Heat the vegan butter in a medium-sized pot over medium-low heat. Once hot, add the onion and red bell pepper and saute for 4-5 minutes, occasionally stirring, until softened.
Add the minced garlic and red chilies and saute for 30 more seconds. Add the rice and the spices, and toast everything for 30 seconds to 1 minute, stirring very often to prevent burning.
Add the vegetable broth and tomato sauce and stir to scrap off any browned bits stuck at the bottom. Cover with a lid and cook for 13-15 minutes, stirring once halfway through. After that, make sure to stir every 2 minutes, stirring more and more often towards the end, because this is when the rice tends to burn easily.
Once ready, remove the pot from the beat and let the rice steam with the lid on for 10 minutes. Fluff it with a fork and stir in the chopped cilantro and lemon juice. Serve!
Notes
Rinse your rice. In order to get fluffy rice, you need to rinse the rice under cold water a few times, until the water comes out clear. If you skip this step the rice will be sticky and somewhat mushy.
Sautee the veggies before adding the rice. This way the vegetables release their natural sugars and start to caramelize, which builds a layer of flavor.
Stir very often towards the end. This is really important to prevent burning the bottom of the rice. Don't just let it simmer and walk away. Stir every 1-2 minutes towards the end.
Let the rice steam before servingit. This ensures that every little bit of rice will be well-cooked without needing to overcook it on the stove.
This vegan Mexican rice recipe is on the milder side, if you like to make it spicier, you can add 1 teaspoon of chili powder or a few pinches of red pepper flakes.
The nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. Accuracy is not guaranteed. Information shown should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.