The bean and rice bowl is one of the easiest meals to make for one simple reason—It relies on two of the most abundant foods worldwide. According to InsiderMonkey, which is backed by Yahoo! Finance, Rice is the 5th most produced food globally, only behind milk, palm oil, wheat, and corn. Rice is easy to grow and produces a large yield. It is also very adaptable, as it blends easily with sauces, spices, and other ingredients. According to Our World In Data, over 2 million tons of beans are produced yearly in the US and Mexico alone, making them another accessible food. Nutritionally, beans also provide lots of protein while being a plant, which is both vegan-friendly and more economical and environmentally conscious than meat.
This dish is a simplification of the burrito bowl, which is considered an invention of the restaurant Chipotle. This recipe, which includes a mixture of beans, rice, meat, vegetables, and sauces, derives from a much more classic dish, the burrito. The burrito is a staple of Mexican food, and is popular the world over. It wraps the same ingredients in a tortilla shell for convenient handling while eating. The word burrito is the diminutive form of burro, which translates to “donkey” in Spanish. Historians have speculated that this refers to the burrito’s resemblance to rolled parcels often carried by donkeys. However, according to TheRecipe, while no one knows exactly when the burrito was invented, it dates back to at least the 18th century in Mesoamerica, a region that now includes Mexico and parts of Central America. The earliest burritos were said to be made of flour tortillas wrapped around beans or meat.
Let’s get cooking!
Ingredients
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- 1 16 oz. can of beans (black or pinto)
- 1 ½ Cups uncooked rice
- Salsa
- Tortilla chips (optional)
Utensils Needed
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- Four microwave-safe soup bowls
- Saucepan or rice cooker
- Can opener
- Spoons
Steps
- Prepare rice to package instructions. Cook approximately 1 ½ cups of rice (3 cups cooked).
- Drain and rinse beans in the can.
- Add beans and rice to bowls, and combine to preference.
- Microwave bowls for 1-2 min. on medium power, or until hot.
- Using spoon, mix in jarred salsa.
- Serve in 4 bowls with tortilla chips. Optionally, top with cheese, sour cream, cilantro, and/or other ingredients to taste.
Zainib, “10 Most Produced Foods in the World,” InsiderMonkey, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www.insidermonkey.com/blog/10-most-produced-foods-in-the-world-revised-for-fahad-1184998/8/
Ritchie, P. Rosado, M. Roser, “Bean Production,” Our World In Data, 2022. [Online]. Available: https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/bean-production
Renee, “A Brief History Of The Burrito, Tex-Mex Icon,” TheRecipe, 2022. [Online]. Available: https://www.therecipe.com/a-brief-history-of-the-burrito-a-tex-mex-icon/