Red Beans and Rice

Red Beans and Rice

• olive oil
• 1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
• 1 large stalk celery, diced
• 1/2 medium green bell pepper, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 cups dried small red beans, picked through
• 1/4 cup soy curls, chopped small
• 5 cups vegetable “no chicken” broth
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 3/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/8 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke
• 1/2 teaspoon gluten-free tamari or soy sauce
• 1 cup white rice
• 2 cups water
• salt

1. Heat a medium pot over medium-low heat. Add a few generous glugs of oil. Add the onion, celery, and green bell pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until starting to brown, 20 minutes. As the vegetables brown, stir more frequently to prevent them from burning. Clear a spot in the pot and add the garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir into the other vegetables.
2. Add the beans, soy curls, broth, spices, liquid smoke, and tamari. Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Simmer until the beans are cooked through, at least 4 hours, preferably 5-6.
3. With 1/2 hour left of cooking time, put the rice, water, and a small pinch of salt in a small pot. Cover and bring to boil, then reduce heat to low. Simmer for 20 minutes until the rice is cooked. Spoon red beans over the rice and serve.

Serves 4

This can be made with 2 15-ounce cans of kidney beans (drained and rinsed) and 2 cups of broth. Simmer for 1 hour to allow the flavors to meld. To me, the texture wasn’t quite right, which is why I used dried beans. But I understand that it’s a long cooking time.