2 1/2 hours
Serves 6-8
Ingredients:
16 oz. dry red beans
8 cups + 4 cups water
2 cups long grain rice
2 Tbsp. rice vinegar (Plain white vinegar works too.)
1 Tbsp. + 3 tsp. Creole Seasoning (We like Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning.)
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
1 small onion, diced
1 bell pepper, diced
1 cup celery, diced
2 tsp. cumin
1 pound kielbasa sausage
Make Dinner:
Bring beans and 8 cups water to a boil in a large pasta pot over high heat. Cover pot and reduce heat to medium low. Simmer for 2 1/2 hours, stirring periodically.
When beans have cooked for two hours, begin cooking the rice. Place rice, 4 cups water, vinegar and 1 Tbsp. Creole Seasoning in a medium covered saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. As soon as rice boils, reduce heat to low. Simmer for 20 minutes.
While beans and rice continue to cook, heat olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Add minced garlic, diced onion, bell pepper and celery. Stir to combine and sauté for 15 minutes until vegetables begin to soften. While vegetables are cooking, slice kielbasa sausage on the diagonal into 1/2 inch slices. Add cumin, 3 tsp. Creole Seasoning and kielbasa to vegetables. Sauté another 10 minutes, stirring often.
Drain beans and add to vegetables mixture. Mix well. Serve over steamed creole rice.