Which bean is traditionally used in the Louisiana soul food dish red beans and rice?

Red kidney beans are traditionally used in the Louisiana dish red beans and rice.

The dish combines beans with rice and commonly includes onion, celery, bell pepper, garlic, herbs, and smoked pork or sausage. In New Orleans, it became especially associated with Mondays, when households traditionally cooked beans while doing laundry.

The Monday custom is a cultural tradition rather than a requirement of the recipe. Families and restaurants use variations, and some versions employ other red beans, but red kidney beans are the canonical ingredient in the familiar dish.

Red beans and rice is sometimes confused with the Caribbean dish rice and peas. Both combine legumes and rice, but Louisiana red beans and rice has its own Creole and African American history.