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A bowl of red beans and rice with andouille sausage

Red Beans and Rice

Red Beans and Rice is a staple in Louisiana — a hearty and healthy rice dish with some spice! With the beans and rice, this makes the recipe a budget-friendly option.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Servings: 4
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Cajun, French
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 TBS olive oil
  • 2 leeks or 1 medium onion
  • 3–4 stalks celery
  • 1 zucchini squash
  • 1–2 clove(s) garlic
  • 1 red or green bell pepper
  • 1 can red beans or kidney beans
  • 1 tomato optional
  • 1/4 cup tomato sauce optional
  • 1½–2½ teaspoons Cajun seasoning
  • 1/4 cup chicken stock
  • 1 lb Andouille style sausage cut into rounds — or roasted chicken
  • 4 cups cooked ‘dirty rice’ see note below

Method
 

  1. Cut up the vegetables and place them in one bowl.
  2. Cut up the sausage and place it in a second bowl.
  3. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet and sauté the sausage. Brown the sausage in the pan for 5–7 minutes. Remove the sausage from the frying pan and set aside.
    Andouille sausage browning in a skillet
  4. Deglaze the pan with the vegetables for about 5 minutes.
    Vegetables cooking in the skillet
  5. Add the beans, chicken stock, garlic and cooked sausage to the pan, as well as the Cajun seasoning. Sauté over medium heat for 5 minutes.
  6. Add the tomato sauce and tomato. Cover, reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Serve the mixture over the cooked rice (dirty or not).
    Red beans and rice simmering in the pan

Notes

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to sauté pre-cooked sausage?
No you don’t, however, I like to sauté them in order to brown the sausage. This caramelizes the meat and enhances the flavor. It also helps release the spices from the sausage into the dish.
Why don’t I cook the vegetables with the Cajun seasoning?
Have you ever had one bite of a dish and thought it was pretty mild with regard to spices, and the next bite was very spicy? If you add the spices with the liquid of the chicken stock and beans, this will help move the spices around much more evenly.

Dirty Rice

Rinse the rice with water, then add the amount of water following the directions on the package. Add 1 teaspoon of dry chicken stock powder per cup of rice (if using liquid chicken stock, subtract 1/2 cup of water and replace it with 1/2 cup of chicken stock per cup of rice). Add 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper per cup of rice and 1 teaspoon of Herbes de Provence per cup of rice.

Substitutions for Herbes de Provence

  • ½ teaspoon Basil
  • ½ teaspoon Oregano
  • ½ teaspoon Thyme
Option #2: Instead of rice, serve with tortilla chips.

Equipment Needed

  • Teaspoon/Tablespoon measuring set
  • Measuring cups
  • Knife
  • Cutting board
  • Rice cooker or 1½ quart pot with lid
  • 12-inch frypan with lid
  • Spatula
  • 2 bowls (one for chopped vegetables, one for chopped sausage)
  • Can opener