red beans and quinoa

How to make red beans and quinoa recipe - Red beans and rice is a classic Creole dish. Using quinoa instead of rice gives it a healthy, modern twist.

SERVES 4–6

PREP TIME 15 mins, COOK TIME 1 hr

Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 x 14oz (400g) can red kidney beans, drained
14oz (400g) can chopped tomatoes
1lb (450g) spicy turkey sausage
salt and black pepper
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp finely chopped thyme
1 tsp finely chopped sage
2 cups brown or red quinoa

Method:
1 In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Sauté the garlic, then stir in the onion and cook until browned. Add the peppers, beans, and tomatoes, then reduce the heat to a simmer.

2 Cook the sausages in a frying pan for 10 minutes. Remove from the pan, cut into 1⁄2in (1cm) slices, and stir into the vegetable mixture, along with the seasoning, red pepper flakes, thyme, and sage. Simmer, uncovered, for 45 minutes.

3 Meanwhile, add the quinoa to a large, heavy-based saucepan filled with 41⁄4 cups of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 30 minutes, or until all the water has been absorbed. Fluff the quinoa with a fork and serve, topped with the sausage and vegetable mixture.

COOK’S TIP
For a vegetarian version, simply omit the turkey sausage and cook as usual.