Spicy Andouille Sausage, Black Bean & Sweet Potato Cajun Soup

As winter comes around each year in the Pacific Northwest, I start thinking of new ways to incorporate dried beans into our regular soup rotation. And hearty, spicy Cajun soups, in their wide variety, are always welcome when days are short and nights are long and cold.

Cajun Black Bean, Andouille Sausage & Sweet Potato Soup

MauiJim loves hitting the fridge and finding a beautiful homemade soup ready and waiting. Nothing to do but reheat and dig in. If there’s soup in the fridge, he’s a happy man.

For me, scrambling to keep my always hungry guy fed, soup is an absolute boon. I make 4-6 quarts (for these fabulous jars), figuring it will last the entire week, but that rarely happens. I swear, he DEVOURS it.

So nearly every week, I scramble through the fridge and pantry looking for inspiration for the next new soup. Because new is creative and fun–and cooking should be a joy, not a drudge.

The inspiration for this tasty soup came from a nearly empty container of my own Cajun Spice Blend. It was time to finish it off and make a new batch. and because its winter, I had just scored a few garnet yams (a variety of sweet potato) and andouille sausage.

The rest is history.

NOTE: The garnet yam is not a true yam, but rather a type of sweet potato that lost its identity due to an American labeling system that forced the naming of yellow-orange fleshed sweet potatoes to include yam in their identification. Today the USDA requires that all yams also be labeled as sweet potatoes when sold. Yes, it’s confusing.

Spicy Andouille Sausage, Black Bean & Sweet Potato Cajun Soup

Ingredient Note If you use cooked or canned beans, at Step 7, decrease simmer time to 20 minutes.

2 cups dried black beans, hydrated as directed above (6 cups cooked, drained beans) OR three 15-ounce cans black beans

2 tablespoons cold-pressed, extra-virgin olive oil

14-16 ounces smoked andouille sausage, casings removed and cut into ½-inch dice (about 3 loosely packed cups)

3 cups skinned, trimmed, chopped yellow onion (about 1½ large onion)

6 large cloves garlic, skinned and minced

1 tablespoon smoked sweet paprika

1-3 teaspoons Smokin’ Hot Cajun Spice (careful, it’s HOT)

2 cups trimmed. chopped celery with leaves

2 cups stemmed, ribbed, seeded, chopped red bell pepper (1 large bell pepper)

2 cups stemmed, ribbed, seeded, chopped green bell pepper (1 large bell pepper)

2 cups peeled, sweet potatoes, garnet yams, or cooking pumpkin, cut into ½-inch dice

2½-3 quarts chicken stock, plus more as needed

4 cups ripe, stemmed, chopped tomatoes with juice (or two 14.5-ounce cans diced tomatoes with juice)

1 teaspoon alder-smoked sea salt, or more to taste

freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Optional Accompaniment

steamed short- or medium-grain white or brown rice

¼ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

To slow hydrate beans, at least 8 hours before you plan to make the soup, put black beans in a large bowl, and cover with cold water. Hydrate for 8-24 hours. Drain beans and discard water. Reserve.
Or to fast hydrate beans, in a soup pot, cover black beans with water, bring to a boil, and boil for two minutes. Remove from heat, cover, and let hydrate for at least 2 hours. Drain beans and discard water. Reserve.
To brown andouille sausage (casing removed, 1/2-inch dice), in a large soup pot or casserole, over brisk heat, heat olive oil, and add diced sausage. With a long handled wooden spoon, stir often to brown meat evenly.
To complete soup, lower heat, and add onion, garlic, paprika, and Smokin’ Hot Cajun Spice. Sauté slowly, about 10 minutes. until onions are translucent and tender but not browned.
Add 2 quarts chicken stock, tomatoes, and hydrated black beans.
Bring to a simmer.
If using hydrated, uncooked beans, partially cover soup pot, reduce heat to medium, and simmer for about 45 minutes, until beans are tender, adding additional chicken stock as needed. (Skip this step if using canned beans.)
Add celery, red bell pepper, and green bell pepper. Simmer until almost tender, about 10 minutes.
Add sweet potatoes, and simmer for an additional 5 minutes, until tender.
To serve, scoop steamed rice into each soup bowl, ladle soup around it, and scatter parsley over the top.

Makes 6 quarts.

Three Methods for Hydrating Dried Beans

From my earlier post, Cannellini Bean Soup with Italian Sausage, Fingerling Potatoes & Broccoli Raab:

“Most dried beans are not digestible until hydrated and cooked. There are at least three basic hydration methods, and depending on the dish, you can choose whichever method suits your fancy or time requirements. Because I often cook spur of the moment, I hydrate and cook large batches of dried beans in advance and freeze them in 2-cup increments. It’s a real time saver.”

Method 1: Slow, Cold Hydration

Put rinsed and sorted beans into a large bowl, and cover with cold water. Soak for 8-24 hours. Drain beans and discard soaking liquid. This method is claimed to remove 60% of the complex bean sugars that contribute to indigestion.

Method 2: Fast, Hot Hydration

Put rinsed and sorted beans into a soup pot, and cover with cold water. Bring water to a boil and boil for 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat, cover, and soak for 1 to 4 hours. Drain beans and discard soaking liquid. This method is claimed to remove 80% of the complex bean sugars that contribute to indigestion.

Method 3: No Hydration

Put rinsed and sorted beans into a soup pot, and cover with cold water. Bring water to a boil and boil for 2-3 minutes. Cover pot and put into a 250° oven. Bake for about 75 minutes, until beans are tender, adding additional water at the halfway point if necessary. Although many cooks swear by this method, if you are prone to bean-induced indigestion, you might want to use another method. Also, textural quality is diminished somewhat with is method.

NOTE The soaking process removes some of the complex carbohydrates that are partly responsible for indigestion. The longer the soak, the easier the digestion. On the other hand, this only applies to folks who don’t eat beans often. The more you eat beans, the better your body is able to digest them.

There’s Always More

Check out our sister blog LunaCafe.

More LunaCafe Winter and Early Spring Soups

Spicy Andouille Sausage, Black Bean & Sweet Potato Cajun Soup

There’s Always More

Happy Cooking!