Red Beans and Rice

Name: Red Beans and Rice
Total time: 6 h 30 min
Yield: About 12 cups
Ingredients: 1 1/2 pound dried red beans (preferably New Orleans Camellia brand); 1 pound andouille sausage, sliced 1/2-inch thick (smoked sausage can also be used); 4 tablespoons olive oil; 6 garlic cloves, minced; 2 medium onions, finely diced; 1 large rib celery, finely diced; 1 medium green bell pepper, chopped; 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper; 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper; 2 teaspoons salt; 3 bay leaves; 2 teaspoons dried basil; 3/4 teaspoon rubbed sage; 1 cup chopped fresh parsley; 1 bunch fresh green onions, chopped; Cooked white long-grain rice, for serving

Recipe from Pableaux Johnson

Adapted by Kim Severson

Updated March 19, 2025

Total Time: 2½ hours, plus at least 4 hours’ soaking
Rating: 5(4,831)
Comments: Read comments

Every Monday, you can find a pot of red beans and rice cooking in someone’s kitchen in New Orleans. The food writer and New Orleans bon vivant Pableaux Johnson, who died in 2025, was no exception. He often invited an ever-changing band of writers, musicians and other outcasts to sit at the long table in his house, where he put out his version of red beans and rice, cooked with local hand-made andouille sausage. The dish, an easy meal from when people used to reserve Monday to do the wash, was once made with the pork bone left over from Sunday supper. Louisiana andouille works best here, but smoked sausage will do. —Kim Severson

Featured in: Fluffy. Tasty. Tricky.

or to save this recipe.
Subscriber benefit: give recipes to anyone
As a subscriber, you have 10 gift recipes to give each month. Anyone can view them - even nonsubscribers. Learn more.
Subscribe
Share
Print Options
Include recipe photo

Ingredients

Yield:About 12 cups

1½pound dried red beans (preferably New Orleans Camellia brand)
1pound andouille sausage, sliced ½-inch thick (smoked sausage can also be used)
4tablespoons olive oil
6garlic cloves, minced
2medium onions, finely diced
1large rib celery, finely diced
1medium green bell pepper, chopped
1½teaspoons black pepper
⅛teaspoon cayenne pepper
2teaspoons salt
3bay leaves
2teaspoons dried basil
¾teaspoon rubbed sage
1cup chopped fresh parsley
1bunch fresh green onions, chopped
Cooked white long-grain rice, for serving

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Opt out or contact us anytime. See our Privacy Policy.

Preparation

Step 1
In a large bowl, cover beans in water and soak for at least 4 hours or overnight. (Water should cover beans by at least an inch.)
Step 2
In a large, heavy pot, brown sausage in 1 tablespoon of oil until slightly crisp. Add remaining oil, then the garlic and onions. Sauté over medium heat until onions become transparent and limp. Add celery and bell pepper and sauté for 5 minutes.
Step 3
Pour soaked beans and water into the pot and bring to a simmer. Add black pepper, cayenne, salt and all herbs except parsley.
Step 4
Cook until beans are softened, about 1½ to 2 hours. Taste and adjust seasonings.
Step 5
Fifteen minutes before serving, remove 1 cup of beans to a bowl and, using a fork, mash them and stir back into the pot to enhance the creamy texture of the dish. Add parsley and green onions. Simmer about 15 minutes, taste and adjust seasoning, and add up to 1 cup more water if beans seem too thick. Remove bay leaves. Serve over white long-grain rice.

Ratings

5 out of 5

4,831 user ratings

Have you cooked this?

Private Notes

Leave a Private Comment on this recipe and see it here.

Comments

Alexander7 years ago

Folks, you need to trust me here on this. We are native New Orleanians and my wife makes the best red beans you will ever eat! She learned at the heels of her family who owned a neighborhood restaurant. Soak the beans for 10 minutes, bring to a boil for 20 min, take off the heat and let them sit til ready to cook. When it's time, bring back to a simmer and then add onions, celery, etc. Mash those beans towards the end for creaminess and if you are brave, add a little butter. YUM!

Steve7 years ago

I agree with Tim. Been making variations of red beans all my adult life. (Nor from Louisiana, but close, Beaumont Texas.) It's almost impossible to go wrong in my view, if you actually enjoy traditional rb&r. Being from Texas, I add chopped fresh jalapeño and Fresno chiles and twice the garlic. Also serve with Louisiana hot sauce on the side. And Alexander is dead on as to how to cook the beans.....

Brooks Twilley7 years ago

INSTANT POT (ELECTRIC PRESSURE COOKER) ADAPTATION: Rinse beans, set aside (no soak required). Follow directions above using the SAUTE mode to process the sausage and vegetables. Add beans, seasonings and 7 cups of water. Set MANUAL pressure to HIGH, for 55 minutes, followed by a 10-15 minute natural release. Remove lid, add parsley and green onions, mashing some beans against side of pot. Simmer on SAUTE for 15 minutes, or until desired thickness.

Duane N1 week ago

Red kidney beans have a naturally occurring toxin that must be leached and boiled out of the beans. Beans should be soaked for at least five hours with that soaking water discarded. Fresh water should be used when cooking and the beans need to be boiled for at least ten minutes. In some cases not doing this can cause severe illness, but for most people, not doing this process causes people to feel bloated or have indigestion. It’s actually that the beans are toxic and it takes several hours for the effects to go away. Kansas State, the FDA “Bad Bug Book,” and the British NHI all have helpful articles about this. Sincerely, a Native of New Orleans

PennyC1 week ago

My New Orleans-raised husband says this was the best version I've attempted to make. Good thing, because the recipe made a LOT. Would French bread or cornbread be more fitting?

Summer2 weeks ago

I tried out Alexander's 10min soak, 20min boil method and it worked great! Always afraid of uncooked beans. Actually I'd say the method actually shortened the cook time for the whole dish because my beans were very soft after 1:30 min. Anyway very delicious!

Private comments are only visible to you.