Pink beans and rice is a quintessential Creole dish, proper up there with gumbo and jambalaya. Variations might be discovered throughout Louisiana and the Low Nation, however most begin with the basic sauté of inexperienced peppers, celery, and onions, a.ok.a. the holy trinity. In our tackle the Southern basic, we cube the andouille sausage—as an alternative of slicing it into extra conventional cash—so every spoonful will get a pop of texture and taste. We additionally incorporate floor sage, which rounds out the smokiness of the pork with its herbaceous, woodsy notes.
For one of the best purple beans and rice, skip the canned bean aisle and vow that this time you’ll truly keep in mind to soak dried purple beans in chilly water in a single day. (And if you happen to nonetheless neglect, you’ll be able to shortly rehydrate them in your Instantaneous Pot or on the range.) Simmer the soaked beans low and sluggish on the stovetop till they’re wealthy with the flavors of rooster inventory and store-bought Cajun seasoning. In fact, each Southern residence cook dinner has their very own means of doing issues, and you must be happy to take some liberties too. Swap in a smoked ham hock, kielbasa, or one other smoked sausage for the andouille. Hunt down the basic New Orleans alternative of Camellia purple kidney beans—or use a special type of dried bean altogether. Douse the entire thing in scorching sauce. Go for brown rice as an alternative of white rice. Or, make your individual Cajun seasoning mix with paprika, cayenne pepper, and garlic powder, amongst different spices. Regardless of the way you spin it, this blueprint for smoky Louisiana purple beans and rice ensures a giant bowl of consolation.
Serve the cooked beans with a facet of collard greens, cornbread, and a garnish of thinly sliced inexperienced onions. Professional tip: These purple beans style simply pretty much as good the subsequent day, if not higher.
