Black Bean with Andouille Sausage Soup

If you are looking for a comforting soup that will warm you to the bone, you’ve come to the right place.

Soak the beans overnight and then the soup comes together very quickly the next day. Any kind of smoked sausage will work, but we really love andouille sausage in this soup. Be sure to make some homemade cornbread for the perfect comfort meal! 

How to Make Black Bean with Andouille Sausage Soup

This soup is a little different than your everyday kind of soup. But, we love it so much, and we think you will, too.

Remember to soak the beans overnight, but if you forget, see below for how to expedite the soaking process.

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The Ingredients You Will Need

There aren’t a ton of ingredients in this soup, but they all work together to create a deeply flavorful flavor profile.

Here’s what you’ll need

Black beans – Dried is best, but you’ll need to soak them in water overnight (see TIP below for faster bean prep).
Bacon – Thick slab is best
Onion – Chopped
Jalapeño – Seeded and chopped
Water – 11 cups, you’ll need a large pot
Hambone – Ham hocks work great, or a soup bone
Salt – Kosher
Lemon juice – Freshly squeezed
Cooked Sausage – Andouille is our favorite, but any smoked or cured variety will work
Chicken stock – If soup is too thick
Garnishes – Sliced peppers, red onion, and sour cream

EXPERT TIP: If you don’t have time (or forget) to soak the beans overnight, follow these steps: In a large pot, add 10 cups of water for each pound (2 cups) of dry beans. Heat to boiling; boil for 2–3 minutes. Remove from heat, cover, and soak for at least 1 hour, but best for up to 4 hours.

Black beans are loaded with flavor. And of course, so is andouille sausage. It has just a little heat but is really amazingly delicious. It is very popular in Cajun cooking.

Tips for Perfect Black Bean and Andouille Sausage

Soak the Beans – Soaking the beans overnight really makes a more flavorful soup. See the EXPERT TIP above to prep the beans if overnight is not an option (you’ll still need a couple of hours for the best results. In a pinch, you can use canned black beans, drained. You’ll need four 15-ounce cans. Rinse and just skip the soaking portion of the recipe.

Preparing the Sausage – Searing the sausage before you add the beans and liquids helps to lock in that classic sausage flavor and add a little more texture to the sausage medallions. Remember to get fully cooked ‘smoked’ or ‘cured’ sausage. If you can’t find andouille, go with kielbasa or your favorite smoked sausage sliced into medallions.

Prepare in Advance – Like so many soups and stews, this gets even better after a day or two in the fridge. That means you can make the soup up to 2 to 4 days before serving. Simply reheat on the stove for about 30 minutes, until completely warmed and bubbly.

How To Serve

This is a chilly-weather soup that is great to serve right from the pot.

We love to serve it with sliced (and seeded) jalapeños (green, red, and yellow are festive), chopped red onion, and plenty of cool sour cream.

And as mentioned, this soup is spectacular with plenty of warm homemade cornbread and plenty of softened butter.

EXPERT TIP: You can allow the soup to simmer on the stove for hours, if desired. Just keep an eye on it. It will start to get very thick. Simply add more water or chicken stock to maintain the proper consistency. It’s also wonderful served in your slow cooker on WARM.

Other Heart-Warming Soups to Try

This is one of those soups that once you make it, you think to yourself: “Why don’t we make this more often?” Well, there are so many great soups and stews that you can make in the comfort of your own home. Here are some of our favorites:

Classic French Onion Soup
Creamy Tortellini Soup with Spinach and Sausage
Rustic Lentil Soup
Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
New England Clam Chowder
Cream of Mushroom Soup
Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Brunswick Stew
Slow Cooker Beef Stew
Provencal Chicken Stew

Yes, indeed. Those are classic in their own way. But, folks, we encourage you to give this black bean and sausage soup a try. Just look at it!

If you’re like us, you and your family love a nice cup or bowl of soup any time of the year.

But there is truly something magical, and even healing, when the temperature outside gets downright chilly, this particular soup will warm you to the bones.

Stir in a dollop of sour cream, and maybe a couple of slices of peppers, and you and your loved ones will be very happy.

Ready to make the most heartwarming soup on the block? Go for it!

And when you do, be sure to take a photo of it, post it on Instagram, and tag @HowToFeedaLoon and hashtag #HowToFeedaLoon!

Black Bean with Andouille Sausage Soup

Black Bean with Andouille Sausage Soup is about as comforting as they come. You'll need to start this the day before serving...it's not difficult, but so worth the time. Pure comfort.

5 from 4 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Soup

Cuisine: American, Louisiana

Keyword: andouille sausge, cold weather soup recipe, how to make black bean soup with sausage

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 3 hours hours

Soaking beans: 12 hours hours

Total Time: 15 hours hours 20 minutes minutes

Servings: 8 people

Calories: 311kcal

Author: Kris Longwell

Equipment

• 1 Large pot Enough to hold 12 to 13 cups of soup (it cooks down as it simmers)

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 lb dried black beans
• ▢ 1 lb Andouille sausage cooked (or smoked), and cut into 1/4" medallions.
• ▢ 4 strips bacon thick sliced, roughly chopped
• ▢ 1 large onion chopped
• ▢ 2 jalapeno peppers seeded and diced
• ▢ 4 cloves garlic minced
• ▢ 11 cups water
• ▢ 1 large ham hock or any type of ham bone(s)
• ▢ 2 tsp Kosher salt
• ▢ 1 tsp lemon juice
• ▢ Chicken stock as needed for thinning
• ▢ Red onion chopped, for garnish
• ▢ Sour cream or crème fraîche, for garnish
• ▢ Peppers sliced, for garnish

Instructions

• Soak beans in a large pot overnight, then discard any beans that are floating on top of the water. Drain the beans into a colander and clean out the pot with a paper towel.
  1 lb dried black beans
• Over medium-high heat, sear the sausage in the pot until browned and slightly crispy on the outside. Use a spoon to transfer the seared sausage to a paper towel-lined plate. Set aside.
  1 lb Andouille sausage
• In the same pot, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Use a slotted spoon to place on a paper towel-lined plate. Leave the bacon fat in the pot.
  4 strips bacon
• Cook the onion and jalapeño in the bacon grease until translucent, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds, stirring often.
  1 large onion, 2 jalapeno peppers, 4 cloves garlic
• Add the drained black beans to the pot with the sautéed veggies.
• Turn the heat to low and add the water, ham hocks, salt, and lemon juice.
  11 cups water, 1 large ham hock, 2 tsp Kosher salt, 1 tsp lemon juice
• Simmer for 2½ hours until thickened. (Add stock or water if becomes too thick).
• Remove the ham hocks from the soup, and then stir in the cooked bacon and sausage.
• Add more chicken stock or water, if necessary. Taste and add more salt, if desired.
  Chicken stock
• Serve with sour cream, chopped red onions, and peppers on the side.
  Red onion, Sour cream, Peppers

Notes

See the video near the top of the blog post for visual guidance. If you liked the video, please subscribe to our YouTube channel. 

If you don't have time to soak the beans overnight, you can place them in a pot just covered with water. Bring it to a boil, and then lower the temperature to medium-low and simmer for 1 to 3 hours, until the beans are tender.  If using canned beans, go with four 15 oz cans drained. Just skip the portion of the recipe regarding soaking the beans. 

The soup will keep in the fridge, covered, for up to 5 to 6 days. We think it's even better the next day or two after preparing it. It can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw and reheat on the stove for at least 30 minutes, until simmering and fully heated through. 

Nutrition

Calories: 311kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 38mg | Sodium: 887mg | Potassium: 818mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 56IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 72mg | Iron: 3mg

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POST UPDATE: This recipe was originally published in January 2016, but was updated with improved tweaks to the recipe with new tips and photography, and a fabulous new video in January 2023!