Red Beans and Rice

Ingredients (~6 servings)

• 1 lb dry kidney beans
• 12 oz andouille sausage, sliced
• 1 lb smoked turkey legs
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 6 cloves garlic, diced
• 1 1/2 Tbsp Cajun seasoning
• 1 Tbsp tomato paste
• 2 Tbsp salted butter
• 4 bay leaves
• 1 Tbsp chicken bouillon paste
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 Tbsp hot sauce
• 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 tsp liquid smoke
• 1 tsp filé powder (optional)
• Cooked white rice for serving

Soak the Beans Overnight

Add the dry beans to a large bowl and cover completely with water.

Let them soak for 8-12 hours – they’ll double in size.

When you’re ready to cook, drain and set aside.

Brown the Meat in a Large Dutch Oven

Set your Dutch oven over medium-high heat and add the sliced sausage.

Cook for ~5 minutes until browned; remove and set aside in a bowl.

Add the turkey legs to the same pot and brown on all sides, ~5 minutes per side.

The skin should be deeply browned and some fat should render out.

Remove and set aside with the sausage.

Cook the Holy Trinity

Drop the heat to medium and add the onion, bell pepper, and celery to the same pot.

If the pot looks dry, add a drizzle of oil but there should be enough rendered fat.

Cook for ~5-7 minutes until the vegetables soften and start to brown.

Add the garlic, Cajun seasoning, tomato paste, bouillon paste, and butter.

Stir everything together and cook for ~2-3 minutes until fragrant.

The tomato paste should darken slightly.

Build the Base and Simmer

Pour in the chicken broth and scrape up all the browned bits from the bottom with a wooden spoon.

This fond is where most of your flavor lives.

Add the bay leaves, browned sausage, turkey legs, and drained beans back to the pot.

Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce to low heat.

Simmer for ~1 to 1 1/2 hours until the meat falls off the turkey bones easily.

Shred the Turkey and Finish the Beans

Pull out the turkey legs and let them cool enough to handle.

Remove all the meat from the bones and shred it; discard the bones and skin.

Add the shredded turkey back to the pot along with the Worcestershire, hot sauce, vinegar, liquid smoke, and filé powder if using.

Remove the lid and simmer uncovered for another ~30 minutes until the beans are completely tender.

The liquid should reduce and thicken during this time.

Thicken and Serve

Remove the bay leaves and taste for salt and pepper.

Take out about half the beans and mash them with a potato masher, then stir them back in.

This creates the signature creamy texture while keeping some whole beans.

Serve over white rice and top with sliced green onions if you have them.