This 15 bean soup is a delicious cornucopia of beans, lentils, onions, celery, carrots, and smoked sausage in a broth seasoned with smoked paprika, chili powder, and thyme. It is full of vibrant color and hearty, wholesome vegetables, sure to warm your body and soul.
Warm up on a chilly day with this hearty and flavorful 15 bean soup recipe. It’s the perfect comfort food for any occasion, packed with protein and vegetables. Find the 15 bean mixture at your favorite grocery store in the dried bean aisle. Plan ahead and soak your beans the night before while you sleep. This easy soup will quickly become a favorite.
We are a bean-loving family! If you love beans as much as we do, you must try my baked beans, crockpot cowboy beans, black-eyed pea soup, and calico beans.
What Beans Are in 15 Bean Soup
In this particular soup using Hurst’s 15-bean mixture, there are northern beans, pinto beans, large lima beans, yelloweye beans, garbanzo beans, baby lima beans, green split peas, kidney beans, cranberry beans, small white beans, pink beans, small red beans, yellow split peas, lentils, navy beans, white kidney beans, and black beans. Of course, if you pick a different brand, the beans will vary, but the soup will still be delicious.
Ingredients Notes and Substitutions
- 15-bean mixture: found in the dried bean section. I used Hurst 15 bean.
- Smoked sausage: I use Polska Kielbasa, but you can use any smoked sausage
- Garlic: fresh is best
- Spices: paprika, chili powder, dried thyme, dried marjoram or dried oregano, and ground cayenne pepper
- Broth: low-sodium chicken or vegetable
How to make 15 Bean Soup
First, add the beans to a colander in the sink. Rinse cold water over the beans and sort through them, discarding any debris. Then, place the beans in a large pot of cold water. Allow them to soak overnight or at least 8 hours, then rinse and drain again.
Then add 2 tablespoons olive oil to a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onions, celery, and smoked sausage. Cook until the onions and celery are soft and the sausage browns. Reduce the heat to low and add the garlic, paprika, chili powder, thyme, marjoram, and cayenne pepper. Cook for 1 minute while stirring constantly. If needed, add another tablespoon of oil.
Add beans, chicken broth, fire-roasted tomatoes, carrots, and bay leaf. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring the pot to a low boil. Then reduce and simmer until the carrots and beans are tender. Remove the bay leaf before serving, as it can have sharp edges.
Preparation Tips
- This recipe requires advanced preparation. The beans need to soak in cold water overnight to soften.
- 15 bean soup mix is available in most grocery stores. It is in the same aisle as other dried beans. You only need half the bag, but the remaining mix can be saved for a future pot of soup. Discard the flavor packet and use the herbs and spices in this recipe. Hurst is a dry bean mix that works well with this recipe.
- For aesthetic purposes, peel the carrots and let that beautiful orange color shine through.
- You can substitute oregano for the marjoram, but if you have never cooked with marjoram, you really should treat yourself. Marjoram is less pungent, milder, and sweeter, with a woodsy citrus aroma.
- Don’t forget to remove the bay leaf before serving, as it has sharp edges.
Recipe Variations:
- Chicken: replace the Polska Kielbasa with bite-sized pieces of boneless skinless chicken breasts.
- Smoked ham: replace the Polska Kielbasa with bite-sized pieces of smoked ham
- Vegetarian: omit the smoked sausage
- Bacon: cook 4-5 slices of chopped smoked bacon before adding the onions, celery, and smoked sausage. Use the bacon grease in place of the olive oil. Remove any excess bacon grease before proceeding with the recipe.
- Kick it up a notch: add a little Cajun seasoning, Frank’s hot sauce, Tobasco sauce, or a little more cayenne pepper.
Storage and Reheat
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave at reduced power so the beans do not explode or on the stovetop over low heat.
Freeze this soup in a heavy-duty freezer bag or sturdy freezer container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight. Reheat on the stovetop over low heat or in the microwave at reduced power.
Frequently Asked Questions
This soup is naturally thick because some beans will inevitably break down. But if you desire a slightly thicker soup, remove several cups and puree it. You can use an immersion or stand blender to puree the soup. Don’t forget to remove the center cap on a stand blender so the heat can escape. Add the pureed soup back to the Dutch oven; now you have thickened soup.
You can substitute ham hocks, ham shanks, or any leftover ham bone for the smoked sausage, but they require a longer simmering period and no browning. Add the ham with the chicken broth, but hold the carrots until the ham is tender. After about 2 hours, add the carrots and remove the ham. Use a fork to remove any tender bits of ham from the bone, discarding the fat and connective tissue. Add the ham back to the soup and finish cooking until the carrots are tender.
Ladle the fully-cooled soup into quart or gallon-sized freezer zipper bags. Mark the bags with the date and the contents. Leave about an inch at the top of the bag for expansion, but remove as much air as possible.
Lay the soup bags down in a single layer on baking sheets and place them in the freezer. Once fully frozen, stack the bags in the freezer upright to save on space. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw the soup in the fridge overnight. Reheat on the stovetop on low or in the microwave at a reduced power so as not to overcook any ingredients.
More soup recipes
15 Bean Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 10 ounces 15 bean soup mixture
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion diced
- 3 ribs celery chopped
- 1 lb. smoked sausage cut in slices
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground chili powder
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried marjoram or dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
- 6 cups low sodium chicken broth or vegetables broth
- 1 15-ounce can fire roasted diced tomatoes
- 4 carrots peeled and chopped
- 1 bay leaf
- Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add the beans to a colander in the sink. Rinse cold water over the beans and sort through them discarding any debris. Place the beans in a large pot of cold water soak overnight or at least 8 hours. Drain and rinse again.
- Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onions, celery, and smoked sausage. Cook until the onions and celery are soft and the sausage is browned.
- Reduce the heat to low and add the garlic, paprika, chili powder, thyme, marjoram, and cayenne pepper. Cook for 1 minute while stirring constantly. If needed add another tablespoon of olive oil.
- Add the the beans, chicken broth, fire roasted tomatoes, carrots, and bay leaf. Increase the heat to medium high and bring the pot to a low boil.
- Reduce and simmer until the carrots and beans are tender. Season with kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste. Remove the bay leaf before serving as it has sharp edges.
Notes
- This recipe requires advance preparation. The beans need to soak in cold water overnight to soften.
- 15 bean soup mix is available in most grocery stores and it can be found with the other dried beans. You only need half the bag but the remaining mix can be saved for a future pot of soup. Discard the seasoning packet and use the herbs and spices in the recipe.
- For aesthetic purposes peel the carrots and let that beautiful orange color shine through.
- You can substitute oregano for the marjoram but if you have never cooked with marjoram you really should treat yourself. Marjoram is less pungent, more mild, and sweeter with a woodsy citrus aroma.
- Don’t forget to remove the bay leaf before serving as they have sharp edges.
- Ham hocks, ham shanks, and ham bones can be substituted for the smoked sausage but they require a longer simmering period and no browning. Add the ham with the chicken broth but hold the carrots until the ham is tender. After about 2 hours add the carrots and remove the ham. Use a fork to remove any tender bits of ham from the bone discarding fat and connective tissue.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Freeze this soup in a heavy duty freezer bag or sturdy freezer container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight. Reheat on the stove top or in the microwave.
Nutrition
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Casey Waters
This was so hearty and delicious and perfect for a chilly winter evening! I’ll be making this one again soon.
Beth Pierce
Thank you, Casey! I am glad that you liked it!
Callie Turner
This was such a frugal and hearty soup with tons of flavor. I really enjoyed it and I will make it again. Does it freeze well?
Beth Pierce
Yes, it does freeze well!
Sky
I grew up eating 15 Bean Soup and loved it! I love your addition of fire-roasted tomatoes and carrots, they add great flavor. This is my new favorite version of this soup. Thanks for sharing!
Beth Pierce
Thank you, Sky!
Carol
Made this for dinner tonight along with honey cornbread muffins. It was spicy, full of flavor and filling. Can’t wait to have leftovers for lunch tomorrow. I have a feeling this recipe will be on heavy rotation this winter!
Beth Pierce
Thanks so much, Carol! I love soup and soup weather!
JoAnn
Did you use the seasoning package.?
Beth Pierce
No
Tami
This is the best bean soup I’ve ever had! I used ham instead of sausage and it was great. It’s a must make for any fall or winter night. I can’t wait to make it again!
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Tami! I am so glad that you liked the bean soup!
Sharon Tower
For planning purposes, in step 5 it says to simmer until tender. Approx. how long will it take? I don’t know if we are talking 10 minutes or an hour. Sounds delish!
Beth Pierce
Thanks! Enjoy! 30-45 minutes
MKA
I am going to try making this soup, it sounds wonderful! Has anyone made this in a crockpot or an instant pot?
I was wondering if so how long would. You cook it?
Vso
I’d like to know if someone has a crockpot or instant pot
Version🙏🤞
Cynthia Burrell
I had made this recipe today for my neighbors! We called it “A cup of Soup and bring your Spoon!”. day! It was delicious!
Beth Pierce
How fun is that! I love it!
Ned
Oh heck yeah! Nothing better than comfort food in a dutch oven! Thank you for the yummy recipe!!
Beth Pierce
The pleasure is all mine, Ned!
Jess
This soup is full of goodness! Perfect for a chilly night
Carrie Robinson
I just love hearty comfort food recipes like this! 🙂 This soup is delicious!
Kushigalu
comforting and delicious soup recipe. Thanks for sharing
Sonal Gupta
I tried this recipe this weekend minus the sausage. And the flavors were mind blowing! I am going to make it again.
Beth Pierce
Awesome, Sonal! So glad that you loved the soup!
TAYLER ROSS
I made this soup for dinner last night and it was delicious! So hearty and easy to make!
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Tayler! We love the soup too!
Dale
Some of the best soup I ever had , old school comfort food . What a great value hearty and absolutely perfect with this cold weather. If ya never had this before I am sure you will love it , even if this soup was high dollar it would be worth it , but it is so cheap !
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Dale! So glad that you liked it!