Recipe: Louisiana Red Beans and Rice
from the blog fatfreevegan
Ingredients
- 1 pound dry red kidney beans
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 very large onion (about 2 cups chopped)
- 4 ribs celery
- 1 large bell pepper (about 1 1/2 cups chopped)
- 3 bay leaves
- 2 teaspoons thyme
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1/4-1 teaspoon red pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1-2 teaspoons chopped chipotle pepper, in adobo (this is not traditional but lends a smoky taste; substitute another tsp. of Liquid Smoke seasoning if you prefer)
- 1/2-1 tablespoon Tabasco sauce
- 1 teaspoon Liquid Smoke
- salt, to taste
- cooked rice, to serve
Instructions
- Cover the beans with water 2 inches over beans and soak overnight. Or, bring beans to a boil for one minute, remove from heat, and soak for at least an hour. Drain beans and rinse.
- Put the beans back in the pot and cover them with water 2 inches above level of beans. Put over high heat to begin cooking while you prepare the other ingredients.
- You’re going to want to chop the garlic, onion, celery, and bell pepper very finely, and the fastest and best way to do this is in a food processor. I throw the 4 peeled cloves of garlic in first, and then add the onion, quartered, and pulse until finely chopped. Add this to the pot on the stove, and then do the same thing with the celery and bell peppers, adding each to the beans. Add the remaining ingredients, except the salt and the rice.
- When the beans reach a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook, stirring every now and then, until they are completely tender and falling apart. This can take anywhere from 2 to 3 hours, depending upon the age of your beans. (Add more water as necessary to keep them hydrated.) When they are completely tender, add the salt to taste, and check the seasonings. Add any additional spices you want, and cook for at least 10 more minutes, until sauce is thick and beans are disintegrating. Remove the bay leaves, and serve over rice.