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Red Beans and Rice

SAVE ✓ SAVED ADD TO MEAL PLAN PRINT

This is a great go-to vegetarian recipe that tastes like comfort food but is actually very healthy. The original recipe came from a 2009 Cooking Light magazine. I made a few adjustments to suit my family. First, we have decided to curtail our use of canned goods because of concerns about BPA (Bisphenol-A) exposure. Instead of using canned diced tomato I used 3 medium fresh tomatoes which I diced myself (the result was great). I also used dried beans instead of canned. If you are also concerned about BPA but don't have the time to soak beans, Eden Organic now makes canned beans in BPA-free cans. Instead of meat, I used a vegetarian sausage that I love because it cooks up so well. If you can't find a spicy vegetarian sausage, you could easily use a chicken andouille sausage as it was originally written. Serve this over brown rice to make a complete meal. Many vegetarian and meat sausages have wheat and/or soy, so if you are following a specific diet or avoiding food allergens read ingredients carefully when selecting a product. Aidells sausage products (not vegetarian) have great allergy information on their website.

Ingredients

Food
Amt
Units
Prep
Notes
2 tablespoons olive oil
olive oil
2
tablespoons
2 3 ounce links andouille sausage, chopped (chicken or vegetarian, Tofurky Italian works great)
andouille sausage
2
3 ounce links
chopped
chicken or vegetarian, Tofurky Italian works great
1 small onion, diced
onions
1
diced
1 stalk celery, diced
celery
1
stalk
diced
½ bell pepper, diced
bell peppers
½
diced
1-1½ teaspoon Cajun seasoning (salt free)
Cajun seasoning
1-1½
teaspoon
salt free
¾ teaspoon salt
salt
¾
teaspoon
½ teaspoon dried oregano
dried oregano
½
teaspoon
2 cloves garlic, minced
garlic
2
cloves
minced
2 cups cooked red beans (from dried or canned)
red beans
2
cups
from dried or canned
¼ cup water
water
¼
cup
3 tomatoes, diced (medium)
tomatoes
3
diced
medium
¼ teaspoon black pepper
black pepper
¼
teaspoon
4 cups cooked brown rice
brown rice
4
cups

Method

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage, onions, celery and peppers the to pan, and cook for 3-4 minutes. Add Cajun seasoning, salt, oregano, and garlic to pan, cooking an additional 1 minute while stirring constantly. Mash some of the beans with a fork. Add beans, 1/4 cup water, and diced tomatoes to the skillet. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes until mixture is thickened. Remove from heat, and stir in pepper to taste. Serve over rice.

Prep time
6 min
Cook time
16 min
Cost per serving:
$3.65
Yields/Serves:
4-5 servings (double for a great "Cook Once, Eat Twice" meal)
Nutrition Information

Yum Ratings

😫😟😐😀😍 “I like these beans!" —Zane age 9
😫😟😐😀😍 "Super Yum. Do I have to give this bowl back? It's so good!" —Maria, age 11
😫😟😐😀😍 "Yuck. I don't think I like this so much." —Asa, age 5