Smoky Veggie Red Beans and Rice with Red Wine

Mardi Gras still has me in a New Orleans kinda mood and I was really craving red beans and rice. I didn't have any sausage or ham hocks and thought to go get some. Then I got to thinking about all that fat. So perhaps that's not what I'd go get, but what?

I still wanted that rich, smoky flavor that makes red beans so yummy so I started thinking of flavorful alternatives. I came up with chipotle peppers, sun dried tomatoes and roasted red peppers as some rich/smoky type options so that's what I used. I also bumped up the amount of herbs I usually use to compensate for the lack of spices in the sausage. And, just wow, it turned out marvelously. This may just be my new favorite red beans and rice recipe ... ever.

Smoky Veggie Red Beans and Rice Recipe

1 pound dried red beans

1 large yellow onion, chopped (about 2 cups)
4 ribs of celery, chopped (about 1 cup)
1 green bell pepper, chopped (about 3/4 cup)

4 sun dried tomatoes, soaked for 20 minutes in warm veggie stock or water, then chopped
2 red bell peppers, seeded, roasted, peeled and chopped

1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 - 1 tsp cayenne
2 bay leaves
2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 Tbsp fresh thyme, no stems, leaves minced
1 Tbsp chopped, fresh oregano
2 tsp freshly ground dried chipotle pepper

3 Tbsp garlic, pressed or minced
10 cups water or veggie stock*

4 cups cooked long grain white rice
1/4 cup chopped green onions, garnish

best quality red wine, 8 ounces or to taste (optional)

* Quick Veggie Stock recipe: Place scraps from vegetable prep (including onion and garlic skins) along with some whole peppercorns and other spices (some fresh herbs looking to go bad soon, perhaps?) of your choice in a pot with 10 cups of water and bring to a rapid boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for at least 30 minutes. Strain well with a fine sieve before using.

Place the beans in a large bowl or pot and cover with water by 2 inches. Let soak for 8 hours or overnight. Drain, rinse and set aside.

Sip some red wine.

In a large pot, place soaked beans water or broth and by leaves. Turn heat to high and bring to a low boil. Meanwhile, be sure the garlic, onion, celery and green pepper are finely chopped (a food processor works well for this) and place in pot with beans along with soaked tomatoes and roasted peppers, herbs and spices. Allow all to reach a low boil. Sip some more of the wine. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the beans are quite tender and begin to fall apart, about 2 hours. If beans become too thick or dry at any time during this process, add more water or stock, about 1/4 cup at a time.

Sip a bit of red wine.

Once the beans are soft enough, remove from the heat and with the back of a heavy spoon, mash about 1/4 of the beans against the side of the pot. Continue to cook until the beans are tender and creamy, 15 - 20 minutes. Remove from heat and remove the bay leaves.

A few more sips of wine.

Serve over rice and garnish with green onions. Pairs exceptionally well with red wine. =)