Red Beans and Rice (Printable)

Smoky sausage and slow-simmered red beans served over fluffy rice for a warm Southern-style meal.

# What You Need:

→ Meats

01 - 10 oz smoked Andouille sausage, sliced into rounds

→ Vegetables & Beans

02 - 2 cups dried red kidney beans, soaked overnight and drained
03 - 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
04 - 1 bell pepper, chopped
05 - 2 celery stalks, chopped
06 - 4 garlic cloves, minced
07 - 2 bay leaves
08 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme
09 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
10 - 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional, for heat)

→ Cooking Liquid & Seasonings

11 - 5 cups chicken or vegetable broth
12 - Salt and black pepper to taste
13 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
14 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)

→ For Serving

15 - 2 cups long-grain white rice, cooked according to package instructions
16 - 2 spring onions, sliced (optional garnish)

# Steps:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium heat. Add the sliced sausage and cook until nicely browned, about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove the sausage and set aside.
02 - In the same pot, add the chopped onion, bell pepper, and celery. Cook for 5 minutes until the vegetables are softened. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute more until fragrant.
03 - Stir in the soaked and drained kidney beans, bay leaves, dried thyme, smoked paprika, and cayenne pepper. Pour in the broth and bring everything to a boil.
04 - Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and simmer gently for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally, until the beans are just tender.
05 - Return the browned sausage to the pot. Continue simmering uncovered for 20 to 30 minutes, mashing some of the beans against the side of the pot to thicken the mixture. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
06 - Remove and discard the bay leaves. Ladle the hot beans and sausage over cooked white rice. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley and sliced spring onions if desired.

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • It costs almost nothing to make yet tastes like you spent all day tending something precious.
  • The way the beans break down and create their own gravy is the kind of kitchen magic that never gets old.
  • It reheats beautifully, making it the best kind of leftover lunch you will look forward to all morning.
02 -
  • Soak the beans overnight without fail, because undercooked kidney beans are not just unpleasant but actually unsafe to eat.
  • Resist the urge to add salt during the initial simmer, as it can toughen the bean skins and leave you waiting much longer for tenderness.
  • The dish thickens dramatically as it cools, so if it seems a bit soupy right off the stove, trust that it will set up beautifully by the time you serve it.
03 -
  • Mashing roughly a quarter of the beans against the pot is the sweet spot for creaminess without losing all the satisfying whole bean texture.
  • A pinch of sugar added with the broth rounds out any bitterness from the cayenne and makes all the flavors play nicely together.

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