CAJUN STYLE BEAN SOUP

CAJUN STYLE BEAN SOUP image

Yield 6 people

Number Of Ingredients 16

1-1/2 cups dried beans (mix of black beans, navy beans , kidney beans, and/or split peas)
1 tbs dried parsley
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp oregano
7 cups low salt chicken broth
bay leaf
2 medium carrots, diced
3 ribs celery, chopped
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 red pepper, chopped small
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes
Andouille sausage (2 lengths) cut into ¼" pieces
additional chili powder to taste
salt & pepper to taste

Steps:

Rinse and inspect beans. Place beans, parsley, cayenne, cumin, oregano, and bay leaf in large stock pot. Add enough chicken broth to cover by 1" or so. Bring mixture to boil, stir, reduce to simmer and simmer covered for 1 hour. In the meantime, sauté carrots, celery, onion, red pepper, and garlic until soft. Add to soup, stir and return to simmer. During second hour, add Andouille sausage and canned tomatoes, stirring to incorporate fully. Simmer partially covered for another hour, adding additional chicken broth if needed. Soup should be thick. After 2-3 hours of total simmering time, test spices and add chili powder and additional salt & pepper to taste. Serve with hearty bread, rolls or corn bread to help balance spice.