Red Beans and Rice- dairy free

1 lb of red beans soaked and rinsed, no need to soak over night.

3 tbsp olive oil

1 yellow onion

3 stalks of celery

2 sprigs of thyme

3 sage leaves

2 bay leaves

1 tbsp of fresh parsely

4 cloves of garlic

1 lb of sliced smoked sausage (always check your sausage for dairy, and we limit mechanical separated meat so we check for that too, and no msg)

ham hock or 1/4 pound of ham (we used left overs from a honey ham)

8 cups of chicken broth

1lb of red beans soaked and rinsed, no need to soak over night

2-4 cups of cooked jasmine rice, one cup per serving

Sauté the sausage, ham, onion, celery, and herbs in the olive oil. Make sure veggies are transparent. Add the garlic and sauté for around 30 seconds. Then add broth and beans. Cook on low for 5 hours. We had a lazy Saturday so we just set it on the stove to cook. If you want a thicker red beans, crush some beans against the pot until you have your desired consistency.

You could also use a crock pot set on low in the morning and it will be ready by dinner.

Cook your rice about 1 cup cooked per person. Serve beans over rice.