Sometimes I feel like I don’t make enough use of my Instant Pot. However, whenever we make a bean-based dish calling for dried beans, I absolutely know that going back to the “old ways” of prepping dried beans has been made infinitely more easy since Instant Pots and pressure cooking came back into vogue.

This meal has some prep to it, as well as a somewhat long list of ingredients. I dislike dried garlic powder and dried onion powder so a) I never have them in the pantry and b) I never use them. However, if you feel inclined, I’ve included the original recipe’s ingredient list which does list them. Cook the rice about 10 minutes before the pressure-cooker cycle is completed and it should be just about perfect as you are releasing the Instant Pot’s pressure manually (cooking time about 20-25 min).

A Louisiana-style hot sauce is a key to the “Monday Red Beans” dish reminiscent of New Orleans. Luckily for us, we have a local purveyor, Craic Sauce, whose Mill City Red is the perfect addition to this dish. Check them out if you live here in New England, or order from their web site here.

Vegan Pressure Cooker Red Beans and Rice

Sarah DiGregorio in the New York Times

Ingredients

• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
•  Kosher salt and black pepper
• 3 celery stalks, finely chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
• 10 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 heaping tablespoon white or yellow miso paste
• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 1 teaspoon onion powder (I did not use this)
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder (I did not use this)
• ½ to 1 teaspoon ground cayenne, plus more to taste
• ½ teaspoon ground sage (optional)
• 1 pound dried red kidney beans (no need to soak)
• 3 dried bay leaves
• 3 fresh thyme sprigs or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
•  Cooked rice, for serving
•  Sliced scallions, for serving
•  Louisiana-style hot sauce, for serving

Method

1. Turn on the sauté setting of a 6- to 8-quart electric pressure cooker and heat the oil.
2. Add the onion, season with salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until limp and translucent, 6 to 8 minutes.
3. Add the celery and bell pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5 to 8 minutes.
4. Add the chopped garlic, miso paste, smoked paprika, sweet paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne and sage (if using). Grind in a generous amount of black pepper and add 3/4 teaspoon salt. Stir well to combine all the ingredients, then turn off the sauté setting.
5. Add the beans, bay leaves, thyme and 5 1/2 cups water. Scrape the bottom of the pot to loosen any browned bits. Cook on high pressure until the beans are creamy, 50 minutes to 1 hour.
6. Turn off the pressure cooker and allow the pressure to reduce naturally for 10 minutes, then release the remaining pressure manually and open the lid.
7. Add the soy sauce, and season to taste with salt and cayenne. Using a fork, mash some of the beans against the side of the pressure cooker to make the mixture creamy. It will continue to thicken as it sits, or you can turn on the sauté setting and let the mixture bubble for a few minutes to thicken.
8. Discard the bay leaves and thyme sprigs. Top the beans with hot cooked rice and scallions; serve with hot sauce.