Cajun 15 Bean Soup with Andouille Sausage

Cooking Directions

1. Sear the andouille sausage- Preheat your multi-cooker using the sauté or sear setting. Add a little olive oil, then add the andouille sausage links. Sear on both sides until you develop a beautiful golden-brown exterior. You’re building flavor right from the beginning, so don’t rush this step.

2. Add the Holy Trinity- Add the diced yellow onion, bell pepper and celery directly into the cooker with the sausage. This combination is known as the Holy Trinity in Cajun and Creole cooking. Mixy mix everything together and allow the vegetables to sauté until they begin to soften. Sprinkle in a small amount of the Cajun seasoning from the Hurst seasoning packet while the vegetables cook. This helps season the vegetables as they soften and adds another layer of flavor. Save the majority of the packet for later.

3. Add the garlic and tomato paste- Once the vegetables have softened, add the minced garlic and heaping tablespoon of tomato paste. Mix everything together and allow the tomato paste to cook for a minute or two. You want that tomato paste to deepen in color slightly and blend with the sausage and vegetables.

4. Add the beans and chicken broth- Sort through the dried beans, removing any debris, and rinse them thoroughly. Prepare the beans for slow cooking using the safety note below, then add them to your multi-cooker. Pour in approximately 4 to 5 cups of chicken broth, adding additional liquid as needed to keep the beans completely covered. Give everything a good mixy mix so those flavors come together. My recommendation: Use low-sodium or no-sodium chicken broth. The Cajun seasoning packet already provides plenty of flavor, and you can always adjust the seasoning at the end.

5. Slow cook until tender- Set your multi-cooker to its slow-cooking setting. If your cooker has a HIGH slow-cook setting, I recommend using that. Allow everything to cook for approximately 6 to 8 hours, checking the beans after about 6 hours. Cooking times will vary depending on your multi-cooker or slow cooker. How do you know the beans are tender? Here’s something important I want you to understand. There are 15 different varieties of beans in this package, and they’re not all the same size. That means they won’t necessarily cook at exactly the same rate. Don’t just grab one bean and assume everything is ready. Taste several different varieties, especially the larger beans, to make sure they’re completely tender throughout. They should be soft and creamy inside, not hard or crunchy. If some beans are still firm, give them more time.

6. Slice the sausage- Once the beans are tender, carefully remove the andouille sausage links and place them on a cutting board. Slice the sausage into bite-sized medallions. Return the sliced sausage to the cooker and mix everything together.

7. Add the remaining Cajun seasoning- Add the remaining Hurst Cajun seasoning packet and stir everything together. Place the lid back on and continue cooking for approximately another 1 to 2 hours, allowing the flavors to develop. Taste before adding any additional salt or pepper. Remember, the sausage and seasoning packet already contribute plenty of flavor.

8. Serve and enjoy- Ladle your Cajun 15 Bean Soup into a bowl and enjoy!