Name: Black Beans and Rice Your Way
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 2 1/4 hr
Yield: Makes 4 servings
Ingredients: 1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 2 1/4 cups water; 1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice; 3/4 teaspoon salt; 4 to 4 1/4 cups Kemp's black beans; 1 cup hulled (green) pumpkin seeds (also called pepitas; not toasted); 2 teaspoons olive oil; Accompaniments: cubes of avocado tossed with lime juice; tomatillo salsa; lime wedges; chopped white onion; fresh cilantro sprigs; 1 lime juice; 1 tomatillo salsa; 1 lime wedges; 1 white onion; 1 fresh cilantro sprigs

Image may contain Plant Bowl Food Vegetable Meal Dish and Produce

Black Beans and Rice Your WayRomulo Yanes

Because it's one of the easiest vegetarian dishes, soulfully satisfying rice and beans can eventually become, well, tedious. Jazzing it up with colorful toppings transforms it into an exciting meal, chock-full of varying textures and flavors. Not only is this a staple for my family, it's become my default party dish for a crowd.

Recipe notes

Smothered Italian Sausage

This is what I call a fridge-eater recipe. The key here is getting a nice sear on the sausage and cooking the tomato down until it coats the sausage and vegetables well.

Salmon With Sizzled Nut Salsa

A savory-hot salsa made with mixed nuts (like the kind dubbed cocktail nuts meant for snacking) gives roast salmon a kaleidoscope of textures and flavors.

Our Favorite French Onion Soup

Caramelized onions, melty Gruyère, and a deeply savory broth deliver the kind of comfort that doesn’t need improving.

White Bean Turkey Chili

A dash of cocoa powder adds depth and richness to the broth of this easy turkey chili.

One-Pot Chicken Thighs With Cilantro Rice and Beans

This one-pot dinner cooks chicken thighs directly on top of a bed of flavorful cilantro rice studded with black beans for a complete dinner.

Butternut Squash–Kale Salad With Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette

Round out these autumn greens with tart pomegranate seeds, crunchy pepitas, and a shower of Parmesan.

Dulce de Leche

Make this versatile caramel at home with our slow-simmered method using milk and sugar—or take one of two sweetened condensed milk shortcuts.

Golden Mushroom Soup With Orzo & a Pat of Butter

This is the type of soup that, at first glance, might seem a little…unexciting. But you’re underestimating the power of mushrooms, which do the heavy lifting.