It’s taken me entirely too long to get to soak my red beans. A year! I’ve lived in New Orleans a year and I’ve never soaked my red beans to make a pot of Red Beans and Rice. Some nerve, really.
Red Beans and Rice is a Monday night New Orleans tradition. I thought Monday nights were reserved for red wine, salty popcorn, and M&M dinner… turns out I was totally mistaken. All the way wrong.
Red Beans and Rice is a Monday tradition because Monday was considered the “wash-day”…. laundry. Red Beans could cook on the stove, mostly unattended, all day while the laundry was done. Also, Red Beans could be made with the precious ham hock reserved from Sunday supper. In other words, everything makes sense. Ham, red beans, Monday laundry. New Orleans is doing it right and I need to get my act (and my laundry) together.
Let’s get this pot on the stove!
Classic Camellia Red Beans, dried but soaked.
Major soup flavors like onion, garlic, celery, pepper, and pancetta.
Parsley and thyme for fresh herb notes. Bay leaf for base flavors. Good chicken stock for roundness.
Lastly, smoked sausage, sliced, for that perfect layer of salty smoky pork.
Rice too! And it’s almost dinner!
Onions, peppers, and celery are added to a pot of crisp and cooking pancetta. We’re layering flavors. Pork meets classic stew vegetables. Very little can go wrong here.
It’s riiiiight about now, as the smell of cooking onions and peppers fill my kitchen that I’m like… CRAP I FORGOT TO SOAK MY BEANS!
How to Quick Soak Beans. The Kitchn saves the day. Like always.
Vegetables are really cooked down well. There are no half measures here. Red beans and rice are about almost burning everything. Almost. Taking vegetables and pork and beans to the edge of done.
That’s where all the flavor hides.
Fresh parsley, lots of minced garlic, and cooked smoked sausage are added to the well-browned vegetables. It’s already so good!
The sausage is cooked down until it’s crisped and almost gnarly. Everything gets extra done.
You’ll also note in the left corner, I’ve soaked my beans. Crisis averted.
Softened beans are added to the pancetta, vegetable, sausage, garlic goodness.
This is where some of you might yell at me for not adding a ham hock to my rice and beans. I know. What the heck is rice and beans without a dang ham hock!?!? Well… it’s still rice and beans. My version. It’s cool. Life goes on.
(I don’t know where the ham hock aisle is at the grocery store. Probably the butcher. Still tho. Still.)
Simmered until softened, fatty, smokey, spicy, and utterly irresistible. Serve with plenty of fluffy white rice, lots of fresh sliced green onions, and definitely invite at least two friends over for Monday gossip and good times.
Ps. Every single time I made rice I have to look it up: How To Cook Basmati Rice. Judge not.
PrintNew Orleans Red Beans and Rice
- Prep Time: 45
- Cook Time: 120
- Total Time: 180
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried red beans, rinsed and picked through for stones
- 1/3 cup diced pancetta
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 3 celery stalks, chopped
- 1 green or red bell pepper, deseeded and diced
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- pinch cayenne or a few dashes of Tony Chachere Seasoning
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, coarsely chopped
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme, roughly chopped
- 1/2 pound cooked smoked sausage cut into 1-inch pieces
- about 10 cups chicken stock
- 2 bay leaves
- 6 cups cooked white rice
- chopped green onions, garnish
Instructions
- Place clean dried beans in a medium pot and cover with room temperature water. Allow to soak overnight before making the beans.
- If you don’t have time to soak the beans overnight, don’t fret. Place the clean dried beans in a medium pot and cover with room temperature water. Place over medium heat and bring to a boil. As soon as the beans boil, cover, remove from heat, and allow to soak for 1 hour. Carry on with the recipe.
- In a large soup pot over medium heat, cook pancetta until very well crisp, about 6 minutes.
- Add the onions, celery, and bell pepper and cook until vegetables are very well done, about 8 minutes.
- Add salt, pepper, and cayenne or Tony Chachere Seasoning and stir to combine.
- Stir in the garlic, parsley, thyme, and sliced sausage. Increase heat to medium-high and cook until the sausage is well browned, about 5 minutes. Stir frequently.
- Add the softened beans to the pot, the stock, and bay leaves. Reduce heat to low and allow to simmer for about 2 hours, uncovered, until the beans are well softened.
- Taste and season with more salt or pepper.
- For a slightly smoother consistency, blend about 1/3 of bean and sausage mixture in a blender or food processor and return to the pot. This way, some of the beans will be ground smooth and some will be kept whole, creating a really lovely consistency. You can also smooth out some of the beans by mashing them against the side of the pan once they’re softened, but I like the bender method best.
- Serve beans with white rice and a hearty garish of green onions.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
yolonda
It’s gotten a little warm out for this but I’m still adding it to my list of things to cook. This recipe sounds so delicious, that it can’t be ignored.
Anita
Made this for Fat Tuesday and it was a big hit! The blending of half the pot makes it so creamy and delicious! Served hot sauce on the side for those who needed a little more kick. Also love the story behind making this on laundry day. Next time will make on Monday. Thanks for making my Fat Tuesday party a big delicious success.
Nel D.
A culinary cautionary tale … when I was growing up here on the Miss. Coast I always stayed at the elbow of my NOLA born mama while she was cooking. On red beans Monday, she always told me, once everything was on a simmer, to NEVER EVER burn red beans. Well, years go by and I’m on my young adult own, making my first pot of beans. I got distracted just long enough, and I started to smell something, well … AWFUL! It’s not something you ever want to have lingering in your home! The moral of my tale — use a heavy bottomed pot, and stir occasionally to be sure nothing is starting to stick :)
Katie@From Shores to Skylines
LOVE red beans and rice – so hearty and delicious! I need to find a good smoked sausage for this recipe. I love that you use dried beans, since that’s all I keep on hand now :)
emmajeanne16
This looks so yummy! I love the story about Monday being the day. Makes perfect.
Sophie
This looks amazing! Will definitely have to try – looks like one for the slow cooker.
Sophie. x
Erin | Well Plated
I just put my laundry in the dryer! Never mind that said laundry was in the washer last night and I forgot about it—it must be the universe willing me to make red beans and rice tonight. Destiny.
Phantom Felis
The key ingredient is Camilia red beans. No othe kidney bean comes close.
Karen @ On the Banks of Salt Creek
Yeah. A recipe for Red Beans and Rice direct from New Orleans. It looks so yummy.
Mia
I gotta hv this in my life. Soon. Now. A lot.
Heather - Butter & Burlap
I think I’ve been subconsciously waiting for you to make this classic New Orleans dish! It’s simply amazing, such a delicious pot of comfort food! I’ll be visiting New Orleans later this summer, any favorite local spots off the beaten path I should check out? Great recipe!
joythebaker
I’m working on updating my New Orleans section on the site! Stay tuned!
Kiri
My mouth is watering. Fingers crossed we have a few more cold nights to justify come more comfort food like this.
http://www.stateofsunshineblog.com
Ellen
So happy to see this post! Can’t wait to try making this.
Tom ~ Raise Your Garden
Since I watch a lot of Disney movies with my girls, I have to say this looks just like the recipe Tiara makes for all her neighbors and friends on the front porch. And it looks really good!
joythebaker
Hahaha, I love this comment! Thanks Tom!
themoonblushbaker
This is sight for sore eyes! Deep caramelised meats in red sauce is pure comfort!
Tori@Gringalicious.com
Red beans and rice are a dish that’s screams nostalgia to me because my dad used to make it for me when I was little. Just looking at these pictures I can almost taste how delicious it is and I love that you use ham hock for the base!
Erica Jean
I can’t wait to cook this me and my family