Red Beans and Rice with Andouille Sausage

Red beans and rice might sound pretty benign on the scale of healthy to heart attack but Paula adds her signature style to the dish with the very first ingredient – bacon fat. In her defense she does offer the substitute of lard. Oh wait…did that just make it worse? Probably. Aside from the first major offender on the ingredient list the recipe seemed like a great one to add to my arsenal of healthy dishes for the new me and so I decided to give it a try. The recipe as is makes a ton of beans, I love beans as much as the next vegan but just in case you don’t have any plans to try to pack away a pound of kidney beans in your belly you can easily half this recipe or make the whole thing and freeze half. It freezes incredibly well. The andouille sausage recipe can be found in Quick & Easy Vegan Celebrations and Quick and Easy Low-Cal Vegan Comfort Food if you don’t have either of these books then what are you doing reading this go out and buy them! But in the meantime you can substitute soy chorizo or this sweet sausage recipe for the andouille sausage. This veganized version is lower in calories, fat, saturated fat, and sodium not only that but it is higher in protein, fiber, calcium and iron!

Original Recipe Nutrient Analysis:
Per Serving: 518 Cal (28% from Fat, 16% from Protein, 56% from Carb); 21 g Protein; 16 g Tot Fat; 6 g Sat Fat; 7 g Mono Fat; 73 g Carb; 16 g Fiber; 3 g Sugar; 122 mg Calcium; 7 mg Iron; 701 mg Sodium; 25 mg Cholesterol

Veganized Recipe Nutrient Analysis:
Per Serving: 482 Cal (8% from Fat, 27% from Protein, 65% from Carb); 33 g Protein; 4 g Tot Fat; 1 g Sat Fat; 2 g Mono Fat; 81 g Carb; 20 g Fiber; 3 g Sugar; 162 mg Calcium; 8 mg Iron; 486 mg Sodium; 0 mg Cholesterol

Red Beans and Rice with Andouille Sausage
Makes 8 Servings

4 vegan Andouille sausage links (see substitutions above)
1 lb dry kidney beans
1 medium onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
3 cloves garlic, niced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried thryme
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon hot sauce
3 bay leaves
6 cups cooked brown rice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Slice andouille sausage into thin disc (about 1/4 inch thick) and arrange in a singly layer. Spray with cooking spray and bake for 10-15 minutes or until they begin to lightly brown, set aside.

Add remaining ingredients (except rice) to a large pot with enough water to cover the beans by 2 inches. Bring the mixture to a boil. Immediately reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 1 ½ hours. Uncover and simmer until the beans are tender and the sauce has thickened, 30 to 45 minutes, adding more water if necessary. Remove and discard the bay leaves. Serve over the rice. Can also be made in the slow cooker on low for 8 hours.

Original Recipe From PAULA DEEN’S SOUTHERN COOKING BIBLE. Copyright © 2011 by Paula Deen. Published by Simon & Schuster, Inc.