Chef John's Red Beans and Rice

Rice Side Dish - Side Dish

Any time someone asks the question, 'What exactly is soul food?' the answer should always be 'a comforting bowl of red beans and rice.' Just sit them down, give them a spoon, and when they finish, ask them if they understand. They will.

Brief

Prep 30 mins

Cook: 3hrs15 mins

Total: 3hrs45 mins

Servings: 8

Yield: 8 servings

Chef John's Red Beans and Rice

Ingredients

1 pound dry red kidney beans

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

12 ounces andouille sausage

diced

1 cup finely diced onion

¾ cup chopped celery

¾ cup poblano peppers

4 cloves garlic

minced

2 quarts chicken broth

or more as needed

1 smoked ham hock

2 bay leaves

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon dried thyme

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

or to taste

hot sauce to taste

4 cups cooked white rice

2 tablespoons chopped green onion

or to taste

Mexican Tomato-Flavored Rice

Side Dish

Directions

Step 1

Place beans in a large container and cover with several inches of cool water; let stand 8 hours to overnight. Drain and rinse.

Step 2

Heat vegetable oil in a large pot over medium heat. Cook and stir sausage in hot oil until oils slightly release from sausage and edges brown 5 to 7 minutes. Stir onion celery and poblano pepper into sausage; cook and stir until vegetables soften and start to turn translucent 5 to 10 minutes. Stir garlic into sausage mixture; cook and stir until fragrant about 1 minute.

Step 3

Stir red beans chicken broth ham hock bay leaves black pepper thyme cayenne pepper and hot sauce into the sausage mixture; bring to a boil reduce heat to low and simmer gently stirring occasionally for 1 1/2 hours. Add salt and continue simmering until beans are soft meat is tender and desired consistency is reached 1 1/2 to 2 hours more. Season with salt.

Step 4

Spoon rice into bowls ladle red beans mixture over rice and top with green onion.

Nutritional Information

Chef John's Red Beans and Rice

Servings Per Recipe:8

Calories: 541.5

% Daily Value *

Protein: 25.9g 52%

Carbohydrates: 62.9g 20%

Dietary Fiber: 10.1g 40%

Sugars: 3.6g

Fat: 20.5g 32%

Saturated Fat: 6.4g 32%

Cholesterol: 46.4mg 16%

Vitamin A Iu: 197.2IU 4%

Niacin Equivalents: 9.4mg 73%

Vitamin B6: 0.6mg 35%

Vitamin C: 15.4mg 26%

Folate: 284.3mcg 71%

Calcium: 81.3mg 8%

Iron: 5.7mg 32%

Magnesium: 105.1mg 38%

Potassium: 1052.3mg 30%

Sodium: 1384mg 55%

Thiamin: 0.8mg 83%

Calories From Fat: 184.5

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

**Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.

(-)Nutrition information is provided for reference only. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.