Red Beans Rice (Printable Version)
Smoky sausage, hearty beans, and lots of savory goodness come together in a cozy stew. Piled on rice, it’s all you want in Southern comfort.
# What You'll Need:
→ Main Ingredients
01 -
1/4 cup chopped fresh green onions, and extra to sprinkle on top
02 -
6 to 7 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth, low-sodium
03 -
2 tablespoons olive oil
04 -
1 teaspoon dried oregano
05 -
Fresh ground black pepper, to your liking
06 -
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
07 -
1/2 tablespoon butter
08 -
2 bay leaves
09 -
1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper, more if you want heat
10 -
1 small red bell pepper, cut up small
11 -
1/2 teaspoon paprika
12 -
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
13 -
1 large yellow onion, chopped
14 -
1 pound dry red beans
15 -
1 small green bell pepper, chopped
16 -
12 to 14 ounces andouille sausage, cut into thin circles
17 -
1 teaspoon salt, taste and add more if needed
18 -
2 celery ribs, chopped up
19 -
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped, a little more to finish
→ For Serving
20 -
1 1/2 cups brown or white long grain rice, cooked as it says on the bag
# Step-by-Step Guide:
01 -
Dish up the red bean and sausage mix over your rice. Toss some green onions and parsley on top if you want.
02 -
Throw in the chopped green onions and parsley. Let it simmer for another 5 minutes, then pull off the heat.
03 -
Too thick? Splash in a little extra broth or water. Check the seasoning and tweak salt or pepper if you need.
04 -
Once they're done, fish out the bay leaves. Scoop out a cup of beans and crush them up with a fork, stir them back in to help your pot get nice and creamy.
05 -
About an hour and a half in, pinch a bean between your fingers. You want the skin to be just a bit firm with a soft inside, similar to a baked potato.
06 -
Toss in the bay leaves. Turn up the heat to high until it bubbles, then set it super low and cover. Let it quietly cook for 1.5 to 2 hours or until those beans get really soft.
07 -
Rinse and drain your soaked beans well. Add beans into your pot with the veggies and broth, then drop the sausage back in and give it all a mix.
08 -
Chuck in the salt, oregano, thyme, cayenne, paprika, and a good amount of black pepper right onto the veggies. Stir them for a minute then pour broth over, scraping up the tasty bits at the bottom.
09 -
Pop butter into the same pot. Melt it over medium, add onion, and cook three minutes until it gets a bit soft. Toss in celery and both bell peppers, let those cook about four minutes more, add extra butter if things look dry. Stir in garlic last, let it go for fifteen seconds.
10 -
Heat the oil in your Dutch oven on medium. Add sausage rounds and sear until they're brown on each side, flipping as you go. Pull sausage out and set aside for now.
11 -
Dump the dry beans into a big pot or bowl. Cover them with water so there's a couple inches extra on top. Let them soak overnight or at least eight hours.
# Additional Notes:
01 -
Always check your beans for any little stones or dirt before you soak them, and rinse them well.
02 -
Squeeze in some lemon juice or toss in a dash of vinegar to brighten things up if flavor tastes a little dull, instead of piling on more salt.
03 -
Not a sausage person? You can just as easily use smoked turkey or a hunk of ham instead.
04 -
Pressed for time? Grab two regular cans of red beans. Skip soaking and just simmer everything for about half an hour.
05 -
For leftovers, store the rice and beans in separate containers in the fridge and they’ll keep for almost a week.