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A bowl of tomato-based soup with 13 kinds of beans and pieces of kielbasa. There's some baguette sliced in the background, a soup pot, and some fresh carrots with green tops and garlic cloves.

Hearty Bean Soup Recipe

  • Author: Christine Pittman
  • Prep Time: 3 hours
  • Cook Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
  • Total Time: 4 hours 40 minutes
  • Yield: 6-10 servings 1x
  • Category: Entrée
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: American

DESCRIPTION

Cooked slowly with a 13-bean mix, this bean soup recipe makes a pot of the most delicious bean soup. Enjoy! -Christine xo


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 3 cups of 13 bean soup mix*
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 1 red bell pepper, chopped
  • 2 carrots, peeled and diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp. smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp. dried thyme leaves
  • 1/2 tsp. black pepper
  • 6 cups low-sodium chicken stock
  • 14.5 oz. can of petite cut tomatoes with the juice
  • 3/4 lb. fully-cooked smoked sausage, like kielbasa, chopped
  • 1 tsp. salt

Instructions

  1. Measure the beans into a large pot. Cover by 2 inches with cold tap water. Bring to a boil over high heat, uncovered. Remove from heat. Cover and let sit for 1 hour.**
  2. Drain the beans and rinse them off.
  3. Return the beans to the pot and add the onion, red pepper, carrots, garlic, smoked paprika, thyme, black pepper, and chicken stock. Bring to a boil over high heat.
  4. Reduce heat to low, partially cover and simmer until the beans are beginning to tenderize, about 30-45 minutes.
  5. Add the diced tomatoes with their juices, the sausage (if using), and the salt. Return pot to a simmer and cook until beans have reached the desired level of tenderness, another 45-60 minutes. Taste and add more salt and pepper, if desired.

Notes

*That’s approximately 1 pound and 4 ounces of dried beans. If your package has 1 pound and 14 ounces, you can use the whole thing, just add an extra cup of stock in Step #3.

**Alternatively, do an overnight soak by measuring the beans into a large pot and cover by at least 2 inches with cold water. Cover and let sit for 12-24 hours.