Who says you can't have Beans and Rice for breakfast? In this recipe, I'm making the iconic Costa Rican dish called Gallo Pinto. Basically, Vegan Beans and Rice, with a Central American twist.
First off, why Costa Rica? Well, this dish is a VERY popular breakfast dish in Costa Rica and a great way to use up leftover beans and rice from the night before. This is THEIR comfort food!
And, Nicoya Costa Rica is one of the 5 Blue Zones, magical areas around the world where people naturally live longer, healthier lives. The other 4 areas are Okinawa Japan, Sardinia Italy, Icaria Greece, and Loma Linda California.
While they may seem like totally different parts of the world, the people who live here share similar traits. They are very social and absolutely love being a part of their community and family. They also have a strong sense of purpose. Exercise is built into their daily routine as well as a good night's sleep. And they all, for the most part, eat a high fiber, high carb, plant-based diet.
And when you mix all those things together, you get happy, healthy people who live well into their 90's and 100's, mostly free from the chronic diseases that plague the rest of us like diabetes, cancer, and heart disease.
And this recipe is one that is a favorite in Nicoya, Costa Rica.
It's fast, easy, very tasty, and SUPER healthy .... and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
Vegan Rice and Beans (Gallo Pinto)
You'll need an onion, a sweet pepper, some garlic, a tomato, some cilantro, and of course your rice and beans. Traditionally, they use white rice but you can also use brown if you wish. And the beans of choice are usually red or black.
But there's one more ingredient we need to discuss. The secret sauce that makes this recipe so iconic. And that sauce is literally on every restaurant table in Costa Rica. It's comparable to our soy sauce, or ketchup.
It's called SALSA LIZANO.
Now I'm not going to say you HAVE to have it to make this recipe, because I didn't. There ARE alternatives. BUT, I did order a bottle of Salsa Lizano and it should be here today. And from everything I have read, it really does make this recipe. I've also seen it recommended in the McDougal Groups, so there is that too.
I have Amazon links below as I COULD NOT FIND IT locally, and I searched 7 different stores! If you have a Latino Market near you, check there, otherwise just order it from Amazon.
What about alternatives.
From what I learned when I researched this recipe, Worcestershire Sauce is a close alternative to Salsa Lizano, and there are many brands of Vegan Worcestershire now. Another choice (and what I used in this recipe) is a Jamaican Sauce called Pickapeppa Sauce. No worries, it is NOT hot, and trust me, my wife LOVES the stuff and she does NOT like spice. I found both sauces in several local grocery stores and I also added links to Amazon below.
The recipe is pretty straight forward so I'll spare you the step-by-step verbiage here. Saute your veggies, add your beans, sauce, and cilantro, then stir in your rice. Easy peasy.
And note that when I DO get my bottle of Salsa Lizano (hopefully today), I'll report back in with a taste comparison.
Amazon Links
The following links are Amazon Affiliate links and as an affiliate, I do earn from qualified purchases but at no extra cost to you.
Enjoy the recipe and the video will be out soon.
Vegan Rice and Beans (Gallo Pinto)
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 Servings 1x
- Category: Main
- Cuisine: Latin America
Description
Who says you can't have Beans and Rice for breakfast? In this recipe, I'm making the iconic Costa Rican dish called Gallo Pinto. Basically, Vegan Beans and Rice, with a Central American twist.
Ingredients
- 1 cup diced onion
- 1 cup diced red bell pepper
- ½ cup diced tomato
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 15 oz can black beans (drained)
- 2 tablespoons salsa lizano (can sub vegan Worcestershire sauce or Jamaican Pickapeppa Sauce)
- 2 cups cold (cooked rice)
- ¼ cup cilantro
Instructions
- Add 1 cup of diced onion to a skillet with 1-2 Tablespoons water/veg broth to prevent sticking.
- Saute on medium heat for 1 minute, stirring frequently
- Add peppers and continue sauteing for 1 minute, stirring frequently
- Stir in tomatoes and saute 30 seconds.
- Add garlic, stir, and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Drain beans and add them to the pan
- Stir in 2 tablespoons of the sauce and the cilantro
- Finally, add the cooked rice and stir well to combine, breaking up any clumps
- Cook until heated through.
- Garnish with additional cilantro, chopped onions, or sauce
ALICE VEGA
Or maybe mango? I have some in the fridge!
Christina
Hi Chuck, where are you finding pickapeppa sauce locally?
Thanks, Christina
Barry
We were in Costa Rica three times and three different places Guantacaste, Jaco and Cahuita and not one of these places used tomatoes. And in my opinion don't even bother making it if you don't have Lizano. It's just not the same.
Sandy
This is an easy dish to prepare. I just love the colorful peppers. The Salsa Lizano is fantastic. Definitely a keeper for me.
Molly
This dish is simple and satisfying, and so delicious ! We are now into high 90 degree weather in Denver and this is quick to prepare without heating the kitchen up. Kudos on yet another delicious recipe Chuck!
Molly
Finally got the Lizano Salsa and gave this a try. Loved it! So easy and flavorful. Looking forward to leftovers today to see how they have deepened.
Carla Christian
I made the pinto gallo tonight after I received my Lizano Salsa from Amazon. OMG! I could drink it out of the bottle. I did not have black beans so used brown rice and lentils with all the veggies. Simple fast and delicious meal. Something about the blend of flavors makes me want to add chopped fresh pineapple next time. I love this recipe. Thank you Chuck!
Sylvia
It's interesting that you say that! I made this for the first time ever in my life last week. I ate it for dinner and loved it. Then I heated the leftovers for breakfast next morning....with pineapple! OMG! Do it!
ALICE VEGA
Or maybe mango? I have some in the fridge!
Michelle
I haven't made the recipe yet, but it's on my radar, and I've been on the hunt for salsa Lizano because I wanted to see what the real deal tastes like before attempting to replicate or substitute.
For people living in the Southwest, especially near a Cardenas market, they actually have salsa Lizano. It's not with all of the other salsas, instead, it's in their "foreign foods aisle," where they keep foods from Central and South America like panca paste.I found a bottle in the Cardenas in Tucson, AZ.
Robyn
Our Walmart carries the Lizano Salsa.
Christina
What area of the country are you finding the salsa lizano at Walmart?
Jacquelyn Jones
Costarrcans have a pot of beans and a pot of Rice on the stove for the noon meal, now more often the evening meal. These prepared a day before and reheated make them more flavorful. The Gallo Pinto is Painted Rooster because of the colors from the peppers , red and green added to the black beans and rice. Using these leftovers for the breakfast is most common but you can also see it at other meals as well. Lizano is key to this dish. Never have I used tomatoes cooked in the dish or seen tomatoes cooked in the dish. A dollop of Sour Cream and a side of Plantains are added to the end product. And of course more Lizano !
Susann
I love Gallo pinto! Thank you for this
Marie
Chuck, can you help make the prep easier? When you say a cup of onion, is that a whole, medium onion, is that a half a large onion, etc? Is a cup of bell pepper a whole pepper? Two peppers? Is a half a cup tomato a whole Roma tomato? A half a medium tomato? And so forth. This will help us know if we already have enough ingredients at home or if we need to go to the store. Or if we know we have to go to the store, it will help us know how much we have to buy. Or if we have all the stuff, we’ll have a little idea of how much chopping dew have to do. Some days I can do it; some days I can’t. I love your food, and this looks great!
Judy Shepherd
Not Chuck, but an experienced cook here. I understand what you are saying, however cups are a more precise recipe measure than sizes. If you have a little left over, set aside for salad topping, snacking, another recipe, or just add a little extra to this one.
Jennifer
I’m actually thankful for the cup measurements because large, medium etc could be any size depending on perception. I can look at an onion and say that is at least a cup but a large onion could easily be twice as much from one person to another.
Miss Love
A cup literally means measure a cup of the chopped ingredients. You could guestimate but really you just need to chop and add stuff until it's measured. Produce can vary GREATLY in size so.....
Karen
https://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-lizano-style-costa-rican-salsa-176299
Make your own salsa lizano..,
Kathleen
I looked up Lozano salsa and it has lots of sugar, salt and other stuff. Found this blog with a homemade recipe for the sauce. I was in Costa Rica but don’t remember this sauce.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.thekitchn.com/recipe-lizano-style-costa-rican-salsa-176299%3famp=1