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Red Beans and Rice

Every Monday, you can find a pot of red beans and rice cooking in someone’s kitchen in New Orleans. The food writer and New Orleans bon vivant Pableaux Johnson’s house is no exception. The dish, an easy meal from when people used to reserve Monday to do the wash, was once made with the pork bone left over from Sunday supper. In this version, Mr. Johnson strongly encourages the use of hand-made Louisiana Andouille, but smoked sausage will do.

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ pound dried red beans (preferably New Orleans Camelia brand)
  • 1 pound Andouille sausage, sliced 1/2-inch thick and cut into quarters (smoked sausage can also be used)
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil
  • 6 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 medium onions, finely diced
  • 1 large rib celery, finely diced
  • 1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 ½ teaspoons black pepper
  • ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 2 teaspoons dried basil
  • ¾ teaspoon rubbed sage
  • 1 cup chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 bunch fresh green onions, chopped
  • Cooked white long-grain rice, for serving
  • Nutritional Information
    • Nutritional analysis per serving (12 servings)

      369 calories; 15 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 7 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 39 grams carbohydrates; 15 grams dietary fiber; 2 grams sugars; 18 grams protein; 21 milligrams cholesterol; 755 milligrams sodium

      • Note: Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available data.

About 12 cups

Preparation

  1. In a large bowl, cover beans in water and soak for at least 4 hours or overnight. (Water should cover beans by at least an inch.)
  2. In a large, heavy pot, brown sausage in 1 tablespoon of oil until slightly crisp. Add remaining oil, then the garlic and onions. Sauté over medium heat until onions become transparent and limp. Add celery and bell pepper and sauté for 5 minutes.
  3. Pour soaked beans and water into the pot and bring to a simmer. Add black pepper, cayenne, salt and all herbs except parsley.
  4. Cook until beans are softened, about 11/2 to 2 hours. Taste and adjust seasonings.
  5. Fifteen minutes before serving, remove 1 cup of beans to a bowl and, using a fork, mash them and stir back into the pot to enhance the creamy texture of the dish. Add parsley and green onions. Simmer about 15 minutes, taste and adjust seasoning, and add up to 1 cup more water if beans seem too thick. Then serve over white long-grain rice.

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