One-pot soup • Smoked sausage • Stovetop
Ten Bean Soup with Sausage: Easy Stovetop Method
Brown 12 ounces of fully cooked smoked sausage and set it aside. Rinse one package of Ragin' Cajun Seasoned Ten Bean Soup, add the enclosed seasoning packet and 10 cups water, then low-boil uncovered for 2 to 2 1/2 hours until the largest beans are tender. Return the sausage for the final 10 to 15 minutes and serve as soup or over rice. For planning, allow about 3 hours of cook time and 3 hours 15 minutes total; that window includes browning, bringing the pot to a boil, the full bean cook, and the final sausage simmer.
Ragin' Cajun Seasoned Ten Bean Soup 16 oz brings the beans, peas, dried vegetables, and seasoning together in one bag. This stovetop version adds browned smoked sausage near the end, when the beans are already tender enough to give the broth body.
- Prep
- 15 minutes
- Cook
- About 3 hours
- Total
- About 3 hours 15 minutes
- Yield
- 6 to 8 servings
Choose the finish before you serve
The same pot can land as a brothy soup or a thicker beans-and-rice supper. Make that choice after the beans are tender.
Spoonable and brothy
Serve it as soup
Finish: loosen with hot water ½ cup at a time.
Serve with: cornbread or a small scoop of rice.
Thicker and heartier
Serve it over rice
Finish: mash a small scoop of beans into the broth.
Serve with: rice in the bowl and green onion on top.
Do not chase a thick texture early. The bean mix naturally gives the broth more body as it cooks, and the pot will continue to thicken while it stands.
Make ten bean soup with sausage
Ingredients
- 1 package Ragin' Cajun Seasoned Ten Bean Soup 16 oz
- 10 cups water, plus more as needed
- 12 ounces fully cooked smoked sausage, sliced ½ inch thick
- Cooked long-grain white rice, for serving, optional
- Sliced green onion or chopped parsley, optional
- Hot sauce, for serving, optional
Ingredient notes
Use the entire bean mix and seasoning packet. Remove the packet before rinsing the beans, then stir it into the 10 cups of cooking water.
Choose fully cooked sausage. Smoked sausage or andouille gives the pot a savory finish. Browning the slices first adds color and keeps the sausage from tasting boiled.
Water is the dependable starting point. The product directions also allow beef or chicken stock. Because sausage and stock both contribute salt, use a stock you know and wait until the beans are tender before adjusting the pot.
Build the soup
- Heat a 4-quart or larger heavy pot over medium. Add the sausage and cook for 4 to 6 minutes, turning once, until the cut sides are browned. Transfer the sausage to a plate.
- Remove the seasoning packet from the bean mix. Rinse and drain the beans and peas.
- Add the bean mix, 10 cups water, and the seasoning packet to the pot. Stir well and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom.
- Cover and bring to a boil over high heat.
- Reduce the heat to maintain a low boil and uncover. Cook for 2 to 2½ hours, stirring every 20 to 30 minutes.
- Add hot water ½ cup at a time whenever the liquid drops below the beans before they are tender.
- Begin tasting after 2 hours. When the largest beans are tender and creamy inside, return the browned sausage to the pot.
- Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, until the sausage is hot and the broth has the body you want.
- Serve as soup or spoon over rice. Finish with green onion, parsley, or hot sauce if desired.
Why brown the sausage and add it near the end?
The official product method allows meat in the pot from the beginning. Browning fully cooked sausage first and returning it after the beans are tender is a useful recipe variation: the pot still picks up the browned flavor, while the sausage avoids spending the full 2½ hours in simmering liquid.
If you prefer to follow the package sequence exactly, add the sliced sausage with the water and seasoning packet. Either way, use fully cooked sausage and heat it thoroughly before serving.
Let the largest beans tell you when the soup is ready
A mixed-bean pot does not soften all at once. Lentils and split peas begin breaking down early and thicken the broth; larger kidney, lima, and Great Northern beans take longer. Taste a few of the largest beans before calling the pot done. They should be creamy from the skin to the center with no firm or chalky core.
If the broth is getting low
Add hot water, not cold
Keep a kettle nearby and add ½ cup at a time. Hot water protects the steady simmer and makes it easier to judge how much the pot actually needs.
If the beans are tender
Set the final consistency
For a thicker pot, mash about ½ cup of beans and stir them back in. For soupier bowls, add hot water and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes before serving.
Fix the four most common ten bean soup problems
The large beans are still firm
Keep the pot at a steady low boil and add hot water as needed. Mixed beans cook at different rates, so use the largest beans—not the lentils—as your doneness test.
The bottom is catching
Lower the heat and stir more often, especially around the outer edge. If you feel resistance, do not scrape scorched bits into the soup; transfer the unburned portion to a clean pot.
The soup became too thick
The beans continue absorbing liquid as they stand. Stir in hot water ½ cup at a time until the broth moves easily again, then heat through before serving.
The sausage tastes dry
Add fully cooked sausage only for the final 10 to 15 minutes after browning it. It needs to heat through, not cook for the entire bean simmer.
What goes with ten bean soup?
- Serve it with cornbread and a crisp cabbage slaw.
- Spoon it over rice for a thicker beans-and-rice plate.
- Add sautéed greens or a bright salad to balance the smoky sausage.
- For a simpler seasoned-bean bowl, make Black-Eyed Peas and Rice.
- Compare the bean pot with Red Beans and Rice Weeknight Dinner or Easy Jambalaya.
Common questions
Does Ragin' Cajun Ten Bean Soup need to be soaked?
No separate soak is listed in the current product directions. Remove the seasoning packet, rinse and drain the bean mix, then begin the 2- to 2½-hour stovetop method.
When should I add sausage to ten bean soup?
For this recipe, brown fully cooked smoked sausage first and return it for the final 10 to 15 minutes after the beans are tender. The product directions also allow meat to be added at the beginning.
Can I use stock instead of water?
Yes. The product directions allow beef or chicken stock in place of water. Since stock and sausage can both bring salt, use a stock you know and taste only after the beans are tender.
How do I thicken ten bean soup?
Mash about ½ cup of the tender beans against the side of the pot, stir them back in, and simmer uncovered for 3 to 5 minutes. The soup will also thicken as it stands.
How should I store ten bean soup?
Refrigerate the soup within 2 hours in shallow containers. Use it within 3 to 4 days and reheat leftovers to 165°F, adding a little water if the broth has thickened.
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