Chicken and red bean soup features a blend of French, African, and Caribbean flavors which makes it a classic dish of Cajun cuisine. It includes the three main vegetables of Creole and Cajun cooking: onion, bell pepper, and celery. This colorful thick soup is rich and hearty showcasing spicy Creole and Cajun flavors. The Cajun style of cooking was developed by the French-speaking Acadian people who were relocated by the British from Acadia in Canada to the Acadiana region of Louisiana. It is focused on locally grown ingredients and preparation is typically simple.
Recipe Servings: 4
Prep Time
20 minutes
Cook Time
40 minutes
Total Time
1 hour
Vegetarian
Vegan
Gluten Free
Dairy Free
Kosher
Halal
Ingredients
- 4 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 medium onion, finely diced (1½ cups)
- 1 medium green bell pepper, finely diced (1¼ cups)
- 3 ribs celery, finely diced (1¼ cups)
- 1 small jalapeno pepper, finely diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1¼ lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces
- 2 Tbsp Cajun Creole seasoning blend
- 2 tsp kosher salt, more as needed
- 1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
- 1 can (15½ oz) small red beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 box (32 oz) chicken broth
- ½ cup white rice
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 Tbsp hot sauce
- Freshly ground black pepper, as needed
Directions
- Place the butter in a large pot and set it over medium heat.
- Add onion, bell pepper, celery, jalapeno, and garlic to the melted butter. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes until softened and onion is translucent.
- Add chicken, Cajun Creole seasoning blend, and salt.
- Increase heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring, for 3–5 minutes until chicken begins to look opaque.
- Stir in the tomato sauce, red beans, chicken broth, rice, and bay leaf and bring it to a boil.
- Reduce to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for 20–30 minutes until rice is softened. Stir frequently to prevent rice from sticking to the bottom.
- Stir in Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce. Taste and add more salt if desired.
- Remove bay leaf, ladle into bowls, sprinkle with black pepper, and serve hot.
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