This is one of the quintessential New Orleans dishes, right up there along with gumbo and jambalaya. You can leave out the meat entirely to make this vegetarian, but I like the flavor the sausage adds. I’ve used turkey sausage and traditional pork andouille, and both work well. To make this a quick and easy meal you could use 6 cans of red beans in place of the dried beans and broth.
To make this #dinnerdoneby9am I fully cook the beans and sausage in the morning, refrigerate all day, then reheat and cook the rice just before serving.
-1 lb red beans, rinsed, soaked overnight, drained and rinsed again
-2 Tbsp olive oil
-1 onion, diced
-1 bell pepper, diced
-4 cloves garlic, minced
-1 lb smoked andouille sausage, sliced (I like the spicy Cajun variety)
-1/2 tsp black pepper
-1/4 tsp cayenne peper
-1 tsp dried thyme
-2 bay leaves
-2 Tbsp hot sauce
-6-8 c chicken or beef broth
-cooked rice for serving
-green onions and/ or parsley for topping
Heat olive oil in large pot over medium heat. saute onion and bell pepper until soft (5-10 minutes). Add garlic and cook 1 additional minute, stirring constantly. Add sausage and cook 5 additional minutes. Add beans, black pepper, cayenne, thyme, bay leaves, hot sauce and broth. Increase heat to medium high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer on medium low for 1- 1.5 hrs, stirring every 10 minutes (or so). If beans become too dry add more water while cooking. Once bean are desired tenderness remove from heat, taste and adjust seasonings. Serve over rice, with parsley or green onions for garnish, hot sauce for topping and french bread for dipping.
