Louisiana Red Bean Soup (Printable)
Hearty Creole-inspired soup with smoky sausage, red beans, and aromatic vegetables. Comforting, flavorful, and ready in under 2 hours.
# What You'll Need:
→ Meats
01 - 8 oz smoked Andouille sausage, sliced
02 - 3.5 oz thick-cut bacon, diced
→ Vegetables
03 - 1 large onion, finely chopped
04 - 1 green bell pepper, diced
05 - 2 celery stalks, diced
06 - 3 garlic cloves, minced
07 - 2 medium carrots, diced
08 - 14 oz canned diced tomatoes, drained
→ Beans & Broth
09 - 2 cans (15 oz each) red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
10 - 5 cups low-sodium chicken broth
→ Spices & Seasonings
11 - 2 bay leaves
12 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme
13 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
14 - 0.5 teaspoon cayenne pepper
15 - 0.5 teaspoon dried oregano
16 - 0.5 teaspoon ground black pepper
17 - 0.5 teaspoon salt
18 - 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
19 - 0.5 teaspoon hot sauce, optional
→ Finishing
20 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
21 - 2 green onions, sliced
22 - Cooked white rice for serving, optional
# How To Make It:
01 - Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add diced bacon and cook until golden and crisp, approximately 5-7 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving the bacon fat in the pot.
02 - Add Andouille sausage slices to the pot with the bacon fat and brown for 3-4 minutes until the exterior develops color. Remove and set aside with the cooked bacon.
03 - In the same pot, add chopped onion, diced bell pepper, celery, and carrots. Sauté for 5-6 minutes until the vegetables soften and become translucent.
04 - Stir in minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until the aroma becomes prominent, ensuring it does not burn.
05 - Add drained tomatoes, kidney beans, chicken broth, bay leaves, thyme, paprika, cayenne pepper, oregano, black pepper, and salt. Stir thoroughly to combine all ingredients.
06 - Return the bacon and sausage to the pot. Add Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce if using. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 1 hour, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
07 - Remove bay leaves from the soup. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt, cayenne, or hot sauce as needed to achieve desired flavor and heat level.
08 - Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with fresh parsley and sliced green onions. Serve independently or ladled over cooked white rice.
# Expert Hints:
01 -
- The layered flavors develop beautifully over time, making this one of those rare dishes that tastes even better as leftovers for lunch the next day.
- Despite its complex flavor profile, this soup is remarkably forgiving and adaptable to whatever ingredients you have on hand.
02 -
- Never rush the sautéing of the holy trinity, as those slowly caramelized vegetables create the essential flavor foundation for authentic Creole taste.
- The soup will seem thin at first, but some of the beans naturally break down during simmering to create the perfect, slightly thickened consistency.
03 -
- When time allows, soak dried red beans overnight instead of using canned, then cook them until just tender before adding to the soup for superior texture and flavor.
- Save the parmesan rinds in your freezer and throw one into the simmering soup for an incredible depth of flavor that complements the smoky sausage.