Red Beans and Rice is a hearty, comforting meal made with tender red beans, smoked ham, and andouille sausage simmered with onion, celery, bell pepper, garlic, and fresh thyme. The beans slowly cook until the mixture becomes rich and thick, creating a flavorful dish that’s perfect served over white rice.
This is a recipe that takes some planning because the dried beans need to soak for at least 8 hours, but the hands-on preparation is simple. Once the beans are soaking, the rest of the meal comes together with familiar, flavorful ingredients.
Serve the thick, savory bean mixture over hot white rice and finish with a little fresh parsley. It makes a satisfying main course or a hearty side dish.
Red Beans and Rice
Ingredients
- ½ lb. dried small red beans
- Kosher salt
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 large yellow onion finely chopped, divided
- 2 Tbsp. canola oil divided
- ½ lb. smoked ham chopped
- 6 oz. andouille sausage sliced into 1/4" rounds, we use Eckrich sausage instead, personal preference
- 3 celery ribs chopped
- 1 green bell pepper seeds and ribs removed, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves chopped
- 1 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh thyme
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- Finely chopped fresh parsley for serving
- 1 cup white rice, cooked (separately, per pkg directions) for serving
Instructions
- Inspect the dried beans and remove any foreign materials or broken beans.
- Place the beans in a large container with a lid. Add 2 tablespoons kosher salt and 10 cups water. Stir until the salt dissolves. Cover and let the beans soak for at least 8 hours or overnight.
- Drain and rinse the beans. Transfer them to a 5- to 6-quart pot and add 2 quarts of fresh water.
- Add the chicken broth, bay leaves, and half of the chopped onion. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium.
- Continue cooking, stirring occasionally and mashing some of the beans against the side of the pot with a wooden spoon, until the beans begin to soften and the mixture starts to thicken, about 1 hour.
- When the beans have about 15 minutes left to cook, heat 1 tablespoon of the canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add the chopped smoked ham and sliced andouille sausage. Cook, stirring occasionally, until they begin to brown, about 7–9 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the ham and sausage to the pot with the beans.
- Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of canola oil to the same skillet. Add the celery, green bell pepper, and remaining onion. Season with ½ teaspoon kosher salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion begins to soften, about 4–5 minutes.
- Add the garlic and fresh thyme. Cook for another 1–2 minutes, stirring, until fragrant.
- Stir the chicken broth into the skillet to deglaze the pan, scraping up any browned bits. Pour the contents of the skillet into the pot with the beans.
- Bring the beans to a simmer and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the liquid thickens to a gravy-like consistency, about 30 minutes. Remove and discard the bay leaves.
- Serve the bean mixture over cooked white rice and garnish with freshly chopped parsley.
Notes
We recommend cooking the white rice separately according to the package directions.
The beans should cook until tender and the liquid has thickened to a rich, gravy-like consistency.
Mashing some of the beans against the side of the pot helps naturally thicken the dish.
Nutrition Disclaimer
Art of Cooking Recipes (Paulson Pursuits} is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
