Black Bean Cassoulet Soup
Submitted by kono
Hearty black bean cassoulet soup loaded with three kinds of sausage, a meaty ham bone, cumin, oregano, and a splash of dry sherry. Feeds a crowd of 16 with a sour cream finish.
YIELD
16 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
20 minREADY
40 minThis isn’t some dainty little cup of soup. This is a full-on, belt-loosening, weekend-project pot of glory.
Two pounds of dried black beans simmer for hours with a meaty ham bone, a mountain of garlic, cumin, and oregano until they’re creamy and thick. Meanwhile, garlic sausage, sweet and hot Italian sausages, and bratwurst all get browned separately and thrown into the pot.
Some of the beans get blitzed smooth and stirred back in to give the broth that velvety, stick-to-your-ribs body.
A splash of dry sherry, a hit of brown sugar, and fresh lemon juice right at the end balance all that richness. Ladle it up and crown each bowl with a cool dollop of sour cream.
Pro Tips
- Soak the beans overnight. There’s no shortcut here. A full overnight soak gives you the creamiest texture.
- Skim the foam during the first hour of boiling. It keeps the broth clean and the flavor pure.
- Brown the sausages in batches. Don’t crowd the skillet or they’ll steam instead of getting that caramelized crust.
- This soup gets better the next day. Make it Saturday, eat it Sunday. The flavors deepen overnight in the fridge.
Ingredients
Directions
Soak the black beans in water to cover overnight.
Heat 1 cup of the oil in a large heavy stock pot over low heat. Add the onions and garlic and sauté until the onions are limp, about 10 minutes.
Drain and rinse the beans and add to the stock pot. Add the ham bone and 6 quarts of the water. Stir in the cumin, oregano, bay leaves, salt, pepper, cayenne, and 3 tablespoons of the parsely. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat to medium and cook uncovered at a slow rolling boil for 2 hours, skimming foam from the top and stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
Place the garlic sausage in a medium-size saucepan and add the remaining 2 quarts water. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 40 minutes. Drain. Remove casings and cut into ½-inch slices.
Heat the remaining ¼ cup oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the Italian sausages and sauté until browned. Remove the sausages with a slotted spoon.
In the same skillet, sauté the bratwurst until browned. Remove with a slotted spoon.
After 2 hours of cooking, process 2 cups of the beans in a food processor fitted with a steel blade until smooth and return to the pot. Continue to cook for 30 minutes.
Add all the sausages and the red peppers and cook for another 30 minutes.
Remove the ham bone from the soup, shred the meat and return to the pot. Stir in the sherry, sugar, and lemon juice.
Cook over medium heat until the beans are very soft and the soup is thick, 30 to 45 minutes. Stir in the remaining 5 tablespoons chopped parsley. Taste and adjust seasonings.
Ladle the soup into soup bowls and dollop each serving with sour cream.
Makes 16 portions.
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