Description
Hearty red beans and rice recipe brings Louisiana’s soulful culinary tradition to your kitchen. Spicy andouille sausage, tender beans, and aromatic spices create a comforting meal you’ll savor with Southern pride.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb (454 grams) dried red beans (or 3 cans, drained and rinsed)
- 12 oz (340 grams) smoked sausage (andouille or kielbasa), sliced
- 4 cups cooked white rice
- 8 cups water or chicken broth
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp Cajun seasoning (or Creole seasoning)
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper (optional, for heat)
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp hot sauce (optional)
- 2 green onions, sliced (for garnish)
- Fresh parsley, chopped (optional)
Instructions
- Bean Preparation: Soak dried red beans overnight, drain, and rinse thoroughly to remove excess starch and ensure uniform cooking.
- Sausage Foundation: In a Dutch oven, crisp sausage slices until golden, rendering fat and creating a rich, savory base for the dish.
- Aromatic Vegetable Layering: Use the same pot to sauté onions, bell peppers, celery, and garlic until translucent, developing a robust flavor profile that will infuse the entire dish.
- Seasoning Fusion: Combine soaked beans with bay leaves, salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, thyme, Cajun seasoning, cayenne, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce, creating a complex and vibrant flavor landscape.
- Liquid Integration and Slow Cooking: Pour in broth, bring to a rolling boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer. Allow ingredients to meld and beans to tenderize for 1.5 to 2 hours, periodically checking liquid levels and adding broth if needed to maintain a creamy consistency.
- Texture Enhancement: Extract and mash one cup of cooked beans, then fold back into the pot to naturally thicken the sauce and create a luxurious, velvety texture.
- Final Flavor Marriage: Reintroduce browned sausage to the pot, allowing final simmering moments to harmonize all flavors and temperatures.
- Presentation and Garnish: Serve the robust mixture over fluffy white rice, garnishing with freshly chopped green onions and parsley for a vibrant, aromatic finish, with additional hot sauce available for personalized heat preference.
Notes
- Soak Beans Strategically: Overnight soaking reduces cooking time and helps eliminate potential digestive discomfort by breaking down complex sugars.
- Control Spice Intensity: Adjust Cajun and cayenne seasonings to match personal heat tolerance without compromising authentic flavor profile.
- Create Creamy Texture: Mashing a portion of beans acts as a natural thickener, transforming the dish from soupy to rich and luxurious without additional starches.
- Customize Protein Options: Swap traditional sausage with turkey sausage, plant-based sausage, or omit entirely for vegetarian/vegan adaptations while maintaining robust seasoning complexity.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours
- Category: Lunch, Dinner
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: Cajun/Creole
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5
- Calories: 430
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 800 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 56 g
- Fiber: 12 g
- Protein: 20 g
- Cholesterol: 35 mg