main ingredients—what makes the dish what it is—and what is left up to individual taste.
Some recipes say “authentic” but include a TON of extra ingredients (I saw one recipe for cholent that included SIXTEEN ingredients—my classic cholent recipe is basic and has seven).
Adding more or less of a spice does not belittle the authenticity of a dish.
However, when someone adds a ton of extra ingredients according to their own taste, it’s misleading to tell people that what they are about to put extra effort into is “authentic” (pet peeve), especially when they are unfamiliar with the cuisine.
A good example of this is Israeli salad. What Israelis call Israeli salad is diced tomatoes and cucumbers. Sometimes, they will add some oil, salt, and pepper, but THAT’S IT. Adding anything else is “to taste” and not necessary for it to be “authentic.”
Some cooking terms
What does it mean when recipes say “to taste” about an ingredient?
When recipes say “to taste,” it means that you can put in as little or as much as you like to your own taste. Some recipes have many ingredients that a cook can adjust to their own taste when cooking (not so much when baking, though).
The best way to calculate what your taste is with a recipe that you are not yet familiar with is to first taste the dish and then add the “to taste” ingredient GRADUALLY, a little at a time—a splash of this or a pinch of that—until the dish is just the way you like it.
Make sure to stir the ingredient after each time you add it so that the flavor will distribute evenly and become part of the dish. Then taste again. Repeat until you reach your personal preference.
Note: If you plan on using the recipe again, it is highly recommended to make a note of what and how much you added so that you can refer to it next time.
What does “savory” mean?
“Savory” refers to foods that are not sweet, such as foods that taste salty, spicy, or herbal.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Can I use canned beans for this Israeli rice and beans recipe?
Yes, absolutely. Frozen pre-cooked beans too. While traditional recipes often start with dried beans, you can significantly reduce the prep time by using canned navy or white beans.
Just be sure to rinse off the starches and drain them thoroughly before adding them to your spice mixture.
Is this rice and beans recipe vegan?
Yes, this recipe is vegan. It relies on the earthy, aromatic flavors of cumin and other Middle Eastern spices, making it a perfect plant-based, protein-rich meal.
What is the best type of rice to serve with these beans?
Long-grain white rice or Basmati rice works best because it stays fluffy and absorbs the savory juices from the beans perfectly. You can also use yellow rice if you prefer a slightly more seasoned base.
Can I serve this as a soup instead?
Yes. If you prefer a thinner consistency, simply add more vegetable broth or water to the bean mixture during the simmering process. It transforms into a delicious, hearty white bean soup that is perfect for colder days.
How do I store and reheat leftovers?
This dish stores very well. Keep it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3–4 days. When reheating, you may want to add a splash of water or broth, as the rice will naturally absorb more liquid while sitting in the fridge.
Is this dish considered a complete protein?
Yes. By combining rice and beans, you create a complete protein profile, providing all the essential amino acids your body needs. This makes it a highly satisfying, nutritious dinner option for those following a plant-based diet.
What is needed to prepare Israeli beans and rice?
I hardly ever meal plan, so I like to keep a cupboard full of seasonings, spices, veggies, and canned goods in my kitchen to use whenever the mood strikes.
But these are what you need to have on hand to make this recipe even last minute!
navy beans (white beans)
onion
tomato paste
paprika
chicken bullion powder
white sugar
cumin
granulated garlic
oil for frying
white or yellow rice
If you love Middle Eastern foods, try these!
Moroccan Fish
Turkish Moussaka
Israeli Matbucha
Easy Israeli Rice and Beans Recipe
Delicious navy beans, spiced with cumin and generously served over rice. Vegan and packed with protein.
Ingredients
- 1 pound navy beans (white beans)
- 1 large onion, diced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons paprika
- 2 tablespoons chicken bullion powder, vegetarian
- 1 tablespoons white sugar
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon of granulated garlic
- 8 cups water
- oil for frying
Instructions
- Cook navy beans according to the instructions on the package (cooked through, but not mushy).*
- Wash off the starch.
- Pour enough oil in the bottom of a large pot just to cover the bottom and saute the diced onion until slightly brown.
- Add the water, cooked beans, tomato paste, paprika, chicken bullion powder, sugar, cumin, and granulated garlic.
- Mix well.
- Cook on medium heat for around 20 minutes, mixing occasionally, until the soup thickens a little.
- Pour over white or yellow rice.
Notes
Another option to cook the beans is to first soften them before boiling by placing the beans in a bowl or pot and cover with double the amount of water and 1 teaspoon of baking soda and leaving them for at least 8 hours. Then wash of the beans and place in a pot, cover with water and boil for around an hour or for so long as you need until you can just stick a fork through. Then, follow the regular instructions from number 2.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 191Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 2mgSodium: 19mgCarbohydrates: 36gFiber: 13gSugar: 4gProtein: 11g