Vegan Mexican Rice Casserole (Healthy & Easy)
This Vegan Mexican Rice Casserole is layered with rice, beans, corn, salsa, and a creamy dairy-free queso. A healthy weeknight dinner or vegan meal prep!
Ingredients
Rice Mixture
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 2 tablespoons taco seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 15 oz can corn, rinsed and drained
- 2 cups cooked brown rice
- 1 ¼ cup salsa
Vegan Queso
- 1 cup raw cashews, soaked in boiling water for 20 min
- ½ cup non-dairy milk
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
Toppings
- sliced avocado
- scallions
- tortilla chips
Instructions
- Sauté the vegetables: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the diced onion and red bell pepper and cook for 7–10 minutes, until softened and fragrant. Stir in the taco seasoning, salt, black pepper, and smoked paprika.
- Mix the filling: Add the black beans, corn, and cooked brown rice to the skillet. Stir until everything is combined and coated in the spices.
- Layer the casserole: Spread ½ cup of salsa on the bottom of a 9×13-inch (or 8×8-inch) baking dish. Add half of the rice mixture, followed by another ½ cup salsa, then remaining rice mixture. Finish with the last ¼ cup of salsa.
- Bake: Cover the casserole with foil and bake at 400°F for 15 minutes.
- Make the vegan queso: While the casserole bakes, blend the soaked cashews, unsweetened non-dairy milk, nutritional yeast, apple cider vinegar, garlic powder, onion powder, turmeric, smoked paprika, and salt until smooth and creamy. Remove the casserole from the oven, spread the vegan queso over the top, then return it to the oven to bake uncovered for 5 more minutes.
- Garnish and serve: Let the casserole cool for a few minutes, then top with sliced avocado, scallions, tortilla chips, or your favorite toppings. Enjoy!
Notes
- Brown rice swaps: Use quinoa or white rice if you prefer.
- Short on time? Use store-bought vegan queso and pre-cooked rice.
- Spice it up: Add jalapeños or hot salsa.
- Veggie boost: Toss in fresh spinach, cooked sweet potato, or sautéed mushrooms.
- Queso tip: Don’t skip soaking the cashews—it makes the sauce super smooth and creamy.
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 254kcal, Carbohydrates: 30g, Protein: 8g, Fat: 13g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 7g, Sodium: 1231mg, Potassium: 450mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 1124IU, Vitamin C: 28mg, Calcium: 62mg, Iron: 2mg
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