Red Beans and Rice

Ingredients

• 1 lb. dry red beans
• 2 Tbsp. cooking oil
• 14 oz. Andouille sausage 
• 1 yellow onion 
• 1 green bell pepper 
• 3 ribs celery
• 4 gloves garlic
• 2 tsp. smoked paprika 
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 
  1 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
  
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper 
• 1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper 
• 2 bay leaves 
• 6 cups water 
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley 
• 1 tbsp. salt or to taste
• 1.5 cups long grain white rice (uncooked)
• 3 green onions

Directions

1. Place the dry red beans in a bowl covering the beans completely with water and placing them in the fridge the night before you plan to cook them.
2. Slice the sausage into nice round slices.
3. Add cooking oil and sausage to a large pot and begin cooking them over a medium heat until the sausage is browned. 
4. Remove the sausage from the pot once browned and place in a clean bowl and place in fridge.
5. Dice the onion, bell pepper and celery, along with mincing the garlic. 
6. Add all diced and minced items into the oil from the sausage and begin to brown the items down still on a medium heat.
7. Stir frequently.
8. Add the smoked paprika, oregano, thyme, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, black pepper, and bay leaves to the pot.
9. Stir and cook down for a couple of minutes.
10. Drain and rinse the beans that have been soaking and add them to the pot along with the six cups of water and stir.
11. Place the lid on the pot, turn the heat up to a medium-high, and bring the water to a boil.
12. Turn the heat down to a medium-low heat once the water begins to boil and let the pot boil for one hour.
13. Stir Occasionally replacing the lid after each time.
14. Smash the beans with the back of the spoon after a hour of cooking and the beans have become tender. Continue to do so with the pot simmering for about 30 minutes. This allows the beans to thicken.
15. Cook the rice while the beans simmer for there last 30 minutes. 
16. Add the rice to 3 cups of water to a sauce pot and place the lid on top. 
17. Turn the heat on high and bring to a boil. Once boiling turn the heat down to low and let the rice simmer for 15 minutes. 
18. Turn heat off once the 15 minutes is over and let the rice rest for 5 minutes without removing the lid. 
19. Add the sausage to back to the pot once the beans have thickened along with the 1/4 cup of chopped parsley. 
20. Salt the beans to taste starting with the 1 tsp of salt gradually adding more if necessary. 
21. Serve the red beans with a scoop of rice topped with sliced green onions. 

Source —Budget Byte$
Prepared by Dylan Bergeron
Louisiana Anthology
March 22, 2022