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Louisiana Style Red Beans and Rice

We are days away from our baby girl’s due date (hip hip!), which means that I’m doing my best to stay off my feet as much as possible. The last few weeks I’ve been able to plop myself down on the sofa and catch up on shows and movies I’ve been meaning to watch. And while it’s been pretty relaxing, it’s not always such a success…
 
Take the fact that I’m on Season 2 of Game of Thrones, but I keep falling asleep during it, so I really only know what’s going on when I start the next episode and there’s that 2 minute recap of “Previously, on Game of Thrones…”
 
And that I can finally catch up on Grey’s Anatomy, but the numbers of spoilers that have come up over the past few years leaves little room for surprise.
 
Or even the fact that nothing ruins my movie watching experience more than my husband discussing Stockholm Syndrome while watching Beauty and the Beast.
 
<insert facepalm>
 
But hey, did I mention we’re just days away from meeting our baby girl?! 🙂
 
 
Being so close to delivery also means that the dishes we’ve been eating around here have been simple and quick to make – from chicken biryani and chicken pho in the Instant Pot (shout out to my fellow IP lovers – this thing is amazing!) to turkey chilis and slow simmering soups like Zuppa Toscana. I’m always about easy meals, but lately I’ve also been searching for recipes that need little help to get started. One of our favorites that has been in our rotation lately has been red beans and rice – it requires basic ingredients, is savory with the right amount of heat, and is incredibly filling.
 
Traditionally, ham was the Sunday meal in Louisiana households. That ham hock was then saved and tossed into a pot of simmering beans and sausage on “Monday Washday” – a day where women could do laundry without having to stand by the stove (to this day you will still see red beans and rice served as a Monday special!).
 
While living in Louisiana makes delicious Cajun food easily accessible to us, we love making our own homemade version! We start off by searing some good Andouille sausage, and then sautéing the Louisiana “holy trinity” of bell peppers, onions, and celery. Add your garlic and dried seasonings, then throw in your red beans (I used Camellia) and some water and simmer for a couple of hours. Serve warm over white rice and fresh parsley, with a dash of hot sauce.
 
Louisiana Style Red Beans and Rice
Serves 8
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Prep Time
20 min
Cook Time
2 hr
Total Time
2 hr 20 min
Prep Time
20 min
Cook Time
2 hr
Total Time
2 hr 20 min
Ingredients
  1. 1 large onion, diced
  2. 8 garlic cloves, minced
  3. 1 large green bell pepper, seeded and diced
  4. 4 ribs celery, diced
  5. 1/2 - 3/4 tsp cayenne powder (adjust for your preferred heat level)
  6. 1/2 tsp paprika
  7. 1 tsp sage
  8. 1 tsp dried oregano
  9. 1 tsp dried thyme
  10. 2 bay leaves
  11. 1 1/2 dried red beans
  12. 1 lb. andouille sausage, sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
  13. 6-7 cups water, plus more for the overnight soak
  14. 1 tbsp olive oil
  15. kosher salt and black pepper
  16. hot sauce, to taste
  17. ham hock, optional
  18. white steamed rice, for serving
  19. fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish
Instructions
  1. Soak red beans in water at room temperature overnight. Drain, rinse, and set aside.
  2. In a large, heavy pot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the andouille sausage and brown on both sides. Remove from heat and set aside.
  3. Add onions, bell peppers, and celery to the pot, and saute until tender, 5-8 minutes. Add garlic, dried herbs (cayenne, sage, oregano, thyme, paprika), and bay leaves, and continue to saute for 1-2 minutes.
  4. Add the beans and 6 cups of water to the pot, add more if needed (I ended using 7 cups). Add the ham hock, if you are using one. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Depending on the size of your beans, simmer for 1 1/2 - 2 1/2 hours (I ended up simmering for 2 hours).
  5. 30-45 minutes before red beans are done, toss the sausage back into the pot. 15-20 minutes before red beans are done, remove a 3/4 cup of red beans, smash with a fork, and add back into pot to thicken the sauce and stir. If too thick, add a splash more water. Adjust seasonings to taste.
  6. Remove bay leaves. Serve over freshly steamed white rice with fresh parsley and hot sauce.
The Richmond avenue https://therichmondavenue.com/
 
 

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Your comments make my day. Thank you!

  4. John says

    Yay for you, mother! God bless your family. I’ve never been a gamer except maybe when my kiddos were small in the 1990’s… And that’s a different world of game quality. The dish looks super good, more spice, more better!

    Reply

  7. lynne hoareau says

    Oh Jasmine, I have been thinking of you ! I am so pleased your baby girl will be arriving soon. Beautiful times my friend, precious moments……..
    Love the sound of your Louisiana Style Red Beans and Rice, looks really appetizing ! Hugs 🙂

    Reply

  9. Roberta Briffa says

    Hi Jasmine! I’m catching up on your latest posts and this one made me smile all the way. Especially the part about your husband and Beauty and the Beast…and the “insert facepalm”! My husband doesn’t let me watch the new series of “Cosmos” in peace – he starts a whole science and cosmology debate and I just roll my eyes! 🙂 Lovely recipe as always and thanks for sharing x

    Reply

    • Jasmine says

      I’m glad you understand, Roberta!! 😀 I’m learning what shows to watch and not watch around him if I don’t want the extra “commentary,” haha. I hope you had a lovely weekend and are doing well!

      Reply

  10. Angie | Fiesta Friday says

    I’m so impressed! Days away from due date (sooo…exciting!!) and you’re still cooking like this?! And chicken biryani?! And pho?! Those are simple?! Simple to me means toasts or takeouts ? And here’s hoping that your delivery will be easy, healthy and happy! Sooo…exciting!!

    Reply

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