Cajun Bean Soup Comfort Food
Cajun Bean Soup is spicy and meaty with ham, andouille sausage, beans, tomatoes and green chilis. Can’t beat hearty and healthy! 
What’s the best thing about holiday leftovers? For me, it’s making ham bone soup!
Every year I serve a ham during the holiday season–some years it’s two! Besides being a real crowd pleaser, you can’t beat the leftovers. Ham and eggs, hearty sandwiches, a meaty quiche. And now, Cajun Bean Soup!
Cajun Bean Soup
Is there anything quite like winter soup? Warm, nutritious—and super easy to reheat!
This year, trying to get out of a soup rut, I went searching for new recipes. This Cajun Bean Soup from Tornadough Alli caught my eye with its healthy incorporation of tomato and pepper (I increased the amount of both of these) and spicy kick from green chilis and andouille sausage. The soup was rich and flavorful without having so much spice that my husband objected. Can’t beat that!
Great ham bone destination
The prep time for the Cajun Bean Soup is long, with an 8-hour bean soak and hours of simmering. But the working part is simple and quick. And you can easily get in some bargain shopping or a post-holiday workout while the soup is doing its thing.
From the middle to the end of winter, I shift my focus from indulgent to healthy, but still want a good dose of comfort.
Comfort food!
Winter soup is perfect!
- 1 (16 oz) pkg dried beans (or a couple cans of cooked beans)
- 2 Tablespoons oil
- 1 large onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 green peppers, diced
- 8 cups water
- 1 meaty ham bone
- 1 Tablespoons Cajun seasoning
- 1 teaspoon basil
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 cans fire roasted tomatoes with green chilis
- 1 (16 oz) andouille sausage, sliced (or sub your favorite sausage)
- Salt to taste
- Cover dried beans with water or beer to an inch above top. Let soak overnight.
- In large stock pot, saute your onion, garlic and pepper in oil until tender.
- Add remaining ingredients, except sausage, and bring to a boil.
- Let simmer uncovered for about 3-3½ hours, then remove your ham bone and bay leaves. Discard bay leaves.
- Remove meat from ham bone and cut into bite-sized pieces. Add these and your sliced sausage back to the pot.
- Heat for about another 30 minutes.
- Serve warm.
You sound like I do! The best part of the ham is leftovers, especially the day I make my Mom’s Bean Soup. It’s like having a hug from my mom.
Yes, fun memories Denise! My mom used to do lentil or split pea with the ham bone!
Anything with andouille sausage reminds me of New Orleans and my time there. Great comfort soup recipe 🙂
Thanks Tandy. We are hoping to get to New Orleans sometime this spring and looking forward to the food 🙂
I love the idea of adding cajun spices in this bean soup…sounds and looks delicious Inger. Thanks for the recipes…have a great week!
Yes, I arrived at this one after worrying that some of the bean soups might not be flavorful enough. You have a good week too Juliana!
A good bean soup is always anytime of year. Grew up on most days with a pot of beans simmering on the stove. Your Cajun ham and bean soup is soulful and comforting. Thanks for sharing.
Velva
What a great memory Velva!
This soup looks so flavorful and comforting! I think I could eat it for days!!
We went on vacation and our daughter did eat it for days Thao 😉 I was so happy she had something healthy since she doesn’t cook a lot !
This recipe simply makes me feel warm all over! Wonderful flavor combination, Inger!
Thanks David!
my stepdad gave all of us a huge hunk of ham hock after his christmas baking escapades and i’ve made lots of delicious soup with it! nothing else has quite the same power. 🙂
What a nice gift Grace!
My son always makes a ham as well as a turkey for Thanksgiving but I’ve never been able to talk him out of the ham bone…smart boy. 🙂 Your cajan soup sounds great…I’ll just buy a thick slice of ham for the recipe.
So we aren’t the only family to do two entrees for the holidays! So much fun!
Can you do this is a slow cooker crock pot? and possibly double the recipe? i actually live in New orleans so i make homemade red beans and rice often, but my mom is having surgery this week and I wanted to make her a soup. She loves red beans and red bean gumbo and this is a mix between the 2 so I’d like to put this on when I go to work.
Thank you 😉
Yes, you should be able to do this in a crock pot. And no problem doubling–I do that with soup all the time for the leftovers! Hoping for a speedy recovery for your mom. I hope she enjoys the soup!