mmm-mmm good red beans & rice soup

How To Make mmm-mmm good red beans & rice soup

• Step 1
  To soak my beans, I first rinse them, then add to them about 8 cups water, bring them to a boil in a large pot, then turn them off, cover them, and ignore them overnight. *TIP* When I cook my rice, I use the liquid from the soaked beans for the "water" (1 1/2 Cups rice to 3 Cups liquid).
• Step 2
  Brown the bacon till crisp, draining on paper towels. To about 1/4 cup of the bacon drippings, add the sausage, onion, bell pepper, celery, garlic, and seasonings. Saute' until the veggies are tender, about 10 minutes.
• Step 3
  Drain the beans, reserving the liquid, and return them to the pot. To the beans, add the chicken broth and the cooked sausage-veggie mixture, along with the cooked bacon and the Liquid Smoke. Pour in the remaining reserved liquid from soaking the beans. I wound up with about 3 cups after using 3 cups earlier for the rice. Bring to a boil, then simmer until the beans are tender- about 2 hours or so. (If the broth has seemed to reduce too much, feel free to add a little more water to sauce it up.)
• Step 4
  To make in a crock pot, use the same directions, but realize it will take longer for the beans to become tender. (though it will free up your time to do other things)
• Step 5
  To serve, dish some of the cooked rice into your bowls, then ladle the bean soup on top. Enjoy!
• Step 6
  If you prefer this dish to be more traditional, rather than a soup, then add the rice to the pot after the beans are tender and allow to simmer another 5-10 minutes before serving.
• Last Step: Don't forget to share! Post a picture of your finished recipe here and on your favorite social network. Don't forget to tag Just A Pinch and include #justapinchrecipes!