Red Beans and Rice
My parents both grew up in the south, so not shockingly, I’ve had my share of red beans and rice over the years. As a kid, it was never my favorite. But as an adult, it brings me a tremendous amount of comfort and joy.
Some might balk at beans with no ham hock or andouille sausage, but I find I can get the same smoky deliciousness without either. I don’t use vegan sausage here as a substitute, but it would certainly be a welcome addition.
I think the most important bit for me is to get the freshest dry beans that you can get your hands on. Because the fresher the bean, the more tender and buttery the final product will be.
There are a fair amount of ingredients in the recipe, but if you’ve got the time, it’s super simple.
And the result? Maximum comfort.
COMFORT IN A BOWL
INGREDIENTS:
Beans
1 lbs. (450 g) red or kidney beans (dry, soaked overnight)
8 C water (plus more if needed)
3 tsp. Better than Bouillon (vegan no chicken or no beef preferred- can sub with vegan-friendly bouillon cube)
2 bay leaves
½ tsp. dried thyme
4” - 6” dried kombu (optional)
1 C yellow onion (finely diced)
1 C green pepper (finely diced)
1 C celery (finely diced)
¼ C olive oil (extra virgin)
2 T butter (vegan)
2 tsp. liquid smoke
2 tsp. Cajun spice mix (see recipe below)
1-2 tsp. salt (or to taste)
1 T apple cider vinegar (optional)
dash of hot sauce, like Crystal or Frank’s (to taste)
Cajun Spice Mix
2 tsp. cayenne pepper (use one if you are sensitive to spice)
2 tsp. fresh cracked pepper
1 tsp. kosher salt
2 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. onion powder
2 tsp. smoked paprika
Rice
1 C long grain rice, like jasmine (soaked and rinsed)
2 C water
Prep:
Pick through dried beans to remove any rocks or debris
Soak in a large pot overnight
Drain and rinse beans
Make spice mixture (you will have leftovers for more bean making)
Finely dice onion, celery and green pepper (the trinity, y’all)
Soak rice
Total cooking time for beans : 2-2 ½ hours
Directions:
Heat a heavy bottom pot to medium-high heat. Once heated, add oil and let the oil warm up.
Saute the trinity (onion, celery, and green pepper) for 5 minutes or until translucent (not really looking too brown).
Add in soaked beans, kombu and bay leaves- give a nice stir until all is well combined.
Pour in water (make sure it is covering the beans) and raise the heat to high to bring to a boil.
Once mixture is boiling, reduce heat down to medium low to simmer.
Skim off any foam from the beans and discard.
Let beans cook uncovered for about 1 hour to 1 ½ hours, stirring occasionally.
After beans have been cooking for at least an hour, add in bouillon, liquid smoke, and Cajun mix (2 tsp.), and thyme. Continue to cook until the beans start to become tender.
If you are going to make cornbread, this is a good time- see recipe here. Also a good time to cook rice.
To cook rice- Add soaked and rinsed rice to a pot with cold water-bring it to a boil, then cover and reduce to a low simmer. Cook until the water is completely absorbed (about 15-20 minutes for white rice, up to 45 minutes for brown rice). After cooking, remove the pot from heat and let it sit, covered, for about 5-10 minutes. This will allow the rice to steam and ensures each grain becomes fluffy. Set aside.
Once beans are tender, add in butter and use a potato masher or the back of your spoon and mash ¼ to ½ the beans in your pot, leaving the rest whole. If the kombu hasn’t melted into the mixture, mash that as well or remove.
Check for seasonings (here’s where you add more salt, pepper or spice mix if needed).
Stir beans and let the mashed mixture cook another couple of minutes, then add the apple cider vinegar (if using) and some hot sauce (the amount is up to you). Let cook for another couple of minutes.
Give it a final taste to check for seasoning and adjust as needed.
Remove bay leaves before serving.
Use a fork to gently fluff the rice and add to a bowl. Pour over hot red beans. I prefer to mix them together, but that’s up to you.
Serve with cornbread and hot sauce. Enjoy.
