Cajun White Soup Beans will become a family favorite if you enjoy Authentic Cajun cooking. They have all the key ingredients to a true to the word Cajun meal. Made with hearty ingredients that include spice and everything nice.
I love a good pot of Cajun White Soup Beans. I use Navy beans or Northern beans in mine, with either a smoked ham bone or smoked ham hocks, smoked sausage, andouille sausage, the Holy Trinity, garlic, bay leaves, chicken stock, tomatoes with chilis, Cajun spices, and garnish white green onions or pickled jalapenos for a little extra flavor.
When I was a child, you could bet we had my Mom’s delicious Soup Beans reasonably often and always served with white cornbread, not sweet corn muffin mix. Sometimes it contained meat; other times, it was meatless and just seasoned. However, it was delicious tasting.
You can always tell a true Southerner, Cajun, or Creole because if they are an old school, it will be called White Soup Beans, not White Bean Soup, most often than not. It can range from plain to fancy pants, but you won’t find kale in it or sweet potatoes or other odd ingredients. No offense, but let’s keep the recipes accurate and honor them by making them as we have for years.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED FOR CAJUN WHITE SOUP BEANS
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One pound dried Navy beans (soaked overnight)
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Water to cover while soaking the Navy beans
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Hambone, Ham hocks, Smoked turkey necks
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One sizeable Yellow onion, chopped
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Two stalks of celery, diced
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1/2 green bell pepper, diced
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Four cloves minced garlic
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Three bay leaves
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32 ounces of low sodium chicken broth or chicken stock
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One – 14.5 ounce– can of organic diced tomatoes with chilis.
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1/2 pound smoked sausage – sliced in rounds
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1/2 pound Andouille sausage – sliced in rounds
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One teaspoon low sodium Cajun seasoning or to taste
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One pinch of cayenne- optional ingredient
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1/2 teaspoon white pepper
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Kosher salt to taste at the end. Do not add while cooking the beans.
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Sliced green onions to garnish
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Sliced jalapeno, to garnish, optional ingredient
METHOD USED FOR CAJUN WHITE SOUP BEANS
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Follow the package directions, Soak the navy beans overnight in water, add the rinsed, drained, and sorted beans Navy Beans to the Dutch Oven, and pour chicken stock or water over the beans.
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Add either a smoked ham bone or smoked ham hocks to season. Then add smoked sausage, andouille sausage, onion, celery, green pepper, garlic, low sodium Cajun seasoning, white pepper, and bay leaves to the pot. Cook until beans are tender, adding more water if needed.
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Once beans are tender- about one hour+ (add more chicken stock or water to the Dutch Oven if needed to thin and the tomatoes with green chilis)
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Cook another 15 or 20 minutes. Add kosher salt to taste. Only add salt to beans while cooking at the very end stage.
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Serve with white rice and cornbread.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
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What is the Holy Trinity? The holy trinity is the Cajun and Louisiana Creole variant of mirepoix; traditional mirepoix is two parts onions, one part carrots, and one part celery, whereas the holy trinity is typically equal measures of one-part onions, one part green bell pepper, and one part celery.
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What are ham hocks? A ham hock, or pork knuckle, is the joint that attaches a pig’s foot to its leg. While a ham hock is not considered an ankle, its location corresponds to a human ankle or lower calf region.
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What can I substitute for ham hocks if I cannot find them? If your local market does not have ham hocks, you can use pork shanks. And it should not change the flavor much.
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I cannot locate Andouille sausage. What can I substitute for it? If you don’t have andouille sausage, your best substitute will be Polish Sausage: According to the late Chef Paul Prudhomme, the best and easiest to find an alternative. A little more cayenne pepper to the recipe to make up for the missing heat.

Cajun White Soup Beans
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried Navy beans Soaked overnight
- 1 large Hambone Ham hocks, or Smoked turkey necks
- 1 large yellow onion diced
- 2 stalks celery diced
- ½ large green pepper diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 3 bay leaves
- 32- ounces chicken stock or low sodium chicken broth
- 1-14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes with chilis organic
- ½ pound smoked sausage sliced
- ½ pound Andouille sausage sliced
- 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning or to taste
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper or to taste
- ½ teaspoon white pepper may sub with black
- Kosher salt to own taste
- ½ cup green onions garnish
Instructions
- Follow the package directions, Soak the navy beans overnight in water, add the rinsed, drained, and sorted beans Navy Beans to the Dutch Oven, and pour chicken stock or water over the beans.
- Add either a smoked ham bone or smoked ham hocks to season. Then add smoked sausage, andouille sausage, onion, celery, green pepper, garlic, low sodium Cajun seasoning, white pepper, and bay leaves to the pot. Cook until beans are tender, adding more water if needed.
- Once beans are tender- about one hour+ (add more chicken stock or water to the Dutch Oven if needed to thin and the tomatoes with green chilis)
- Cook another 15 or 20 minutes. Add kosher salt to taste. Only add salt to beans while cooking at the very end stage.
- Serve with white rice and cornbread.
Notes
- What is the Holy Trinity? The holy trinity is the Cajun and Louisiana Creole variant of mirepoix; traditional mirepoix is two parts onions, one part carrots, and one part celery, whereas the holy trinity is typically equal measures of one-part onions, one part green bell pepper, and one part celery.
- What are ham hocks? A ham hock, or pork knuckle, is the joint that attaches a pig's foot to its leg. While a ham hock is not considered an ankle, its location corresponds to a human ankle or lower calf region.
- What can I substitute for ham hocks if I cannot find them? If your local market does not have ham hocks, you can use pork shanks. And it should not change the flavor much.
- I cannot locate Andouille sausage. What can I substitute for it? If you don't have andouille sausage, your best substitute will be Polish Sausage: According to the late Chef Paul Prudhomme, the best and easiest to find an alternative. A little more cayenne pepper to the recipe to make up for the missing heat.
Nutrition
Suggested Recipes
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28 Comments
Mary Slanker
April 18, 2022 at 6:24 amThank you for sharing the fantastic Cajun White Soup Beans post. I loved the recipe. I will be making this again!
hmccallum
September 25, 2022 at 2:24 pmThank you, Mary!
Silvia
January 31, 2022 at 10:54 amI loved how comforting these Cajun White Soup Beans were. I’m a big fan of beans in any way possible and I think the cajun spices are spot on in this recipe. It was so good that is all I ate all weekend and I’m getting ready to get ingredients again and prepare it this coming week as well.
hmccallum
September 25, 2022 at 2:24 pmI am so glad you enjoyed it, Silvia
Ramona
January 30, 2022 at 5:17 pmI haven’t made this before today and can’t wait to make it again! It was super delicious! Thank you for sharing this recipe.
hmccallum
September 25, 2022 at 2:25 pmAwesome to hear, Ramona!
Aya
January 30, 2022 at 10:59 amI followed the recipe but used smoked turkey instead, and it turned out amazing. So easy, flavorful, and the family loved it!
hmccallum
September 25, 2022 at 2:25 pmExcellent choice, Aya! Thank you!
Liz
January 30, 2022 at 7:28 amI love Cajun cooking! It’s a nice change of pace from our usual meals! I have this Cajun White Soup Beans written down to make again this week!
hmccallum
September 25, 2022 at 2:25 pmI’m glad you were able to change things up, Liz!
Marie
January 29, 2022 at 4:52 pmThis Cajun White Soup Beansis incredibly hearty and comforting! It’s a meal in a bowl. Loved it with crusty bread. Grateful I still have leftovers!
hmccallum
September 25, 2022 at 2:26 pmThank you so much, Marie!