Red Beans Recipe

Every Monday, you can find a pot of red beans and rice cooking in someone’s kitchen in New Orleans. The food writer and New Orleans bon vivant Pableaux Johnson’s house is no exception. The dish, an easy meal from when people used to reserve Monday to do the wash, was once made with the pork bone left over from Sunday supper. In this version, Mr. Johnson strongly encourages the use of hand-made Louisiana Andouille, but smoked sausage will do. —Kim Severson

Louisiana Style Red Beans and Rice with Sausage

Classic Louisiana style red beans and rice are a naturally budget friendly meal that will give you leftovers for days! Freezer friendly!

Prep: 15min

Total: 615min

Yield: 6

Serving Size: 1.5 cups

Nutrition Facts: servingSize 1.5 cups, calories 715 kcal, Carbohydrate 89 g, Protein 34 g, Fat 25 g, Sodium 1799 mg, Fiber 14 g

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. dry red beans ($1.49)
• 2 Tbsp cooking oil ($0.08)
• 14 oz. Andouille sausage ($3.79)
• 1 yellow onion ($0.32)
• 1 green bell pepper ($0.69)
• 3 ribs celery ($0.46)
• 4 cloves garlic ($0.32)
• 2 tsp smoked paprika ($0.20)
• 1 tsp dried oregano ($0.10)
• 1 tsp dried thyme ($0.10)
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder ($0.05)
• 1/2 tsp onion powder ($0.05)
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper ($0.03)
• 1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper ($0.02)
• 2 bay leaves ($0.60)
• 6 cups water ($0.00)
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley ($0.20)
• 1 Tbsp salt, or to taste ($0.10)
• 1.5 cups long grain white rice (uncooked) ($0.93)
• 3 green onions ($0.22)

Instruction:

1. The night before, add the dry beans to a large bowl with double their volume in water. Allow the beans to soak in the refrigerator overnight.
2. When you’re ready to start cooking, slice the sausage into rounds. Add the cooking oil and sliced sausage to a large pot and cook over medium until the sausage pieces are browned. Remove the cooked sausage with a slotted spoon to a clean bowl. Place the cooked sausage in the refrigerator while you prepare the rest of the dish.
3. While the sausage is cooking, dice the onion, bell pepper, and celery. Mince the garlic.
4. After removing the cooked sausage, add the onion, bell pepper, celery, and garlic to the pot. Sauté the vegetables over medium heat until the onions are soft, allowing the moisture from the vegetables to help dissolve any browned bits off the bottom of the pot as you stir.
5. Add the smoked paprika, oregano, thyme, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, black pepper, and bay leaves to the pot. Stir and cook for one minute more.
6. Drain and rinse the soaked beans. Add them to the pot along with 6 cups water and give the pot a brief stir to combine the ingredients.
7. Place a lid on the pot, turn the heat up to medium-high, and bring it up to a boil. Once boiling, turn the heat down to medium-low, and let the pot boil for one hour, stirring occasionally. Replace the lid every time you stir.
8. After boiling for one hour, the beans should be tender. Begin to smash the beans with the back of a spoon against the side of the pot. Continue smashing the beans and letting the pot simmer without a lid for 30 minutes to thicken the pot.
9. While the beans are simmering for their final 30 minutes, cook the rice. Add the rice and 3 cups water to a sauce pot. Place a lid on top, turn the heat on to high, and bring it up to a boil. Once boiling, turn the heat down to low and let the rice simmer for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, turn the heat off and let the rice rest for 5 minutes without removing the lid. Fluff the rice with a fork before serving.
10. Once the red beans have thickened, add the cooked sausage back to the pot along with 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley. Stir to combine. Taste the red beans and add salt to your liking. Start with 1 tsp and add more as needed. I used 1 Tbsp total (3 tsp).
11. Serve the red beans in a bowl topped with a scoop of rice and a sprinkle of sliced green onions.

Cajun-Style Vegan Red Beans and Rice

These Cajun-Style Vegan Red Beans and Rice are a healthy version of the traditional Louisiana dish, but are still just as satisfying and flavorful!

Prep: 10min

Total: 2h10min

Yield: 6

Nutrition Facts: servingSize None, calories 497, Sugar 4.7 g, Sodium 616.2 mg, Fat 6.9 g, Saturated Fat 1.1 g, Trans Fat 0 g, Carbohydrate 89.4 g, Fiber 14.3 g, Protein 21.4 g, Cholesterol 0 mg

Ingredients:

• 1 pound dry red kidney beans, soaked overnight
• 2 tablespoons cooking oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, cored and diced
• 2 medium stalks celery, diced
• 6 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped, plus more for garnish
• 1 tablespoon hot sauce
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper, plus more to taste
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 32-ounce container vegetable broth
• 1 1/2 cups dry brown rice
• 1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke (optional)

Instruction:

1. ; set aside.
2. In a large pot over medium heat, add oil. When hot, add onion, bell pepper and celery. Cook vegetables until tender and slightly browned, about 8-10 minutes. Add garlic; cook for one more minute, until fragrant.
3. Stir in parsley, hot sauce, thyme, paprika, salt and pepper; stir to evenly coat the vegetables in the spices. Cook for one minute.
4. Pour in kidney beans, bay leaves and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil; cover, lower heat and simmer for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Remove lid; let simmer uncovered for 15 minutes.
5. While the beans are cooking, prepare rice according to package directions.
6. When the beans are ready, scoop about 1/4 of the beans in a blender or food processor; blend until smooth. Return to pot; add liquid smoke (if using). Stir
7. and a sprinkle of chopped parsley.

Make the Perfect Red Beans and Rice

FAQ

How to cook red beans at home?

1. Quick-soak. Soaking dry beans before cooking them can reduce your cooking time. …
2. Boil and simmer. Cover the beans with two cups of fresh water, add a bay leaf or two to the pot along with seasonings of your preference, and bring it to a boil. …
3. Drain and serve.

How to prepare red beans?

Are kidney beans and red beans the same?

Should I soak beans for red beans and rice?