Red Beans and Rice Recipe
This Red Beans and Rice recipe is a classic dish from Louisiana with spiced beans simmered slowly in a pot with smoked andouille sausage and more.
Servings: 8
Calories: 596kcal
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large onion chopped
- 1 large green bell pepper chopped
- 1 jalapeno pepper chopped (optional – I like it for a bit of extra heat)
- 1 stalk celery chopped
- 2 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 pound chopped smoked ham (Or use a ham hock instead)
- 1 pound andouille sausage sliced
- 2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning blend (or use Creole seasonings)
- 4 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried sage
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 pound dried red beans (sorted through, rinsed, soaked and drained)
- 6 cups chicken broth (or use water)
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar (optional, to brighten up the flavor)
- 4 cups cooked white rice for serving
- Chopped parsley for serving
- Hot sauce to taste Use Crystal for a local hot sauce
Instructions
- Heat a large pot to medium heat and add the olive oil.
- Add the onion, peppers and celery and cook them until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic and smoked ham and cook another minute, stirring, until fragrant.
- Add the andouille sausage, Cajun seasonings, thyme, sage, salt and pepper, red beans and chicken broth. Bring to a quick boil, then reduce the heat.
- Simmer for 90 minutes, or until the beans are tender and slightly creamy. It could take longer. Just keep testing to your desired doneness.
- Stir in the vinegar and mash up the beans a bit with a spoon.
- Serve over rice and garnish with chopped parsley.
Video
Notes
Serves 8 as a main course. Calories calculated with rice.
Heat Factor: Mild
Recipe Variations. I used smoked andouille sausage and smoked ham for my recipe, though other meats are welcomed here. Try smoked turkey or leftover turkey. Bacon is good, as well as boudin, or ham hocks, or pickled ham. It works great with chicken, too.
Ham Bone. Try simmering the whole pot with a ham bone for some outstanding flavor. You can also vary up your seasonings here, with your favorite Cajun or Creole seasoning blend.
The Beans. Also, red beans are traditional here, per the recipe name, but you can make this with other beans, such as kidney beans.
Dried or Canned Beans. Regarding the beans, I like to use dried beans, then soak them overnight in a large bowl. However, canned beans will work for this recipe as well. You just won't need to simmer the pot as long.
The Rice. I cook mine without rice and serve it over rice, sometimes as the meal, though you can cook the rice into the pot the last half hour or so. When serving as a side, I cook the rice into the pot.
Seasonings. Feel free to use other seasonings to your preference, like Creole seasonings, cayenne pepper for extra heat, bay leaves and even green onions for garnish.
Nutrition
Calories: 596kcal | Carbohydrates: 64g | Protein: 39g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 76mg | Sodium: 1218mg | Potassium: 1411mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 988IU | Vitamin C: 19mg | Calcium: 89mg | Iron: 6mg