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Red Beans and Rice

This red beans and rice recipe combines tender red kidney beans, smoky sausage, and a rich, creamy gravy made by mashing some of the beans right into the pot. Serve the beans over fluffy rice for a hearty, flavorful meal.

Prep Time20

Cook Time2 30

Soaking Time12

Total Time14 50

Course: Dinner, Main Course, Side Dish

Servings:

Calories: 522kcal

Author: Davinah

Ingredients

Red Beans

1 lb Red Kidney Beans dried
12 oz smoked sausage sliced into ⅓-inch rounds
2 tbsp Olive Oil or Avocado Oil
1 large Yellow Onion diced (about 1½ cups)
2 stalks celery diced (about ¾ cup)
1 green bell peppers diced (about 1½ cups)
6 cloves Garlic minced
2 tbsp Creole seasoning click for my recipe
3 bay leaves
7 cups Chicken Broth plus more as needed
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
¾ tsp Natural Ancient Sea Salt
hot sauce to taste
Fresh parsley chopped, for garnish

Rice

1 cup White Rice long-grain, rinsed
2 cups Chicken Broth
1 tbsp Butter
½ tsp Natural Ancient Sea Salt

Instructions

Prepare the Red Beans

Soak the beans: Add the beans to a large bowl and cover them with about 3 inches of cold water. Soak for 8 to 12 hours, or overnight. Drain and rinse before cooking.
Brown the sausage: Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the sausage in a single layer and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, turning once, until browned. Work in two batches if needed. Transfer the sausage to a plate, leaving the rendered fat in the pot.
Cook the vegetables: Reduce the heat to medium. Add the onion, celery, bell pepper, and sea salt. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring and scraping up the browned bits, until the vegetables are softened and the onion is translucent.
Add the seasonings: Stir in the garlic and Creole seasoning. Cook for about 1 minute, until fragrant.
Add the beans: Stir in the drained beans, bay leaves, chicken broth, and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a full boil, then reduce the heat to a low simmer.
Simmer the beans: Cover and simmer for 1 ½ hours to 2 hours, stirring about every 30 minutes and scraping the bottom of the pot. Add more broth or hot water if needed to keep the beans just covered.
Check for doneness: Test several beans from different areas of the pot. They should be completely tender with no firm centers. Continue simmering if needed.
Mash some of the beans: Mash a portion of the beans to thicken the cooking liquid. Transfer about 1 cup of beans to a small bowl and mash them with a fork, then stir them back into the pot. Or, use a potato masher to mash a small section of beans directly in the pot.
Finish with the sausage: Return the sausage to the pot. Simmer uncovered for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sausage is heated through and the liquid has reduced into a thick, creamy gravy.

Prepare the Rice

Make the rice: While the beans finish, add the rice, chicken broth, and butter to a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 15 minutes without lifting the lid. Remove from the heat and let the rice rest, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
Season: Remove the bay leaves. Taste the beans and add more salt and hot sauce as desired.
Serve: Spoon the beans into bowls and serve with the rice. Garnish with chopped parsley.

Notes

Salt: ¾ teaspoon gives you a starting point. Use less if you prefer, then taste the finished beans and add more as needed.
Broth: Add additional broth or hot water during the simmer only if needed to keep the beans just covered.
Sausage: If your smoked sausage comes in a 14-ounce package, you can use the entire package.
Rice: 1 cup dry rice makes about 3 cups cooked, or roughly ½ cup per serving. Make more if you prefer more rice with your beans.

Nutrition