Pinto Bean Soup with Ham and Andouille
Not really soup. Maybe it is a stew? Not chili. Hints at cassoulet with andouille sausage, thick-cut bacon and ham coming together in a “svelte broth” with the trinity of onion, celery and green bell pepper and rounded out with smoked paprika and molasses.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 12 ounces andouille or other smoky spicy sausage, cut into ½” slices
- 6 strips thick-cut bacon
- 1 large yellow onion diced
- 2 celery ribs diced
- 1 green bell pepper seeded and diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 cup white wine
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 15 ounce can petite diced tomatoes
- 3 14.5 ounce cans pinto beans or 1 lb. dried*
- 6 cups chicken broth plus more if needed
- 1 ham bone or 2 smoked ham hocks
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add andouille and sauté until browned. Remove to a paper towel to drain.
- To the same pot over medium heat, sauté bacon until just starting to brown and fat is rendered. Transfer bacon to a paper towel to drain. Leave 1 tablespoon of fat in pot.
- To the same pot, add remaining tablespoon olive oil to the bacon fat. Sauté diced onion, celery and pepper and sauté until softened and onions are starting to caramelize, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and sauté stirring for one minute. Add bay leaves, thyme, smoked paprika and cayenne and stir until fragrant. Add wine stirring to deglaze pan. Increase heat to high and add maple syrup, tomatoes, reserved bacon, ham bone/hocks, beans and stock. IIncrease heat to high and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to simmer, partially cover and cook, stirring occasionally for 1-½ hours.
- Remove the ham bone/hocks and remove meat from the bone(s). Add ham back to the pot and cook for 15 minutes longer.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.