Red Beans Recipe

Sort and soak

Rinse the dried red beans under cold water, remove any debris or damaged beans. Place beans in a large bowl and cover with at least 2 cups of water. Soak for 4–6 hours or overnight. Drain and rinse before cooking. (Quick-soak: bring beans and 2 cups water to a boil for 2 minutes, remove from heat, cover and let sit 1 hour, then drain.)

Simmer beans

Place the drained beans in a large heavy pot or Dutch oven with 6 cups of broth. Add the smoked ham hock, bay leaves, and bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Reduce heat to low, cover partially, and simmer gently for 1 to 1½ hours until beans are tender but not falling completely apart. Stir occasionally and add up to 1–2 cups additional water or broth if the level gets low.

Mirepoix prep

While beans simmer, finely dice the yellow onion, green bell pepper, and celery (classic Cajun/Creole 'holy trinity'). Set aside the minced garlic.

Sauté vegetables

In a separate skillet or the Dutch oven (remove ham hock temporarily if needed), heat 2 tablespoons butter or oil over medium heat. Add the diced onion, bell pepper, and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to brown, about 6–8 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook 30–60 seconds until fragrant. Transfer the softened vegetables to the pot with the beans.

Prepare sausage

Slice the andouille or smoked sausage into 1/4-inch rounds. Brown the sausage in the skillet for 3–4 minutes per side until nicely caramelized. Add the browned sausage to the beans.

Shred ham

After the beans have simmered and the ham hock is heated through (about 45–60 minutes), remove the ham hock, let cool slightly, then strip off the meat and return the chopped/shredded pork to the pot. Discard the bone and any large pieces of fat.

Season

Stir in the dried thyme, smoked paprika, cayenne, 1 teaspoon black pepper, and 1½ teaspoons salt. Taste the broth and adjust salt, pepper and cayenne as needed. If the beans are very acidic or you prefer a rounder flavor, stir in 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar.

Mash to thicken

To achieve a creamy, thick texture, use a potato masher or the back of a large spoon to mash about one-quarter to one-third of the cooked beans against the side of the pot. Alternatively, remove 1 cup of beans and broth, mash them in a bowl and return to the pot. For a gluten-free smoother finish, you can stir in 1 teaspoon file powder at the end. If you prefer cornstarch, mix 1 teaspoon cornstarch with 1 tablespoon cold water and stir in, simmer 2–3 minutes until slightly thickened.

Final simmer

Simmer the assembled pot, uncovered, 10–15 minutes more so flavors meld and the mixture thickens to a stew-like consistency. Remove and discard bay leaves. Adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper to taste.

Serve

Spoon hot cooked white rice into bowls, ladle the red beans and sausage over the rice. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley and sliced green onions. Serve hot with crusty bread or cornbread if desired.