Red beans and rice

Red beans and rice is a staple dish in Louisiana. It makes a great side, but it's also filling enough to serve as a main. The dish doesn't take too long to prep, but it does need a long slow cook to soften the beans and give the flavours time to combine. Try putting it on the stove on a weekend afternoon, and enjoy the delicious smell in your home all day!

For the red beans:

• 1 lb (453 g) dry red kidney beans
  
  
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
  
  
• 1 lb (453 g) smoked sausage (Andouille sausage is traditional, but any smoked pork or beef sausage will be fine)
  
  
• 1 onion
  
  
• 1 green bell pepper
  
  
• 2 stalks celery
  
  
• 4 cloves garlic
  
  
• 6 cups water
  
  
• 2 bay leaves (optional)
  
  
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley
  
  
• 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning

For the rice:

• 4 cups of water
  
  
• 2 cups of rice

1. The night before, rinse beans and put in a large pot or bowl. Cover with double their volume in water, and leave to soak overnight.
   
   
2. When you're ready to cook, slice the sausage into bite-sized rounds. Dice onions, green peppers and celery, and mince garlic.
   
   
3. Heat oil in large pot over medium heat. Add sausage, and cook until browned. Remove to a clean bowl, and place in the fridge.
   
   
4. Add onions, green pepper and celery and garlic to the same pot. Cook until veggies have softened, around 3-4 minutes.
   
   
5. Drain and rinse the beans that have been soaking overnight. Add them to the pot, along with 6 cups of water, spices, and bay leaf.
   
   
6. Bring pot to a boil, and then reduce heat to a simmer. Cover with a lid and simmer for 2 hours, until beans are soft.
   
   
7. Smush some of the beans with a wooden spoon to thicken the broth, and stir sausage back into the pot. Continue simmering for 30 more minutes. While the beans finish cooking, make your rice by boiling it in water in a seperate pot.
   
   
8. Taste beans, and add more salt or seasonings as needed. Serve over rice, and enjoy!

• If you don't have time to soak your beans overnight, you can quick soak them instead. Add them to a large pot with around 10 cups of water, and boil for 2-3 minutes. Remove pot from heat, cover, and set aside to sit for at least 1 hour before using.

• This recipe can also be made with canned beans. You'll want three cans of kidney beans. Drain and rinse two of the cans and add them to the pot, and puree the third can in its liquid before adding to the pot as well. Add one cup of water or broth instead of 6, and simmer for around 30 minutes.
  
  
• You can use broth instead of water, or add a ham bone to the pot for extra flavour.
  
  
• Make vegetarian red beans by removing the sausage and increasing the spices.
  
  
• If you don't have Cajun seasoning, try making your own by blending paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and pepper. Add a little cayenne pepper if you like spice!

• Red beans and rice can be kept covered in the fridge for up to 4 days. The rice may absorb the liquid from the beans and become mushy, so the rice and beans are best stored seperately.
  
  
• Cool completely, and divide into single portion sizes. Store in freezer for up to 3 months.

Recipe adapted from the Stockbox Cookbook

Food is Too Expensive! was funded by the City of Saskatoon through our Healthy Yards partnership, the Cyril Capling Trust Fund of the College of Agriculture and Bioresources, and the Department of Plant Sciences. Focus group research to inform this work was collected by CHEP. Thank you all for helping us make healthy food more accessible!