Creole-Spiced Red Beans and Brown Rice Bowl with Andouille and Greens

By Lauren Mitchell, Test Kitchen Director · Reviewed by AislePrompt Editorial · Published 2026-07-26 · Updated 2026-07-26

A comforting bowl featuring slow-simmered red beans seasoned with Creole spices, served over nutty brown rice with sautéed greens and smoky andouille slices. This caribbean-inspired rice & grains ready in about 110 minutes pairs soaked overnight dried red kidney beans, sliced andouille sausage, brown rice for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 420 calories and feeds 4, so it slots cleanly into a weekly meal plan and pairs well with a quick salad or grain on the side. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.

Ingredients

• 1 cup, soaked overnight dried red kidney beans
• 8 oz, sliced andouille sausage
• 1 cup brown rice
• 2 1/2 cups water
• 1 medium, diced onion
• 2, diced celery stalks
• 1 small, diced green bell pepper
• 3, minced garlic cloves
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tbsp Creole seasoning
• 2 cups, chopped kale leaves
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• to taste salt
• to taste black pepper

Instructions

1. Step 1: Drain 1 cup soaked dried red kidney beans and transfer to a large pot with 4 cups water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer and cook covered for 1 hour until beans are tender.
2. Step 2: While beans cook, rinse 1 cup brown rice under cold water until clear; combine with 2 1/2 cups water in a saucepan, bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 40 minutes until water is absorbed and rice is tender.
3. Step 3: In a large skillet, heat 2 tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Add 8 oz sliced andouille sausage and cook for 4 minutes until browned and slightly crisp; remove sausage and set aside.
4. Step 4: In the same skillet, add 1 diced onion, 2 diced celery stalks, 1 small diced green bell pepper, and 3 minced garlic cloves; sauté for 5 minutes until vegetables soften and become fragrant.
5. Step 5: Add the sautéed vegetables to the beans along with 1 tsp dried thyme, 1 bay leaf, and 1 tbsp Creole seasoning; stir and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes to develop flavor and thicken.
6. Step 6: Add 2 cups chopped kale leaves to the beans and cook for an additional 5 minutes until kale wilts.
7. Step 7: Season the bean mixture with salt and black pepper to taste; remove bay leaf.
8. Step 8: To serve, place 3/4 cup cooked brown rice in each bowl, top with 1 cup red beans and kale, and garnish with browned andouille sausage slices.