Name: New Orleans Red Beans and Rice Monday Classic
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 2 h
Total time: 2 h 20 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Louisiana Creole
Ingredients: 1 lb dried red beans, rinsed and sorted; 1 smoked ham hock (about 1 lb); 8 cups water, plus more as needed; 1 large yellow onion, finely diced; 1 green bell pepper, finely diced; 3 celery stalks, finely diced; 6 cloves garlic, minced; 12 oz andouille sausage, sliced into 1/2-inch rounds; 2 tbsp Creole seasoning; 2 bay leaves; 1 tsp dried thyme; 1 tbsp tomato paste; 2 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste; 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper; 4 cups hot cooked long-grain white rice; 3 green onions, thinly sliced; Louisiana-style hot sauce, to taste

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Red beans and rice is the signature Monday supper of New Orleans, traditionally simmered slowly with the leftover ham bone from Sunday dinner. The beans cook until creamy, the smokiness from the ham and andouille infuses every spoonful, and the dish is ladled over fluffy white rice with a splash of hot sauce. It is pure Creole comfort, deeply seasoned and unapologetically rich.

Prep Time20 mins

Cook Time120 mins

Total Time140 mins

Servings6

Yield6 servings

Nutrition Facts

Per serving (estimated)

620 kcalCalories
22 gFat
7 gSaturated Fat
72 gCarbs
14 gFiber
4 gSugar
32 gProtein
980 mgSodium
1100 mgPotassium
130 mgCalcium
6 mgIron
25 mgVitamin C
120 mcgVitamin A

Ingredients

For the Beans and Aromatics

1 lb dried red beans, rinsed and sorted
1 smoked ham hock (about 1 lb)
8 cups water, plus more as needed
1 large yellow onion, finely diced
1 green bell pepper, finely diced
3 celery stalks, finely diced
6 cloves garlic, minced

For the Meats and Seasonings

12 oz andouille sausage, sliced into 1/2-inch rounds
2 tbsp Creole seasoning
2 bay leaves
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tbsp tomato paste
2 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

For Serving

4 cups hot cooked long-grain white rice
3 green onions, thinly sliced
Louisiana-style hot sauce, to taste

Directions

Soak the beans overnight in cool water, or quick-soak by boiling for 2 minutes, then resting covered for 1 hour; drain and rinse.
In a large Dutch oven over medium heat, brown the andouille slices for 4-5 minutes until crisp at the edges; remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Add the diced onion, bell pepper, and celery to the rendered fat and cook for 7-8 minutes until softened, then stir in the garlic and tomato paste and cook 1 minute more.
Add the drained beans, ham hock, water, Creole seasoning, bay leaves, thyme, salt, and pepper; bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer, partially covered, for 1.5 to 2 hours, stirring occasionally and adding hot water as needed to keep the beans just covered.
When the beans are tender, use the back of a spoon to mash about one-third of them against the pot wall to create a creamy, velvety gravy; return the andouille to the pot and simmer 10 minutes more.
Lift out the ham hock, pull the meat from the bone, shred it, and stir the meat back into the pot; discard the bone and bay leaves, then taste and adjust seasoning.
Mound 2/3 cup of hot rice into each bowl, ladle the red beans generously over the top, and finish with green onions and a few dashes of hot sauce.
Serve immediately with crusty French bread and a cold drink; leftovers thicken as they sit and taste even better the next day.

Cook’s Notes

Traditional Monday habit: simmer these all afternoon while doing laundry — they are meant to cook low and slow for maximum creaminess.
If the gravy gets too thick during cooking, add water 1/4 cup at a time; too thin, simmer uncovered longer or mash more beans.
No ham hock? Use 1 cup diced smoked ham plus 1 tsp liquid smoke, or a smoked turkey wing for similar depth.
Always season at the end with salt — ham hock saltiness varies widely and you can always add more but cannot take it away.
For a vegetarian spin, swap the meats for smoked paprika and a strip of kombu, though purists will insist on the pork.

DinnerSavoureux