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Barbeque Bean Soup with Sausage

This bean soup with sausage is made barbecue style! Flavored with barbecue sauce and topped with cornbread croutons and crispy bacon, makes this one hearty and delicious soup!
 
 

Colorado has seen our fair share of beautiful days over the last few weeks, but our weather is getting ready to turn.

The weather people are predicting a weekend full of snow.

Of course, they have been known to be wrong but predictably the grocery store was filled with folks anticipating being dumped on.

Now being dumped on is a good thing if you are in the mountains and prepared to ski.

But driving to the mountains while the snow is falling is not so much fun. Manservant was planning on skiing this weekend and I am not so sure he is going to make it.

In which case me being prepared, means having food in the house. I have all the staples and I am ready to hunker down.

Magazines are waiting to be read, and all I need is Manservant to chop some wood.

Truth be told, I don’t mind hunkering down.

To me there isn’t much better than being in my pj’s all day, while sitting next to a toasty fire, and gazing out the window at Manservant operating the snow blower.

I promise I’ll even have the hot chocolate waiting as he strips out of his wet clothes.

So, I’m guessing there might be a few folks across the nation that are getting tired of this scenario.

One thing I can promise is that you won’t get tired of this bean soup.

We’ve been eating it all week. Manservant loves beans. I mean he really loves beans.

It used to be that pintos were his thing and where I came from it was kidney beans.

Honestly, neither are my favorite.

bean soup with sausage and cornbread croutons in blue and white bowl

 

I like white navy beans. (Now why are navy beans white?) And Great Northerns. And black beans. And teeny red beans. I like green beans.

I love cacao beans and coffee beans but I guess that is getting off track.

I used mayocoba beans in this soup which is an heirloom Peruvian bean, similar to a pinto.

They contain 9g of fiber and 8g of protein per a 1/4 cup. Not bad for a little bean.

I soaked my beans, but if time is short, feel free to use canned beans.

And I don’t even care what variety! Check out the dried bean council if you’d like.

BBQ Bean Soup

How to Make Bean Soup with Sausage:

Soup is a hard thing to mess up which is totally unlike predicting weather.

Don’t be afraid to use other types of meat and you could even leave it out.

I’ve seen many varieties of BBQ bean soup that used short ribs.

Now my mother loves short ribs, but me, not so much. Personalize this soup to your heart’s content.

I wasn’t sure where I was going when I began, but this turned out so good that Manservant has been eating it every day.

As it happens, his parents sent a honey baked ham for the holidays and because there are only two of us, I put a lot in the freezer.

Manservant takes that ham and lays it across the top of this soup and is in hog heaven.

I’ve also seen him poach or fry some eggs and put those on top. It is hard to keep this man from his beans!

3 bowls of bean soup with sausage

This bean soup with sausage is made with ground sausage but can easily be made with sliced links.

It also can be made with any ground meat of your choice or even another sausage.

Begin by sauteing the sausage and then adding onion and garlic.

Stir in bbq sauce, Worcestershire sauce, maple syrup and a bit of chopped chipotle which adds some heat and also some smokiness.

Then add your seasonings, which include a Secret seasoning recipe that I think you will like on many things!

I also add an envelope of onion soup mix because it adds a lot of umami to this hearty bean soup.

Add the diced tomatoes and tomato sauce and water. If you are not using soaked beans you may not need as much water.

Don’t forget a few dashes of liquid smoke and a dash of vinegar!

Choose your favorite garnishes but we love crisp bacon and cornbread croutons!

This BBQ bean soup with sausage is full of flavor and is a hearty, economical meal.

Enjoy!

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This is an updated post from 2015.
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BBQ Bean Soup

Barbeque Bean Soup with Sausage

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  • Author: Abbe Odenwalder
  • Prep Time: 20 Minutes
  • Cook Time: 2.5 hours*
  • Total Time: 3 hours
  • Yield: 8 - 10 Servings 1x
  • Category: Soup
  • Method: Stove Top
  • Cuisine: American

Description

This hearty bean soup with sausage is hearty and filling. And so, so good! Flavored with barbeque seasonings, this bbq bean soup with cornbread croutons might even beat a sandwich!


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 11 1/2 lbs sweet Italian sausage, bulk
  • 2 c chopped onion
  • 4 minced garlic cloves
  • 1/2 c of your favorite bbq sauce
  • 1 T maple syrup
  • 1 T Worcestershire
  • 1 T chopped chipotle in adobo sauce
  • 1 t smoked paprika
  • 2 T special seasoning
  • 1 envelope onion soup mix
  • 1 15 oz can diced tomatoes
  • 1 15 oz can tomato sauce
  • 3 cans water
  • 1 lb dried beans soaked or 3-4 cans of your favorite beans, drained
  • Few dashes of liquid smoke
  • 1 T balsamic vinegar
  • Special Seasoning: (You will have some left over but I know you will find ways to use it. It rocks!)
  • 2 T sugar
  • 1 T coarse salt
  • 1 T freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 T garlic powder
  • Garnishes:
  • Chopped raw onion
  • Cooked, crisp bacon bits
  • Grated Smoked Cheese

Cornbread Croutons (I used leftover cornbread and baked it until dried out.)


Instructions

In a large Dutch oven, cook sausage over medium heat, breaking into pieces, as it cooks.
Stir in onion and garlic and saute until soft.
Add bbq sauce, maple syrup, Worcestershire, chipotle, smoked paprika and special seasoning. Stir well and let cook a few minutes.
Add both cans of tomatoes and water. Stir in dried soaked beans if using, and let simmer for about 2-3 hours, covered. This depends on the variety of bean and how soft you want them to get. You may need to add more liquid. If not using dried beans, let mixture simmer for about 1 hour. Then add canned beans and let cook until soup is of desired consistency.
Before serving, stir in a few dashes of liquid smoke and the vinegar. This gives the soup some oomph!
Garnish as desired!

Notes

Chorizo or ground pork, chicken or beef would also work. Sausage has more seasoning so make sure to double check if you are not using it.

 

 

 
 
 
 
Recipe rating 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

Juliana

Tuesday 24th of February 2015

This bean soup looks delicious Abbe...I love the sweet touch of the maple and the BBQ sauce in it...very hearty, for a great meal!Have a nice week :)

Abbe Odenwalder

Wednesday 25th of February 2015

The sweet is what makes the spiciness stand out! Thanks Juliana!

Sue/the view from great island

Monday 23rd of February 2015

OMG this looks so good, and the cornbread croutons are genius!

Abbe Odenwalder

Wednesday 25th of February 2015

I don't think that there are that many foods that cornbread doesn't work with! Thanks, Sue! Leftovers force creativity!

SavoringTime in the Kitchen

Monday 23rd of February 2015

We were so thankfully we didn't choose Denver as our transfer point instead of Phoenix coming back from California on Saturday! The weather did not sound good there at all. Instead of snow we have cold! I would sure welcome a bowl of that delicious bean soup. The flavors sound complex and delicious!

Abbe Odenwalder

Wednesday 25th of February 2015

You were lucky. The weather got nasty! Better cold, than snow! Hope you had a great break!

Cheri Savory Spoon

Monday 23rd of February 2015

I'm a big bean person too, my husband not so much. Love that you added chipotle!

Abbe Odenwalder

Wednesday 25th of February 2015

Love chipotle! Took me a long time to get used to beans. I now must say that I do look forward to them because there is so much one can do with them!

Maureen | Orgasmic Chef

Monday 23rd of February 2015

I always have bbq beans with pork bbq but now I'm rethinking that decision. :)

Abbe Odenwalder

Wednesday 25th of February 2015

This works so well on its own! Time to rethink! Thanks, Maureen!