Beans and Rice
Servings: 8 servings
Ingredients
- 1 lb dried baby lima beans, soaked overnight
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 celery ribs, chopped
- 1 bell pepper, cored and chopped
- ½ pound andouille sausage, chopped
- 4 ounces tasso ham, finely chopped (see note below for substitution)
- 32 ounces chicken stock
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tsp kosher salt (I use Morton's, more may be needed if using Diamond)
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp white vinegar
- 4 cups cooked rice
Instructions
- Soak dried baby lima beans overnight. The next day, drain and rinse beans and set aside.
- In a large stock pot or Dutch oven, heat up 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the chopped onion, celery and bell pepper to the pot and stir.
- Next, add the chopped andouille sausage and tasso ham. If you do not have tasso, use bacon or ham hock as a substitute along with ½ teaspoon each of cayenne, cumin, smoked paprika and brown sugar. (Tasso comes well seasoned, so you do not need these spices unless using a meat substitute.)
- Cook the vegetables and meats until browned and fragrant.
- Next, add 32 ounces of chicken broth, one bay leaf, 4 cloves of minced garlic, 2 teaspoons of salt, ½ teaspoon of pepper and 1 tablespoon of white vinegar. Bring contents to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer for 1 ½ hours. Stir beans occasionally.
- After 90 minutes, uncover the pot and continue to cook the beans for an additional 30 minutes. White the beans cooked, uncovered, make the rice.
- When the rice is done, it's time to eat! Remove bay leaf from beans, and serve by scooping about ½ cup of rice onto each plate, topped with a healthy serving of beans. Serve with a good hot sauce and enjoy. Happy Mardi Gras!