New Orleans Bean Soup Recipes

FRENCH MARKET SOUP

Steps:

• Sort beans and rinse in cold water. Place beans in a Dutch oven; add water to cover by 2 in. Bring to a boil; boil for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat; cover and let stand for 1-4 hours or until beans are softened., Drain and rinse beans, discarding liquid; return beans to the pan. Add the ham hocks, water, salt and pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 3 hours or until beans are tender., Remove ham hocks; set aside until cool enough to handle. Add the tomatoes, onions, lemon juice, garlic and chili powder to the beans. Simmer 1 hour longer., Remove ham from bones and cut into cubes; discard bones. Return ham to soup. Stir in the kielbasa, chicken, wine and parsley. Simmer for 30-40 minutes or until heated through and as thick as desired.

NEW ORLEANS BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• In a large pot, melt butter.
• Add onion; sauté until soft.
• Add celery, carrot and garlic; sauté for a few minutes until soft but not browned.
• Add kidney beans and their liquid, ham and vegetable broth. Simmer for about 15 minutes.
• Add Worcestershire, parsley, thyme, bay leaves and lemon juice.
• Bring back to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes.
• Serve, passing the hot sauce!

NEW ORLEANS SPICY BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• In large no-stick pot, combine the water, ham hock, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil over med-high heat. Reduce the heat to med-low, cover, and simmer for 1 hour. Uncover and simmer for 30 minutes.
• Strain into a large bowl. Discard the bay leaf. Remove the meat from the bone. Trim off all visible fat and cut the meat into small dice. Set aside about 3/4 cup of the meat; reserve any remainder for another use. Defat the Stock.
• Wash the pot with soapy water and rinse. Return the stock to pot.
• Add the beans, onions, celery, carrots, red peppers, parsley, cilantro, cumin, oregano, Creole seasoning, and garlic. Set over med-high heat and bring almost to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, or until the beans are tender.
• Transfer 4 cups of the soup to a blender or food processor. Puree, then stir back into the soup. If the soup is not thick enough, continue pureeing in 1-cup batches until the soup is the desired consistency. (May also use a hand blender in this step.) Stir in the reserved ham. Season to taste with the hot-pepper sauce.

AUTHENTIC NEW ORLEANS RED BEANS AND RICE

Steps:

• Melt shortening in a skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir onion, garlic, and bell pepper in hot shortening until tender, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Combine water, red beans, and ham hock in a large pot; bring to a boil. Stir onion mixture into the water; add smoked sausage and celery to the boiling water; return to a boil. Stir bay leaves, Creole seasoning, thyme, and sage into the boiling water. Reduce heat to low, place a cover on the pot, and simmer until the beans are tender, about 5 hours.
• Remove and discard ham hock and bay leaves; stir in hot pepper sauce and serve over white rice.

BEST BLACK BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• Empty the can of chiles into a blender or food processor. Purée until smooth, scrape into a container, and set aside. Put on a teakettle of water to boil, and keep hot.
• In a large, heavy pot, heat olive oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add carrots, onions and garlic and cook, stirring, until softened but not browned, 5 to 8 minutes.
• Pour in wine and let simmer until pan is almost dry and vegetables are coated. Add jalapeños and cook, stirring, just until softened, 2 minutes. Push the vegetables out to the edges of the pot and dollop 2 teaspoons of chipotle purée in the center. Let fry for a minute and then stir together with the vegetables.
• Add beans, stock, oregano and bay leaves. Stir, bring to a boil, and let boil 10 to 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, partly covered, stirring occasionally and adding hot water as needed to keep the soup liquid and runny, not sludgy. Continue cooking until beans are just softened and fragrant, 1 to 2 hours. Add salt and pepper and keep cooking until beans are soft.
• Meanwhile, make the pickled onions, if using: In a bowl, combine sliced onions, lime juice and a sprinkling of salt. Let soften at room temperature until crunchy and tart, about 30 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. Squeeze dry in paper towels and refrigerate until ready to serve. If desired, chop coarsely before serving.
• Adjust the texture of the soup: The goal is to combine whole beans, soft chunks and a velvety broth. Some beans release enough starch while cooking to produce a thick broth without puréeing. If soup seems thin, use an immersion blender or blender to purée a small amount of the beans until smooth, then stir back in. Continue until desired texture is reached, keeping in mind that the soup will continue to thicken as it sits.
• Heat the soup through, taste and adjust the seasonings with salt, pepper, drops of red wine vinegar and dabs of chipotle purée.
• Serve in deep bowls, garnishing each serving with sour cream, pickled onions, cilantro leaves, sliced chiles and avocado as desired.

YANKEE BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• Place the beans in a Dutch oven; add water to cover by 2 in. Bring to a boil; boil for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat; cover and let stand for 1 hour. , Drain and rinse beans, discarding liquid. Set beans aside. In the same pan, cook the bacon over medium heat until crisp. Using a slotted spoon, remove to paper towels; drain, reserving 2 tablespoons drippings. , In the drippings, saute onion until tender. Stir in carrot and celery leaves. Return beans to the pan. Add water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1-3/4 to 2 hours or until beans are tender. , Stir in the milk, molasses, salt and bacon. Remove about 2-1/2 cups of soup; cool slightly. Place in a blender or food processor; cover and process until pureed. Return to the pan; heat through.