I made these beans for our Mardi Gras potluck at work using Andouille (Ahn-DUE-we) sausages, which add a spicy Cajun flavor. It’s traditionally a smoked pork sausage, brought to Louisiana by Acadian settlers. I didn’t want to eat too much pork, so bought two kinds: Niman Ranch Pork and Smoked Chicken from Open Nature (by Lucerne foods -Safeway). I liked the chicken links the best; they were spicy and not as greasy as the pork, and they were cheaper too. Trader Joe’s chicken Andouille is even better and spicier.
Fresh produce and herbs are best, but with winter prices so high for the fresh, I substituted frozen bell peppers and basil from Trader Joe’s. If using fresh basil, add it at the end of cooking. My thyme and oregano plants are sending out new leaves, so I used them fresh.
2 Tb olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
4 minced garlic cloves
4 medium stalks celery, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped, seeds, stem and membrane removed (or substitute 1 cup frozen)
2 jalapeño peppers, remove seeds, stem and membrane and finely dice
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves, minced
3 T fresh Italian parsley
1 Tb fresh basil, julienned, or 1 cube frozen basil
1 Tb fresh oregano, diced
6 Andouille sausages, quartered lengthwise, then sliced crosswise
2 bay leaves
½ tsp red pepper flakes
10 cups water or chicken broth
4 cups dried red kidney beans
¼ tsp fresh ground black pepper
salt to taste after beans are cooked
Bring water or chicken broth to a boil. If using water, use a teakettle (I had to fill the teakettle twice). Heat oil in a large heavy pot. Sauté onions, jalapeño, celery and bell pepper until soft, then add sausages and seasonings and sauté on medium heat for about 15 minutes, stirring often. Add the hot water or chicken broth. Rinse beans well, removing broken beans and any stones, and add to water or chicken broth. Let boil for 15 minutes, stirring well to loosen any ingredients from the bottom. Pour into crock pot and let it cook all day or night, depending on whether you start it in the morning or in the evening.
When beans are tender, add 2 to 3 tsp salt to taste. Cook at least ½ hour more to let the beans and broth absorb the salt. Stir in fresh basil and parsley.
Serve over rice and with a piece of cornbread.
- Servings Per Recipe: 20
- Amount Per Serving
- Calories: 97.6
- Total Fat: 4.4 g
- Cholesterol: 8.6 mg
- Sodium: 677.1 mg
- Total Carbs: 10.1 g
- Dietary Fiber: 3.7 g
- Protein: 4.8 g
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