LOUISIANA STYLE RED BEANS AND RICE
Oh, the red beans and rice. This traditional dish has filled hungry stomachs for a penny for ages. It’s delicious, rich, and flavorful. It is loaded with protein and fiber, creates an abundance of freezer-friendly leftovers, and is a budget cook’s wish. However, these traditional Louisiana Red Beans and Rice will take some time to cook, so this recipe will be served on a weekend or evening when you’ll be relaxing at home. The house will smell wonderful, and you’ll have enough food all week!
WHAT KIND OF SAUSAGE SHOULD I USE?
Traditionally it is believed that red beans and rice are prepared using Andouille sausage, a smoked pork sausage from France and a favorite in Louisiana. If you don’t have access to Andouille sausage, you may use any link smoked from beef or pork.
ARE RED BEANS AND RICE SPICY?
It could be. The degree of heat for this particular recipe will vary based on the kind of sausage you select and the amount of cayenne pepper you add. The link I used was a “medium” spice level, and I added 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper. So,e red beans tasted moderately spicy. Use a mild sausage and avoid cayenne pepper for a soft red bean.
ARE RED BEANS AND RICE HEALTHY?
“Healthy” is subjective, but I’ll claim that this traditional recipe contains protein, fiber, and other vegetables. I believe this recipe is an excellent food. It’s a bit high in sodium, but how much salt you use in the dish at the conclusion is up to you. If you’d like to lower the saturated fats, remove the fat from the andouille sausage before adding the veggies. You can always switch out the white rice with brown rice to get more nutrients and fiber!
CAN I MAKE IT VEGETARIAN?
The recipe I am sharing is one that I have succeeded in making a delicious dish of rice and red beans without smoking sausage. For a detailed explanation of how to prepare it, be sure to check out my Vegan Red Rice and Beans recipes. (It’s 100% vegan since the only animal ingredient in the formula is sausage.)
HOW TO FREEZE RED BEANS AND RICE
Like any other food you cook, it is best to chill the cooked rice and red beans in the shortest time possible following cooking to prevent food safety concerns. I suggest dividing the rice and beans into portions before refrigerating. This will make it easier to cool, and you’ll be left with separate pieces that can be heated rapidly in the microwave directly from the fridge or even the freezer. After the rice and beans are thoroughly chilled and ready to be transferred into the freezer for an extended period of storage (about three months).
INGREDIENTS
One lb. red beans ($1.49)
Two tablespoons of cooking oil ($0.08)
14 oz. Andouille sausage ($3.79)
One yellow onion ($0.32)
One green bell pepper ($0.69)
Three ribs of celery ($0.46)
Four cloves of garlic ($0.32)
2 tsp smoked paprika ($0.20)
One teaspoon dried oregano ($0.10)
One teaspoon dried thyme ($0.10)
1/2 1 tsp ground garlic ($0.05)
1/2 1 teaspoon onion powder ($0.05)
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper ($0.03)
1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper ($0.02)
Two bay leaves ($0.60)
6 cups of water ($0.00)
Parsley chopped 1/4 cup ($0.20)
1 Tbsp salt or according to your preference ($0.10)
1.5 cups of white long-grain rice (uncooked) ($0.93)
$3 green onions ($0.22)
INSTRUCTIONS
The evening before you go to bed, add the beans into the bowl in a large one and double the volume of water. Let the beans sit overnight in the refrigerator.
Once you’re ready to begin cooking, cut the sausage into pieces. Pour the cooking oil, cut the sausage into a huge pan, and cook until the details are brown. Take the link cooked using an ejector to a clean bowl. Put the sausage that has been cooked inside the fridge while you make the remainder of the dish.
While the sausage cooks, cut the onion into pieces, bell pepper, and celery, cut the garlic.
After you have removed the sausage that has been cooked and removed the link, add the onion, bell peppers, celery, and garlic into the saucepan. Sauté the vegetables on medium-low heat until the vegetables become soft. Allow the vegetable liquid to remove browned bits from the pot’s surface while you stir.
Include the smoking paprika oregano, thyme and onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne, black pepper, and bay leaf in the saucepan. Stir and cook for 1 minute longer.
Rinse and drain the soaked beans. Add them into the pot with 6 cups of water. Give the pan a quick stir to mix the ingredients.
Put a lid over the pot, turn the heat to medium-high, and bring it to a simmer. When boiling, you can reduce the heat to medium-low and let the pot simmer for an hour while stirring it. Replace the lid each time you go.
After one hour of boiling after boiling for one hour, the beans should be soft. Start to crush the beans using the spoon’s handle against the sides of the pan. To make the bank thicker, continue to grind the beans and let the pot cook without any lid for about 30 minutes.
Preparing the rice while the beans simmer for the last 30 minutes of cooking. Add the rice along with 3 cups of water to a saucepan. Cover the pot with a lid, then turn the heat to high and bring the pot to a boiling point. After reaching a boil, turn the heat down to a low setting to let the dish cook at a simmer for about 15 minutes. In 15 minutes, turn the heating off and let the rice sit for 5 minutes without removing the lid. Flavor the rice using a fork before serving.