15 Beans Soup With Smoked Sausage Recipe

How to make it

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• Rinse beans and drain. Sort any unwanted debris and set the seasoning packet aside.
• Place beans in a large pot of cool water. Cover and allow to soak at least 8 hours or overnight. After soaking, drain water.
• Add water, broth, and bay leaf to the large pot with the drained beans.
• Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, and cover. Cook 1 ½ to 2 hours or until beans are tender.
• In a medium pan sauté sausage until starting to brown (you may need to add a tablespoon of butter if your sausage is very lean). Add in onion and cook for an additional 2 minutes or until onion is soft. Set aside.
• In the large pot, stir in tomatoes, carrots, celery, browned sausage, garlic, spices, and the seasoning packet from the beans. Simmer uncovered for an additional 30 minutes or until thickened.
• Season with salt & pepper to taste. Remove bay leaf before serving.
• Tips & Tricks
• Soaking is optional. If beans are not soaked, add 1 cup extra liquid and cook 45-60 minutes longer (or until beans are tender) before adding the vegetables.
• Soak the beans before cooking to decrease the cooking time. It will remove some of the complex sugars, making them easier to digest.
• If you do soak the beans, discard the soaking liquid and use fresh water for cooking.
• An easy way to thicken 15-bean soup is to mash some of the beans in the pot with a potato masher.
• The soup may thicken as it stands, add extra broth or water if desired.
• Notes:
• IMPORTANT:
• *Add acidic ingredients, like tomatoes, only after the beans have softened. They can interfere with rehydration.
• *Soaking is optional. If beans are not soaked, add 1 cup extra liquid and cook 45-60 minutes longer (or until beans are tender) before adding the vegetables.
• *Soak the beans before cooking to decrease the cooking time. It will remove some of the complex sugars, making them easier to digest.
• *If you do soak the beans, discard the soaking liquid and use fresh water for cooking.
• *An easy way to thicken 15-bean soup is to mash some of the beans in the pot with a potato masher.
• *The soup may thicken as it stands, add extra broth or water if desired.