White Beans and Rice Recipe with Sausage

Are you looking for an easy white beans and rice recipe with canned beans? This white bean and sausage soup fits the bill!

I don’t know why beans and rice seems so southern to me. After all, people all over the world subside daily on beans and rice. My mom, a native of Panama, grew up eating rice and beans every single day. In a domino effect, she fed me beans and rice nearly every single day when I was growing up in southern Arkansas, too. Whether southern or global, a good white beans and rice recipe is hearty and filling.

Make White Beans and Rice or White Beans and Sausage Soup

Although I am calling this dish a white beans and sausage soup, you can easily serve it with less broth if you wish. In my family, we are a mixed camp. I often prefer more broth on things than the Hubs does. My bowl is more of a soup. His is not. You can also add some veggies – like celery or shaved carrots in when you add the beans – if you wish for a more soup-like consistency.

This recipe is rather versatile, you can make sausage and white beans with sliced smoked sausage, as I am doing here. Or you can make white beans and ham with leftover ham. Just substitute two cups of chopped ham instead of the sliced sausage links. And if you are looking for more ways to use leftover ham, be sure to check out my posts on fettucini alfredo with ham and spicy English muffin breakfast sandwiches.

One thing about any canned beans and rice recipe, is the flavor can come off pretty bland. You have to rely on the fat from your meat and the spices you add to kick up the flavor a notch. Personally, I like to add chili powder or red pepper to my beans and rice to give it a little flair as I do with my CrockPot red beans and rice.

Which White Bean Should I Use?

You may be wondering which white bean to use for southern white beans and rice. After all, your head probably spins in the grocery aisle as you look from navy beans to Great Northern beans to Cannellini beans.

For me, cannellini beans are my least favorite when it comes to taste. Granted, the taste is very similar to Great Northern. But there is a slightly more earthy, mushy taste to the inside of the cannellini beans for me. Cannellini’s have a shape similar to kidney beans, and I have heard people refer to them as white kidney beans.

Great Northern beans or white navy beans are the ones I typically use for this southern white beans and rice recipe. (For the white beans and sausage soup featured in this post, I used white navy beans.) White navy beans are found in a lot of southern white beans and rice recipe versions. They are smallish and have a pretty muted flavor. Great Northern beans are used in a lot of dishes, though they can often be used interchangeably with Cannellini beans. According to Randall Beans, Great Northern beans are a safe bet for buying to keep your pantry stocked.

White Beans and Rice Recipe

This white beans and rice recipe is made with smoked sausage or ham for a hearty white beans and sausage soup over rice.

5 from 18 votes

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings 6 servings

Calories 711 kcal

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

• 6-8 cups White rice cooked
• 1 link Smoked sausage sliced in thin rings or half moons; (We use Hillshire Farms beef link or pork link. For a true southern Louisiana style, use Andouille.)
• 1 teaspoon Garlic minced
• ½ cup Yellow onion diced
• ½ cup Green bell pepper diced
• 1 teaspoon Red pepper or chili powder or chili powder
• 1 teaspoon Creole seasoning
• 1 teaspoon Black pepper
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 6-8 cups Tomato broth or chicken broth
• 2 cans White navy beans or Great Northern beans; drained well
• 1 can Rotel tomatoes undrained
• 2 teaspoons Hot pepper sauce Tobasco sauce or similar brand – (optional)

Instructions

 

• In large pot or rice cooker, prepare rice according to package directions.
• In a separate large soup pot, add sliced smoked sausage and cook about 4 minutes over medium heat until browned.
• Add garlic, onion, bell pepper, and seasonings to bottom of pot and saute for 2 minutes.
• Add enough broth to cover the sausage (start with 6 cups and add more as needed). Cover and simmer about 20 minutes.
• Add white beans, tomatoes, and hot pepper sauce to taste. Check flavor and add more seasonings or hot sauce if needed.
• Simmer uncovered for at least 15 minutes before serving over hot rice.

Nutrition

Calories: 711kcalCarbohydrates: 156gProtein: 14gFat: 2gSaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 1382mgPotassium: 396mgFiber: 4gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 904IUVitamin C: 19mgCalcium: 76mgIron: 2mg

Keyword beans and rice, sausage, white beans

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