Stewed Kidney Beans

New Year's Eve. 2018 into 2019. Mason stayed up until 10:30 (a personal record). Lily fell asleep at 8:15 wearing her cowgirl hat and missed the ball drop entirely. I sat on the couch with Hank and a glass of wine and watched the clock turn midnight and thought about the year ending and the year beginning and the fact that the best New Year's traditions are the quiet ones — no parties, no events, just a woman on a couch with a dog and a wine glass and the profound satisfaction of having survived another year with style.

I made black-eyed peas for New Year's Day — a tradition I adopted from a cookbook, not from the Dawson family, because the Dawsons don't have a New Year's food tradition beyond "eat whatever's leftover from Christmas." Black-eyed peas with ham hock and cornbread, supposed to bring luck and prosperity. Whether they bring luck is debatable. Whether they're delicious is not. Smoky, earthy, warm — the taste of the South, which is not Idaho, but which my kitchen has learned to speak in small, reverent servings.

I made a list of things I want for 2019. Not resolutions — wants. I want to feel strong. I want to laugh more than I cry (a low bar given my crying track record, but achievable). I want Mason and Lily to be happy. I want Hank to be healthy. I want to cook something that scares me. I want to be brave about the things I've been cautious about. I want to consider, maybe, the possibility of letting someone new into this life I've built.

Maybe.

Black-eyed peas are the classic, but when I’m standing at the stove on New Year’s Day with Hank underfoot and two kids slowly emerging from holiday hibernation, I want something forgiving and deep — beans that have had time to think, the way I have. This stewed kidney bean recipe is what I reach for when I want that same smoky, earthy warmth without hunting down a ham hock: it’s a pot of quiet intention, the kind of meal that says this year, I’m going to take care of myself — and mean it.

Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 45 min | Total Time: 55 min | Servings: 6

Ingredients

2 cans (15 oz each) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
4 oz smoked sausage or andouille, sliced into rounds
1 medium yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 stalk celery, diced
1 medium green bell pepper, diced
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
Salt to taste
2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)

Instructions

Brown the sausage. Heat olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the sliced sausage and cook for 3–4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Remove sausage and set aside, leaving drippings in the pot.
Build the base. In the same pot, add the onion, celery, and green bell pepper. Sauté over medium heat for 5–6 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant.
Add spices and tomatoes. Stir in the smoked paprika, thyme, black pepper, and cayenne (if using). Pour in the diced tomatoes with their juices and stir to combine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
Add beans and broth. Return the browned sausage to the pot. Add the drained kidney beans and chicken broth. Stir everything together and bring to a gentle boil.
Simmer low and slow. Reduce heat to low, cover partially, and simmer for 30–35 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the broth thickens and the beans are tender and deeply flavored. Taste and adjust salt as needed.
Serve. Ladle into bowls and garnish with fresh parsley. Serve with warm cornbread or crusty bread for soaking up the broth.

Nutrition (per serving)

Stewed Kidney Beans — The Luck You Cook for Yourself