Cajun Red Beans with Andouille and Quick Rice

Ingredients

• 8 oz andouille or smoked sausage, sliced
• 2 cans red kidney beans, with their liquid
• 1 1/2 cups long-grain rice
• 2 tbsp neutral oil
• 1/2 yellow onion, finely diced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 1 small green bell pepper, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tsp Cajun seasoning
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 tbsp cider vinegar
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh herbs
• Salt and black pepper

Steps

1. Heat the oil in a heavy pot over medium-high heat and brown the sausage for 5 to 6 minutes, until the edges crisp and the fat renders out. Lift it out and leave the fat behind.
2. Add the onion, celery, and bell pepper to the fat with a pinch of salt and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until soft and starting to colour. This trinity is the base of the dish, so give it the full time.
3. Add the garlic, Cajun seasoning, and bay leaves and stir for 30 seconds until fragrant.
4. Add the beans with their liquid and the broth, return the sausage, and bring to a simmer.
5. Cook uncovered over low heat for 30 to 35 minutes, stirring occasionally and scraping the base, until the liquid has reduced and thickened.
6. Mash about a third of the beans against the side of the pot with a wooden spoon and stir them back in. That mashed starch is what makes red beans creamy without any cream.
7. Meanwhile rinse the rice and simmer it in 2 1/4 cups salted water, covered, over the lowest heat for 15 minutes, then rest covered for 10 minutes.
8. Discard the bay leaves, stir in the vinegar, season, and serve the beans over the rice with the fresh herbs.

Allergen note: No common allergens in the listed ingredients; check packaged items.

Use the listed quantities as a guide, adjust seasoning to taste, and cook proteins to a safe internal temperature.