Red beans and rice

Ingredients

• 800 g cooked red beans
• 350 g smoked sausage
• 1 piece yellow onion
• 2 pieces celery stalks
• 1 piece green bell pepper
• 4 cloves garlic
• 320 g long-grain rice
• 2 tbsp neutral oil
• 700 ml water
• 2 leaves bay leaves
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• to taste fine salt
• to taste ground black pepper

Method

1. Rinse the rice until the water is less cloudy, then cook covered in simmering salted water until the grains are tender and separate, about 15 minutes; keep warm off the heat.
2. Cut the sausage into thick slices and brown in hot oil over medium heat until the edges are deeply colored and the bottom of the pot starts to catch, 5 to 7 minutes.
3. Add the finely diced onion, celery, and bell pepper, then sweat while scraping the bottom of the pot until the vegetables turn soft and glossy, 8 to 10 minutes.
4. Add the minced garlic, thyme, smoked paprika, and bay leaves; stir until the garlic is fragrant without browning, about 1 minute.
5. Pour in the drained red beans and water, add pepper, then bring to a simmer while deglazing the browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
6. Simmer uncovered, at a steady low boil, until the beans are very tender and the liquid begins to thicken, 45 to 55 minutes.
7. Mash a portion of the beans against the side of the pot with a spoon, then continue cooking until a creamy sauce forms and coats the sausage, 10 to 15 minutes.
8. Taste, gradually add salt, and remove the bay leaves; the sauce should be smoky, peppery, and thick enough to sit on the rice without running like soup.
9. Place the hot rice in plates, top generously with the saucy red beans, and serve immediately, with a final crack of pepper if needed.

Nutrition

Per serving

Energy

842 kcal

Protein

45.92 g

Carbohydrate

111.93 g

Fat

22.51 g

Fibre

15.63 g

Calcium

217.55 mg

Iron

16.49 mg

Magnesium

301.95 mg