New Orleans Red Beans and Rice (Printable Version)
Classic Creole dish featuring creamy red beans, smoky turkey sausage, and aromatic vegetables served over fluffy white rice.
# What You'll Need:
→ Beans and Sausage
01 - 1 pound dried red kidney beans, rinsed and sorted
02 - 12 ounces smoked turkey sausage, sliced
03 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
→ Aromatics and Vegetables
04 - 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
05 - 1 green bell pepper, diced
06 - 2 celery stalks, diced
07 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
→ Liquids and Seasonings
08 - 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth or water
09 - 2 bay leaves
10 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme
11 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
12 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
13 - 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
14 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
15 - 1 teaspoon salt
→ To Serve
16 - 3 cups cooked long grain white rice
17 - 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
18 - 2 green onions, sliced
19 - Hot sauce as desired
# Directions:
01 - Soak beans overnight in cold water. Alternatively, use quick-soak method: cover beans with water, bring to boil, boil 2 minutes, turn off heat, let sit 1 hour. Drain and rinse thoroughly before using.
02 - Heat olive oil in large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add turkey sausage and cook until browned, approximately 5 minutes. Transfer to plate and set aside.
03 - In same pot, add onion, bell pepper, and celery. Sauté for 5 to 7 minutes until softened. Add minced garlic and cook 1 minute longer.
04 - Add soaked beans, browned sausage, chicken broth, bay leaves, thyme, paprika, oregano, cayenne, black pepper, and salt. Stir thoroughly to combine all ingredients.
05 - Bring mixture to boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 1.5 to 2 hours, stirring occasionally, until beans are tender and mixture reaches creamy consistency. Add additional broth or water if mixture becomes too thick.
06 - Remove bay leaves from pot. Taste mixture and adjust seasoning as needed with salt and pepper.
07 - Ladle hot bean mixture over fluffy white rice. Garnish with fresh parsley, sliced green onions, and hot sauce if desired.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- These beans develop a silky creaminess that wraps around the rice in a way that makes each bite comforting yet somehow still light with the turkey sausage.
- Its perfectly suited for Sunday cooking while youre puttering around the house, requiring little attention but rewarding you with leftovers that somehow taste even better for lunch on Monday.
02 -
- Never add salt until your beans are tender, as salt added too early can make beans tough and extend cooking time significantly.
- The back of a wooden spoon pressed against the pot side to smash some beans creates that authentic creamy texture without needing to puree anything.
03 -
- For even creamier beans, remove about a cup of cooked beans, mash them well, then stir them back into the pot during the final 30 minutes of cooking.
- The rice should be slightly firm and each grain distinct, not mushy, as it needs to stand up to the saucy beans when served.