Treebeard's Red Beans (And Rice)

By ghudsontx

This recipe is quite a favorite at Treebeards' restaurant in Houston. It's posted in response to a request. Cooking time does not include the pre-soak or pre-boil time. To make it South Beach friendly, substitute low fat turkey smoked sausage for the regular smoked sausage, and serve with brown rice.

Ingredients

• 1 lb dried red kidney beans
• 2 quarts water
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, with leaves, chopped
• 1/2 large bell pepper, chopped
• 2 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons thyme
• 1 1/2 teaspoons oregano
• 1 1/4 teaspoons garlic powder
• 3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 lb smoked sausage, cut in 1/2-inch slices

Preparation

Step 1

Directions:

Prep Time: 20 mins

Total Time: 2 1/2 hrs

1 Sort and wash red beans. In a large soup pot, add 2 qrts cold water and red beans. Let soak overnight. (To speed up the process, you can bring them to a boil, simmer 2 minutes, remove from heat and let stand 1 hour before the next step.) DO NOT DRAIN WATER!

2 Add onions, celery, and bell pepper to beans and bring to a boil. Cover, and reduce heat to simmer about 1 1/2 hours, or until beans are soft. DO NOT STIR MORE THAN NECESSARY.

3 Stir in seasonings and sausage. Simmer 30 minutes more.

4 Meanwhile cook a pot of rice, and serve the beans over the hot cooked rice, garnished with shredded cheddar cheese and chopped green onion.

5 Note: Don't stir more than necessary - you don't want mushy beans. If you want thicker beans, remove the lid during the last 30 minutes of cooking time, or remove 1/2 cups of the beans and mash them before returning to the pot.

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