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Traditional Red Beans and Rice

Course Laundry Day Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine American Southern, Cajun, Creole
Keyword Red Beans and Rice
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Servings 6 people
Author David of Sunset & Sewanee

Equipment

  • pressure cooker (optional)
  • large heavy bottom pot, cast iron or porcelain cast iron are perfect (if not using a pressure cooker)
  • cutting board
  • chef knife
  • measuring spoons and cups

Ingredients

Red Beans

  • 1 lb red beans washed, cleaned and soaked overnight covered by water in the refrigerator. (Discard soaking water before use)
  • 3-4 strips smoked bacon, (cooked in the pot to be used for beans), removed and chopped to add back midway in the cooking process (Extra smokey or double smoked bacon works best if you can find it.)
  • 1 cup onions, white or yellow diced
  • 1 cup celery stalks, diced
  • 1 cup green pepper, diced (Green bell pepper is traditional, but I prefer fresh poblano pepper)
  • 2 cups green onion, finely sliced and divided in half cup portions + more for garnish (1 cup during cooking and 1 cup after cooking)
  • ¼ cup garlic, minced
  • 2 whole bay leaf (optional) (1 Tbsp ground bay leaf powder works as well)
  • 1 tbsp thyme, chopped leaves, stems removed or ground
  • 1 tbsp oregano, chopped leaves, stems removed or ground
  • 1 tbsp filé powder, also known as gumbo filé (optional) (Filé powder is ground sassafras leaves and can be used for its flavor and thickening qualities.)
  • 1 tsp ground cayenne pepper (Crushed red pepper flakes work as well.)
  • 1 tsp each salt and black pepper
  • 2 cups diced ham (Any good quality ham will do, but pickled ham is super traditional)
  • 2 quarts chicken stock or more if needed (Ham stock works great as well.)
  • 1 lb Andouille pre-cooked sausage, halved and sliced (Polish Kielbasa and Portuguese Lingua sausage make great substitutes.)
  • ½ cup fresh parsley, chopped fine

Rice

Instructions

Red Beans

  • Dried beans are a raw agricultural product and need to be washed and picked over for any foreign objects like sticks, pebbles or clods of dirt. Wash and rinse the beans in cold water. Once the beans are clean, place them in a large pot or bowl and cover them with 2 inches of fresh cold water. Cover with plastic wrap or a lid and refrigerate overnight. The next day, drain the beans and reserve.
  • Peel and core the onions, and chop finely.
  • Wash and finely chop the celery.
  • Core and seed the green pepper and finely chop.
  • Thinly slice the green onion (scallions), remove the roots and separate into two portions.
  • Peel the garlic, smash with the side of a knife and finely chop. Reserve.
  • Leave the bay leaf whole so you can remove this at the end.
  • Measure out the thyme, oregano, filé powder, cayenne pepper, salt, black pepper and add to the raw vegetable mixture.
  • Prepare the pot for the beans by cooking 3-4 strips of bacon over medium heat. Once the bacon has cooked remove from the pot, chop and reserve to add later.
  • While the pot is still hot with the bacon drippings, add the onions, celery, green pepper, 1 cup green onion, garlic, seasonings (thyme, oregano, filé powder, cayenne, salt & pepper) to the rendered bacon drippings. Stir to mix the ingredients well. Continue cooking until the onion and vegetables are soft.
  • Once the vegetable mixture is tender, add the clean pre-soaked beans. Stir the beans into the vegetable mixture.
  • Add the diced ham and reserved chopped bacon from earlier.
  • Add 2 quarts of chicken stock or enough to completely cover the beans by ½-¾ inch. Bring the pot to a boil (or follow the instructions on a pressure cooker). Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 2 ½ hours, or more, stirring occasionally. Test a bean or two to determine doneness. The beans should be very soft.
  • When the beans are cooked, remove from the heat and remove the bay leaf. Measure out 1-1½ cups of beans with juice and add to a blender container. Place the lid and puree until smooth. Add this back to the original pot of red beans and stir to incorporate. This will help thicken the traditional red beans properly.
  • Add the chopped parsley, 1 cup fresh scallions, andouille sausage and stir to incorporate. The traditional red beans will still have enough residual heat to warm up sliced pre-cooked andouille sausage. Reserve and keep warm.

Rice (If you use an artisan rice like Carolina Gold follow the instructions on the packaging.) Otherwise, use 2 cups water/stock to 1 cup rice ratio.

  • In a large pot over medium heat, melt the butter.
  • Add the rice and stir to coat evenly.
  • Add the stock and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce the heat to low and cover with a tight fitting lid.
  • Cook the rice for 20 minutes and turn off the heat completely, leaving the lid on. Allow the rice to sit covered for 5 minutes.
  • Add the chopped scallions and mix into the rice. Reserve.

Serving

  • Present the dish by packing a ramekin with cooked rice. Place the ramekin in the center of a serving bowl upside down. Ladle the red beans around the ramekin and then carefully remove it leaving the rice in the center.
  • Garnish (optional) with crumbled cornbread and more scallions. I like to offer my guests a choice of Louisiana hot sauces (Tabasco, Crystal, D.a.T. Sauce) and more file' powder on the side.

Notes

Instant Pot (Pressure Cooker) Directions:

Follow the same procedures as above, but when it comes time to seal and cook set the temperature to high and cook for 40 minutes. After the timer has sounded and the heat is turned off allow the beans to sit in the pressure cooker for an additional 20 minutes before removing the lid. I've used this method several times and the beans come out perfect.