Red beans and rice is a Louisiana Creole dish with red beans, vegetables, spices and pork bones, cooked together slowly and served over rice. Meats such as ham, sausage, and tasso ham are also frequently used in the dish. Since I don’t live in the South, not all of the traditional ingredients (such as Camellia brand dried red beans nor tasso ham) is readily available. I took the liberty of using substitutes. The end results were flavorful beans reminiscent of my visits to New Orleans. The flavors of pork and spice were spot on perfect! Oh, and instead of traditional rice, I used farro grain since it’s healthier than rice. But, you can certainly stick with traditional rice and have delicious results.
NOTE: The original post was made in my pressure cooker, but I updated the post for a stove top version. I will provide directions how to adapt this in the printable recipe card.
I’ve had the privilege of visiting New Orleans a few times, but it’s been a long time since my last visit. Besides my required Cafe du Monde Beignets, I make a point of ordering Red Beans and Rice if I see it on the menu. I love beans — refried, baked, campfire style— you name it!
If you’ve never tried Louisiana style red beans, you are in for a treat. The beans are cooked until just creamy but not mushy. There’s sausage (or ham) and a spice blend that has a little kick that even my sensitive taste buds can handle. (Of course, you can always add Louisiana hot sauce, but that’s a condiment that is too hot for my sensitive taste buds.)
The night before, I soaked red beans (a good substitute if you can find traditional Camellia brand red beans).
I used this brand of Cajun Style Andouille sauce, and sliced it to add to the beans.
Bacon! Since “Tasso ham” isn’t something I’ve ever seen in my part of California bacon will also be a great substitute.
To begin: the bacon is browned until almost fully rendered. Ah, yes– the Holy Trinity of Louisiana cooking is a blend of onion, celery and bell pepper (I used my food processor to finely chop the vegetables). The vegetables and bacon become one–and it smells so good!
We’re building more flavor by adding plenty of garlic and spices such as thyme, paprika, bay leaves, cayenne pepper and black pepper and adding it to the onion and bacon until fragrant. For liquid, we’re adding low-sodium chicken broth and water to the soaked beans and vigorously simmering until soft.
To the cooked beans, we add the andouille sausage and a little red wine vinegar and cook until the liquid, at a vigorous boil, until it is thick and creamy.
Oh yeah…. about the “rice” part of this dish. I love rice, don’t get me wrong! However, I’ve recently discovered “farro” and I prefer that to rice. Farro is a hulled wheat that contains more fiber than other popular grains like rice or even quinoa! It’s also exceptionally high in protein for a grain and supplies more than 10 different vitamins and minerals. I love the texture of it (slightly al dente) and the nutty flavor. Convinced? No judgment here, and no offense to Louisiana. I love rice as well so your choice.
TASTING NOTES: I tasted the beans, before plating them for dinner. At first, I was concerned that the cayenne pepper would pack too much heat for me (I’m ultra-sensitive to spice). Yes, it said “hello” to my tongue but it didn’t cause me to fan my mouth. What a relief! I could taste the pork flavor from the bacon and the andouille sausage. The beans were cooked perfectly and not mushy. So, while I didn’t use 100% authentic Lousiana ingredients, I think this recipe does justice to this traditional meal. I had seconds, and didn’t feel the least bit guilty. Honestly, this recipe reminds me of my visits to Louisiana and I know I’ll make this again. You can easily adapt this recipe for a pressure cooker. I would use the saute’ function on my instant pot to cook the vegetables. Once you add the liquid, pressure cooker for one hour. It’s that simple!
Red Beans and Rice
Ingredients
- Table salt
- 1 pound small red beans about 2 cups, rinsed and picked over
- 4 slices bacon about 4 ounces, chopped fine (see note)
- 1 medium onion chopped fine (about 1 cup)
- 1 small green bell pepper seeded and chopped fine (about 1/2 cup)
- 1 celery rib chopped fine (about 1/2 cup)
- 3 medium garlic cloves minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika see note
- 2 bay leaves
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Ground black pepper
- 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 6 cups water
- 8 ounces andouille sausage halved lengthwise and cut into 1/4-inch slices (see note)
- 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar plus extra for seasoning
- 3 scallions white and green parts, sliced thin
- Hot sauce optional
Instructions
- Dissolve 3 tablespoons salt in 4 quarts cold water in large bowl or container. Add beans and soak at room temperature for at least 8 hours and up to 24 hours. Drain and rinse well.
- Heat bacon in large Dutch oven over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until browned and almost fully rendered, 5 to 8 minutes.Add onion, green pepper, and celery; cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are softened, 6 to 7 minutes.
Stir in garlic, thyme, paprika, bay leaves, cayenne pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper; cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Stir in beans, broth, and water; bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat and vigorously simmer, stirring occasionally, until beans are just soft and liquid begins to thicken, 45 to 60 minutes. - Stir in sausage and 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar and cook until liquid is thick and beans are fully tender and creamy, about 30 minutes. Season to taste with salt, black pepper, and additional red wine vinegar.Serve over rice, sprinkling with scallions and passing hot sauce separately, if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
I also enjoy red beans and rice and yours looks very good. My current blog is about your Paprika Chicken.
I saw that and thank you so much!
How to achieve the sweet sausage, smoked, cajun style flavor of the Red Beans and Rice served at the eatery named Louisiane Creole and Gumbo Restaurant on Gratiot Ave at St. Aubin near Downtown Detroit ? I’ve tried everything I know, but I can’t seem to come near to duplicating the taste. Somebody help me !!!