I’m sure I’ve never had a truly authentic version of red beans and rice, but I would love to!!! I’ve had it from different restaurants and loved it, so I thought I would try my hand at making my own healthy version. The beans and brown rice provide great sources of fiber, making this dish very satisfying. I was making mine as a side dish to barbecued chicken, so I chose to make this a meat-free version. You could very easily add some sausage or even shrimp to make this a great main dish.
Red Beans and Rice
2 – 15 oz kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 – 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
2 tbsp garlic olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed (or 2 cloves if using regular olive oil)
1/2 red onion, chopped
2 bay leaves
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 tbsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup red wine
2 cups brown rice
Salt and pepper
Optional: 1/2 – 1 pound smoked sausage or kielbasa (I was wanting a side dish, so I left this out, but adding the sausage turns this into a great main dish for a carnivore!)
Add garlic olive oil to pan (I used my Dutch oven) and saute veggies until tender. Add all other ingredients, except rice and simmer for 1 hour on low. Salt and pepper to taste. Add rice and cook another 45 minutes on low or until rice is cooked. Remove bay leaves before serving.
Enjoy!
Inside Kel's Kitchen 