“I was trying to decide what to serve with the Cajun Shrimp. Nothing in our cookbook seemed like an appropriate side dish. Red Beans & Rice is classic Cajun food. It works as a side dish, but with the sausage would also make a fine light meal served with a side salad.” – April Ferre
Red Beans & Rice
Ingredients
- 1 Cup White Rice
- 1 Tablespoon Vegetable Oil
- 1 12.8-Ounce Package Andouille Sausage Thinly Sliced
- 1 Medium Onion Diced
- 1 Green Bell Pepper Diced
- 2 Stalks Celery Diced
- 2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
- 3 Cloves Garlic Minced
- 1 1/2 Teaspoons Cajun Seasoning
- 3 15-Ounce Cans Red Beans
- 3 Cups Chicken Stock
- 1/2 to 1 Teaspoon Hot Sauce
- 1 Bay Leaf
- Salt & Pepper To Taste
- Chopped Fresh Parsley Optional, For Garnish
Instructions
- Cook white rice and set aside.
- Heat vegetable oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add sausage and cook, stirring frequently, until the sausage is lightly browned. Remove to bowl and set aside.
- Add onion, bell pepper and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally until tender. Stir in tomato paste, garlic and Cajun seasoning until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in red beans, chicken stock, hot sauce and bay leaf. Add back sausage.
- Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 15 minutes. Uncover and continue to simmer until reduced, another 15 minutes. In order to thicken the dish, transfer a portion of the beans (without the sausage) to a blender and blend until smooth. Add back to the pot. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve topped with rice and garnished with parsley, if desired.
2020 Adapted Recipe – April Ferre – Adapted from www.damndelicious.net
