Red beans and rice soup can spend hours in the slow cooker, but I don't put every ingredient in at the beginning. The rice waits until the end.
My slow cooker version cooks on low for four to six hours, while the uncooked white rice goes in during the last 15 to 20 minutes. Bacon gets cooked before it enters the slow cooker, so both ingredients have their own timing rather than going into the pot with everything else.
Cook the Bacon Before It Goes Into the Slow Cooker
Three strips of chopped bacon and 14 ounces of smoked sausage bring the meat to this red beans and rice soup.
For the stovetop version, I cook the bacon until it starts to brown, then add the diced sausage and let it brown for another five to six minutes. The meat comes out of the pan before the vegetables go in.
When moving the recipe to a slow cooker, the bacon still gets cooked first rather than going into the crockpot raw.
Red Beans, Vegetables, and Broth Build the Soup
Onion, green pepper, and celery join the kidney beans, giving the soup its vegetable base. Cajun seasoning brings the spice, while chicken broth, water, and bay leaves provide the cooking liquid.
The recipe uses canned kidney beans that have been rinsed and drained. Other beans can work too, and vegetable stock can replace chicken stock when needed.
The Rice Doesn't Need Hours in the Pot
One cup of uncooked white rice goes into the recipe, but not at the start of the slow-cooker version.
I let the rest of the soup cook on low for four to six hours, then add the rice during the final 15 to 20 minutes.
That means the beans, broth, vegetables, bacon, and sausage get the long slow-cooker treatment while the rice gets a much shorter window.
Smoked Sausage Isn't the Only Option
The original soup uses smoked sausage, but that part of the recipe can change depending on what's available.
Andouille, kielbasa, ham, brats, or little red smokies can take its place. Ham hocks can also go into the soup for flavor. Bacon and sausage can both be left out when making a meat-free version.
Without Cajun seasoning on hand, a mixture of dried oregano, salt, paprika, black pepper, garlic powder, thyme, and onion powder can fill that role.
Save the Rice for the Finish
Slow-cooker recipes often make me want to put everything in the crockpot, close the lid, and come back hours later. This soup keeps one ingredient out until dinner is close.
The pot gets four to six hours on low. The rice gets the last 15 to 20 minutes.
That small change keeps the rice on its own schedule instead of asking it to cook for as long as the beans, broth, vegetables, and meat.
Do you add rice at the beginning of slow-cooker soup, or wait until the end?
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