Cozy Red Beans and Rice

Soak the beans: Rinse beans and place in a large bowl. Cover with water by 2 inches and let soak overnight or for at least 8 hours. Drain and rinse again before cooking.
Sauté the veggies: In a skillet over medium heat, heat olive oil until shimmering. Add onion, bell pepper, celery, and garlic. Cook, stirring, for 3–4 minutes, until softened and fragrant.
Start the beans: In a large pot, combine drained beans with 6 cups of water. Stir in sautéed vegetables, bay leaves, dried parsley, thyme, sage, Cajun seasoning, and cayenne pepper.
Simmer: Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to medium-low and simmer gently, uncovered, for about 2 1/2 hours. Stir occasionally and add small splashes of water if needed to keep beans just submerged.
Add the sausage: After beans have started to soften, stir in the sliced Andouille sausage. Simmer for another 30 minutes, until beans are creamy and tender and sausage is hot throughout.
Cook the rice: In the last half hour of simmering, bring 4 cups water to a boil in a separate saucepan. Add rice, reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for about 20 minutes (no peeking). Remove from heat and let stand covered for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.
Finish and serve: Taste bean mixture and season with salt and pepper as needed; remove bay leaves. Spoon beans and sausage over a bed of rice and add hot sauce if desired.