Ingredients:

  • 12 oz Smoked Andouille sausage, sliced into 1/4 inch rounds
  • 1 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium Yellow onion, finely diced
  • 1 Green bell pepper, diced
  • 2 stalks Celery, diced
  • 4 cloves Garlic, minced
  • 1.5 cups Long-grain white rice, rinsed
  • 2 cans (15 oz each) Black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 2.5 cups Low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 tsp Smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp Ground cumin
  • 1/2 tsp Dried oregano
  • 1/4 tsp Cayenne pepper
  • 1 Bay leaf
  • 1 tbsp Fresh lime juice
  • 1/4 cup Fresh cilantro, chopped

Instructions:

  1. Heat the olive oil in your pot over medium high heat. Add the 12 oz Smoked Andouille sausage rounds in a single layer if possible. Let them sizzle for 2-3 minutes without moving them to get a deep brown crust. Flip and cook for another 2 minutes until the fat renders and the edges are crispy.
  2. Lower the heat to medium. Toss in the diced onion, green pepper, and celery. Use your spoon to scrape the bottom of the pot, letting the moisture from the veggies loosen the browned sausage bits. Sauté for 5 minutes until the onions are translucent and soft. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
  3. Add the 1.5 cups rinsed long grain white rice to the pot. Stir it constantly for 2 minutes to coat every grain in the rendered fat. This is a critical step; you want the rice to look shiny and smell slightly like toasted bread.
  4. Stir in the smoked paprika, cumin, oregano, and cayenne pepper. Let the spices toast for 30 seconds to wake up their flavors. Add the 2 cans of rinsed black beans and the 1 bay leaf.
  5. Pour in the 2.5 cups chicken broth. Increase the heat to bring the mixture to a boil. Once it's bubbling, give it one final stir, then reduce the heat to the absolute lowest setting. Cover the pot with a tight fitting lid.
  6. Cook for 20 minutes without lifting the lid. After 20 minutes, turn off the heat and let the pot sit, covered, for another 5 minutes. Remove the lid, discard the bay leaf, and fluff the rice with a fork. Stir in the lime juice and cilantro until the greens are evenly distributed and the aroma is bright.