If you’re looking for a delicious vegan Caribbean side dish that will wow, this authentic vegan Jamaican rice and peas recipe is perfect!
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Vegan Jamaican rice and peas is bursting with flavorful. If you have never had this dish, then you are in for one of the most delicious side dishes that you’ve ever had.
While traditionally, this is a side dish served along things like jerk chicken, as a vegan, this could be a great start to a main dish, served alongside some extra vegetables or maybe even tofu.
This vegan rice dish is bursting with flavor and get nice and fluffy thanks to the coconut milk that is used to insert a ton of flavor into the dish.
What ingredients do you need for vegan Jamaican rice and peas?
This dish uses a ton of flavor to really pack a burst of goodness into your mouth. The ingredients you need are (scroll to bottom for printable recipe card with amounts):
- white onion
- garlic
- scallion (green onions)
- fresh thyme
- scotch bonnet pepper (can sub habanero if you can’t find)
- vegan cane sugar
- fresh cracked black pepper
- Whole Allspice Berries (pimento berries)
- kidney beans (1 can or ¾ cup dry)
- 1 can full fat coconut milk
- salt
- white rice
Why is it called Jamaican rice and peas if there’s no peas in the ingredients?
This may confuse some people that aren’t familiar, but Jamaican rice and peas, is similar to rice and beans. In Jamaica and other Caribbean Islands, beans are referred to as peas.
So no, there’s no peas in the green sense, but instead red beans for this recipe.
Tips for how to make vegan Jamaican rice and peas
*Scotch bonnet peppers are small, spicy peppers widely found in Jamaica and other Caribbean countries. However, in most of the US they are hard to find unless you have a close local Caribbean market or community. Instead, you can use more widely available habanero peppers that are about the same spice level, but don’t have a sweet hint to them like scotch bonnet.
*If you want some of the pepper flavor without making it too spicy, don’t cut the pepper at all just place in whole.
*Use can substitute ½ teaspoon ground allspice for the allspice berries but note that this isn’t the preferred method. Ground allspice isn’t as pungent as the ground variety, so you will loose some of the flavor
*You should absolutely rinse the rice well. Doing this helps to remove any dirt or debris, but more importantly it removes some of the starch that makes the rice clump together. We just rinse until the water runs clear.
Is vegan Jamaican rice and peas Top 8 Allergen Friendly?
The only ingredients in this dish that is considered an allergen is coconut milk.
In most of the world, this dish would be Top 8 Allergen free because coconut milk is only listed as a tree nut in the United States.
If coconut is an allergen for you, then you could still make this recipe with a thicker dairy free milk like oat milk.
Note that coconut milk is a huge flavor component of this dish and by subbing it out you will loose that flavor, but still have a delicious rice.
Can I prep vegan Jamaican rice and peas ahead of time?
Yes. Once prepared, let cool and store in an air-tight container. It will last in the fridge, properly store, for up to 5-7 days.
What are other vegan side dishes I should try?
There are endless possibilities, but here are some of our favorite vegan side dishes that we think everyone will like:
- The BEST Vegan Mac and Cheese
- Vegan Cornbread
- Easy Vegan Mashed Potatoes (4 Ways)
- Vegan Green Bean Casserole
- Italian Vegan Pasta Salad
- Vegan Potato Salad
- Vegan Green Bean Salad
- The Best Vegan Baked Beans
- Vegan Glazed Carrots
- Vegan Scalloped Potatoes
🥳 Get the Full Recipe
Vegan Jamaican rice and peas
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 white onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 scallions, chopped
- 4-5 sprigs thyme, stems included
- 1 scotch bonnet pepper, uncut
- ½ teaspoon vegan cane sugar, more or less to taste (optional)
- ½ teaspoon fresh black pepper
- 6-8 allspice berries (pimento berries)
- ¾ cup dried kidney beans, soaked overnight, then drained (or 1 15oz can drained and rinsed) (133g)
- 13.5 oz full fat coconut milk (383g)
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups white rice, rinsed well (or brown basmati rice) (300g)
- 1 ¼ cups water (can sub with low-sodium vegetable stock) (284g)
Instructions
If using dried kidney beans
- In a large sauce pan over medium heat, add oil and heat until ready. Then add onions, garlic, scallions, thyme, scotch bonnet pepper, sugar (if using), black pepper, and allspice berries. Saute.
- Once onions are soft (about 2-3 minutes), turn heat up to medium-high. Add in the kidney beans and coconut milk and stir together. Once mixture starts to boil, add the salt, stir, and reduce heat to low/simmer. Cover the pot and cook until beans are tender, about 30 minutes to an hour, stirring occasionally. – Note: If there is not enough liquid while simmering add an additional ½ of water to keep beans covered
- Add in the rice and the 1 ¼ cup water and stir well. Bring to a boil, cover, then continue to simmer until rice is fluffy and liquid is soaked up(about 25-30 minutes). Remove from heat. Carefully discard the thyme stems, allspice berries and scotch bonnet pepper.
If using canned beans
- In a large sauce pan over medium heat, add oil and heat until ready. Then add onions, garlic, scallions, thyme, scotch bonnet pepper, sugar (if using), black pepper, and allspice berries. Saute.
- Once onions are soft (about 2-3 minutes), turn heat up to medium-high. Add in the kidney beans, rice, coconut milk and water then stir together. Bring to a boil, cover, then continue to simmer until rice is fluffy and liquid is soaked up(about 25-30 minutes). Remove from heat. Carefully discard the thyme stems, allspice berries and scotch bonnet pepper.
Notes
Video
Nutrition
I am all about anything Jamaican to eat. However, me and kidney beans don’t get along. I just can’t bring myself to try to eat them.
Please tell me an acceptable substitute.
Thanks in advance ☺️
You can omit or use other beans if you want – black, pinto, cannellini, adzuki
Oh, yeah! Hit the spot and so easy.
Tasty ✔️
Quick ✔️
Easy ✔️
Prepared this delicious dish in the morning before the temperature reaches 90+ again. I already had brown basmati rice prepared, grabbed a can of red beans, and added julienne carrots, diced red & green pepper, and celery and it’s a colorful dish to enjoy for the rest of the day!
Thanks MIDF!!!
You’re so welcome
Green peas, chick peas or broad beans seem to do the trick for me as well. Different nuances in the flavour but definitively worth trying out.
However if you’re not into beans or peas you could also try:
Carrots or root vegetables: sweet and starchy (celeriac or any color of carrot)
Thick kale leafs: bittersweet and fiberish (brussel sprouts or cabbage)
Mushrooms: earthy and chewy (button, shi take or king oyster)
Thanks for sharing
I don’t see peas as an ingredient for this recipe. Am I missing something?
it’s the beans. In Jamaican it’s referred to as rice and peas but it contains beans
I am betting that it is called Rice and Peas as it was probably made originally with Pigeon Peas (called Gandules in Spanish speaking Puerto Rico) vs. Kidney Beans. And yes, Pigeon Peas are legumes. In Puerto Rico they have a very similar dish called Arroz con Gandules (Rice and Pigeon Peas) that is hugely popular and part of the island culinary DNA.
I made your Jamaican Curry this evening. Great. Very authentic. It was a crowd pleaser and one of those vegan meals that even non-vegetarians will really like. This Curry recipe if very flexible. Once a person has down the spices and the cooking technique they can use the ingredients that they have at hand – Pigeon Peas vs. Kidney Beans or Chickpeas vs. Lentil Beans etc…
Thank-you for what you are doing! Awesome website and YouTube channel!
Mike in KY
Thanks Mike. Jamaicans actually call beans “peas” so that’s why. Andrew’s mom has always used Kidney beans.
Dear All,
If you dont have kidney peas, black eye or gungo pease will work. If possible soak the peas then cook them yourself, the flavour from the peas is what gives the rice the lovely flavour. Also if you dont have coconut milk the coconut block will work just as well.
Love your recipes, always check you first if I want some food inspiration.
Thank you for all your hard work ❤
hi, can you please tell me about how many tsp of allspice powder to add as opposed to the whole berries? Plan on buying whole berries since learning the huge difference in fresh ground spices after cooking indian food..
Thank you
From the post above:
*Use can substitute 1/2 tsp ground allspice for the allspice berries but note that this isn’t the preferred method. Ground allspice isn’t as pungent as the ground variety, so you will loose some of the flavor
I made this in the instant pot! When it was time to add the rice I just omitted the water and it was delicious! Thank you for the recipe.
The jamaican rice and peas recipe makes no sense if you are going to used canned peas. Firstly, the dish is already vegan. We used natural kidney beans which is soaked from over night or goya red kidney bean which takes less than a hour to cook. That gives the rice its color and added flavour. Scallion, thyme, scotch bonnet pepper, garlice, and your favourite season is good to go..mine is maggie season. Thats all..all that jumbo mumbo haevy down the rice and mask the flavor
Thanks for your feedback. This recipe is from a Jamaican relative.
If I use canned kidney beans, when would I add them? Before or after the rice is cooked? Thanks!
Hi! The recipe is written to use canned beans so you just follow the written instructions! We hope you love it 🙂