Vegetarian Bean Soup
A hearty vegetarian bean soup with plenty of fresh vegetables thrown in.
This recipe is adapted from Paul Prudhomme's classic. A few time-saving tricks to bring it up to date, with all the guts of his classic gumbo. We make a quick seafood stock with the shells from the shrimp. Simply place shells and lemon in a pan, cover with water and simmer 30 minutes. Strain and reserve stock. We also prefer cooking the chicken and removing the meat from the bone, rather than cooking whole chicken thighs in the gumbo. Gumbo is a great dish for feeding a crowd, making it perfect for the holidays.
Ingredients
SERVINGS: 12 Cup(s)
Seasoning Mix
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
- 2 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme leaves
- 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 1/4 teaspoons black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- 3/4 teaspoon white pepper
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 3 - 3 1/2 pound chicken, cut into 8 pieces, all visible fat removed
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1 pound andouille sausage, cut diagonally into 2 inch pieces
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 cups chopped onions
- 2 cups chopped green bell peppers
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 4 bay leaves
- 1 quart seafood (or shrimp) stock
- 1 quart chicken stock
- 1 pound raw shrimp (shells reserved for stock)
- 8-16 ounces crab meat
Preparation
1. Combine seasoning mix ingredients thouroughly in small bowl. Sprinkle chicken pieces all over with 1 tablespoon of seasoning mix and rub in well with hands.
2. Heat oil in 12-inch skillet (preferably cast iron) over high heat. When oil starts to smoke, add chicken skin side down and cook, turning once, until golden brown on both sides, about 4 to 5 minutes. turn down heat and continue to cook 10 minutes or until chicken is done. Remove from skillet, cool and remove chicken meat from bones. Reserve. Discard bones.
3. Add sausage to oil in skillet and cook, turning once, until browned, about 4 minutes. Remove and drain on paper towels. Pour 3/4 cup fat from skillet into a measuring cup and discard remaining.
4. Place skillet over high heat until hot, about 30 seconds. Add reserved fat and heat 1 minute. Add flour 1/4 cup at a time, whipping constantly with wire wisk until all is absorbed and mixture becomes a light chocolate-colored roux.
5. Quickly stir in 2 cups onions, 1 cup bell peppers, and celery. Add 2 tablespoons seasoning mix, parsley, and bay leaves. Cook, stirring, until roux is thick and dark chocolate-colored, about 3 to 4 minutes.
6. Bring seafood and chicken stocks to a boil in heavy 8-quart pot over high. When boiling, add roux in 2 installments, whisking until thoroughly dissolved. Bring back to hard boil, whisking often, about 9 to 11 minutes. Scrape bottom frequently to be sure flour isn't sticking.
7. Add chicken and sausage, remaining seasoning mix, and remaining onions and bell peppers. Stir well, cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer about 30 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in shrimp and crab, cover, and let sit 10 minutes. Serve with rice.
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