Red Beans and Rice

Red Beans and Rice Recipe - smoky, spicy, and overly comforting beans and rice combo with smoked sausage and turkey flavored with creole seasoning. Delightfully full of complex flavors that is simple and easy. Truly a must-have on your weekly rotation!

Course Side

Cuisine Southern

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 2 15

Total Time 2 30

Servings - 6

Calories 527kcal

Author Imma

Ingredients

1 pound (450g) red kidney beans
¼- 1/3 cup vegetable oil (or canola)
1 pound (450 grams) andouille sausage sliced
½ pound (225 grams) hamhock or smoked turkey chopped
1 large onion diced
2 tablespoons minced garlic (about 6 medium size garlic)
½- ¾ cup celery diced (about 1 medium rib celery)
1 large bell pepper diced
2 -3 bay leaves
1 teaspoon thyme
1 sprig fresh thyme
2 teaspoons Creole spice homemade recipe here
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
7-8 cups chicken stock or water
salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
2 green onion diced (for garnish)
3- 4 cups cooked white rice

Instructions

Rinse dry beans and pick through and discard any foreign object. (I did not have to do this because I used the package beans,). Add beans to a large pot covering with 3-4 inches of cold water. Let it sit overnight.
Drain the soaked beans, rinse, set aside.
Heat oil in a Dutch oven or large pot. Cut sausage and turkey into 1-inch chunks and add to oil, saute for about 3- 5 minutes, stirring frequently any browned bits off the bottom of the pot, until brown.
Then add onions, garlic, celery, bell peppers, bay leaves, thyme, and sprig fresh thyme to the pot. Season vegetables with Creole seasoning, paprika, and cayenne, if using. Saute for about 5 minutes, or until vegetables start to wilt.
Place the rinsed beans in the pot, stir, then pour in broth or water.
Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for about 1 ½ -2 hours, stirring occasionally, or until beans are tender and slightly thickened.
Note: Add more stock or water if the mixture becomes dry and thick. The texture of the beans should be thick - somewhat creamy but not watery.
Remove the bay leaves and thyme sprig.
Taste and adjust for seasonings with pepper and salt if needed. Serve over cooked rice and garnish with green onions.

Notes

Add more stock or water if the mixture becomes dry and thick, the texture of the beans should be thick, somewhat creamy but not watery.
Soak your beans in water with salt overnight to help them cook up more tender and evenly.
You can sub red kidney beans with red beans, white cannellini beans, and black beans while following the same cooking preparation. But if you want to yield an authentic real red bean flavor, then go with dried red kidney beans.
You may use canned cooked beans but if you want to have that creamy flavor and texture then stick with dried beans.
To prepare smoked ham hocks for cooking, you can shred off the meat and skin from the bones (you can also use the bones to make a flavorful broth so don’t throw it out) and cut it into small pieces. Then you can sauté it with the other ingredients in the recipe and continue with the rest of the instructions.
Browning first the sausages and turkey yields a more robust flavor rather than just throwing everything in the pot right away.
I use chicken stock most of the time to cook beans instead of just water to add more flavor. But on this recipe, plain water works fine since the dish itself makes its own stock from bits of added pork.
I prefer adding fresh thyme on my stews but you may opt for dried thymes too. Since I’m also a heat seeker, adding cayenne is the way to go but you may leave it out.
Andouille sausage is the best option for this recipe since it yields that spicy and cured flavor that adds depth to the flavor.
Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.

Nutrition