Louisiana White Beans and Rice

A bowl of white beans and rice with andouille and pork.

White beans and rice is a classic Louisiana comfort food made with creamy slow-simmered beans, smoky sausage, and plenty of flavor. Serve it over fluffy rice for a hearty and satisfying meal.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, Cajun, Creole

Keyword white beans

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 2 30

Soak time 12

Total Time 14 45

Servings servings

Calories 808kcal

Author Lauren LeBlanc

Equipment

Large Dutch oven

Ingredients

1 pound dried white beans great northern or navy
2 medium yellow onions
2–3 celery stalks
1 large green bell pepper
1–2 jalapeños
½ cup loosely packed fresh parsley leaves
4 green onions
6 cloves garlic
½ pound thick-cut bacon
¾ pound smoked sausage or andouille
8 cups chicken stock
¾ pound ham hock smoked or fresh
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon black pepper
3 bay leaves
Cajun seasoning to taste
Cooked rice for serving

Instructions

SOAK: The night before cooking, sort through beans and remove any stones. Rinse, then place in a large bowl and cover with cold water by a few inches. Cover loosely and soak overnight. Before cooking, drain and rinse.
1 pound dried white beans
PREP: Chop onions, celery, bell pepper, and jalapeños. Finely chop parsley and thinly slice green onions. Mince garlic. Chop bacon. Slice sausage.
2 medium yellow onions, 2–3 celery stalks, 1 large green bell pepper, 1–2 jalapeños, ½ cup loosely packed fresh parsley leaves, 4 green onions, 6 cloves garlic, ½ pound thick-cut bacon, ¾ pound smoked sausage or andouille
SEAR: Heat a large pot over medium heat. Cook chopped bacon until mostly crispy, about 10–15 minutes. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Reserve about 1–2 tablespoons of bacon grease in the pot. Sear sausage until browned on both sides, about 5–10 minutes. Transfer to the plate with bacon.
SAUTÉ: Add onions, celery, bell pepper, and jalapeños to the pot. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until onions are translucent and starting to caramelize, about 8–10 minutes. Scrape up fond as you go. Add garlic and cook until fragrant while stirring, about 1 minute.
SIMMER: Return bacon and sausage to the pot along with beans, chicken stock, ham hock, dried oregano, dried thyme, black pepper, half the parsley, and half the green onions. Stir to combine and add bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook uncovered for about 2 hours until beans are tender, and liquid has reduced to desired thickness. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking. Skim foam from top as needed. If beans start to stick, reduce heat and add a splash of water.
8 cups chicken stock, ¾ pound ham hock, 2 teaspoons dried oregano, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 3 bay leaves
SMASH: For thicker beans, smash ½ to 1 cup against the side of the pot to release the starch.
FINISH: Discard bay leaves. Take out the ham hock. Remove any tender meat from the bone, chop, and return to the pot. Discard the fat and bone. Taste the beans and add Cajun seasoning, salt, or pepper as needed.
SERVE: Serve over rice topped with remaining green onions and parsley. Add hot sauce for heat and a dash of red wine vinegar or pickled onions for acidity.

Notes

Keep jalapeño seeds to turn up the heat, scrape them out for a milder version
Substitute andouille for smoked sausage.
Use a fresh or smoked ham hock.
See How to Make White Rice for my perfectly fluffy white rice method.
Use Cajun seasoning or Creole seasoning, but don’t season until the end.
This is a flexible recipe. Use more or less bacon, skip the ham hock if needed, substitute it for diced ham, tasso, smoked turkey, etc.
Store in the refrigerator for up to 4–5 days. Store beans and rice separately. Put 1-2 portions of beans in a freezer zip top bag, label and date, and lay flat to freeze.
Reheat in the microwave or on the stove. Add a splash of water as needed to loosen it up.
Make it a day or 2 ahead of time, but make the rice fresh.

Nutrition