Red Beans and Rice
A classic of Louisiana Cajun cooking: red beans slow-simmered with smoked sausage and the vegetable "holy trinity" until creamy, served over fluffy rice — a dish traditionally made every Monday.
Ingredients
- red kidney beans (dried)400 g
- long-grain rice300 g
- smoked sausage250 g
- onion1 pcs
- celery2 stalks
- green bell pepper1 pcs
- garlic4 cloves
- smoked paprika1 tsp
- ground cayenne pepper0.5 tsp
- dried thyme1 tsp
- bay leaf2 leaf
- chicken or vegetable broth1500 ml
- vegetable oil2 tbsp
- green onion4 stalks
- salt1 to taste
- ground black pepper1 to taste
Instructions
Sort through the dried beans, rinse them, and cover with cold water so it stands 5 cm above the beans; soak overnight (8–10 hours), or use the quick-soak method: bring to a boil, boil for 2 minutes, remove from heat, and let stand covered for 1 hour. Drain before cooking.
In a large heavy-bottomed pot, heat the oil over medium heat and brown the diced smoked sausage for 4–5 minutes until lightly browned; remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
In the same fat, sauté the finely chopped onion, celery, and bell pepper (the Cajun "holy trinity") for 8–10 minutes until softened. Add the minced garlic, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, and thyme, and cook, stirring, for 1 more minute until fragrant.
Return the sausage to the pot, add the soaked beans, bay leaf, and stock — the liquid should cover the beans by 2–3 cm. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1.5 hours, stirring every 20–25 minutes and adding more stock or water as needed.
Once the beans are tender, remove the bay leaf. Mash about a cup of beans right in the pot with a fork, then stir them back into the dish — this will give it a creamy texture. Simmer uncovered for another 15–20 minutes, then season with salt and pepper to taste.
About 20 minutes before the beans are ready, cook the rice in salted water according to the package instructions until fluffy.
Serve the hot beans over a portion of rice, sprinkled with chopped green onion.