Name: Walk-On's Sports Bistreaux - Wichita Restaurants Red Beans Recipe
Cook time: 2 h 30 min
Total time: 2 h 30 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Cajun
Ingredients: 1.5 cups dried red kidney beans; 6 cups water (for soaking); 4 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth; 4 cups long-grain white rice (cooked, for serving); 1 cup yellow onion; 0.5 cup green bell pepper; 1 cup celery stalks; 4 cloves garlic cloves, minced; 8 oz smoked Andouille sausage, sliced 1/4-inch; 2 tbsp unsalted butter or neutral oil; 2 pieces bay leaves; 1 tsp dried thyme; 1 tsp paprika (sweet or smoked); 0.25 tsp cayenne pepper; 1 tsp creole or Cajun seasoning; 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce; 1 tsp salt; 0.5 tsp black pepper; 1 tsp hot sauce (optional); 2 tbsp thinly sliced green onions

Method

Soak & Prep Beans

Quick soak

Sort the dried red beans, discarding any stones or damaged beans. Rinse thoroughly. Place beans in a large bowl and cover with 6 cups of water. Soak for at least 4 hours or overnight. For a quick soak: bring beans and water to a boil for 2 minutes, remove from heat, cover and let sit 1 hour. Drain and rinse before cooking.

Cook Aromatics & Sausage

Heat a large heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons butter or oil. When hot, add the sliced Andouille sausage and brown for 3–4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the edges have color and some flavorful fond forms on the bottom of the pot. Remove sausage with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving rendered fat in the pot.

Add the chopped onion, green bell pepper, and celery to the pot (the traditional Cajun 'holy trinity'). Sauté over medium heat for 6–8 minutes until softened and translucent, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Add minced garlic and cook 30–60 seconds until fragrant.

Simmer Beans

Return the browned sausage to the pot with the aromatics. Add the drained soaked beans, 4 cups chicken stock, bay leaves, dried thyme, paprika, cayenne, and creole seasoning. Stir to combine and bring to a gentle boil over medium-high heat.

Reduce heat to medium-low so the pot maintains a gentle simmer. Partially cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes, or until the beans are tender and the liquid begins to thicken. If the liquid reduces too quickly and beans are not yet tender, add additional hot water or stock 1/2 cup at a time.

About 15–20 minutes before the beans are done, taste and add Worcestershire sauce, salt, and black pepper. Mash a cup of the beans against the side of the pot with the back of a spoon to release starch and thicken the sauce, then stir well. Adjust seasoning and heat with cayenne or hot sauce if desired.

Finish & Serve

When beans are creamy and tender and the liquid has reached a stew-like consistency, remove and discard bay leaves. Stir in sliced green onions and a teaspoon of hot sauce if using. If you prefer a richer finish, swirl in 1 tablespoon butter for gloss.

Spoon cooked white rice into bowls (about 1/2 cup cooked rice per serving). Ladle 1 to 1 1/4 cups of red beans over the rice per serving. Garnish with additional green onions and a drizzle of hot sauce or extra black pepper.