Followed the recipe right on the bag and used a spoon to smash some of the beans after cooking… Helps thicken the soup perfectly. Serve over long-grain rice with sour cream and Cajun hot sauce!

As everyone prepares for a big Thanksgiving meal on Thursday, one thing often overlooked is how to use all the great leftover turkey when the weekend rolls around. A package of Cajun 15 Bean Soup can solve this problem and satisfy the whole family after a day of Black Friday shopping.

With the tools and hardware more readily available, smoked turkeys have increased in  popularity on Thanksgiving tables across the country. While this version uses the leg meat, any portion of the bird will work great. Just pull off any excess meat and drop the bones right in with the beans as they cook. The combination of smokey and spicy flavors create a delicious soup that you will want to make year-round, not just after Thanksgiving.

What you need:

• 1 package HamBeens Cajun 15 Bean Soup®.
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2-3 cloves chopped garlic
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 2-3 cups pulled turkey meat (+ large bones from turkey)
• Juice from 1 lemon
• Sour cream (when serving)

1. Pour the beans into a colander or sieve. Rinse and sort through the beans, checking for any stones or debris and discard. Dump the beans into a large bowl and cover with at least 2″ of warm water. Allow to soak for at least 4 hours, up to overnight.

2. Pull meat off of turkey legs and set aside. In a large soup pot over medium-high heat, sauté the onion and garlic with 1 tbs. of olive oil. When onion becomes translucent, add 8 cups of water, rinsed beans, and turkey bones.

3. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil, then reduce the heat and cover. Simmer for 60 minutes, then remove the lid and check to make sure beans are tender. When beans are fully cooked, add diced tomato, lemon juice, leftover pulled turkey, and Hurst’s cajun seasoning.

4. Continue to simmer for an additional 15 minutes, or until ready to serve. Tastes great with a dollop of sour cream and a big slice of corn bread. For some additional heat, don’t forget your favorite hot sauce!

As someone who really enjoys a good old-fashioned cheeseburger, it’s always been difficult to even consider eating a meat-less version when the original is just so tasty. But after my experience in the kitchen yesterday,  I have to admit that if for some reason I became a vegetarian, hope for a decent “burger” is not all lost…

Now, don’t get me wrong. In no way am I trying to say that this bean burger compares to a thick, juicy, hot-off-the-grill patty… but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.  The fact is, taste-wise they are really nothing alike and both are delicious in their own right. This faux-burger recipe uses Hurst’s® Cajun 15 Bean Soup® mix and a homeade garlic aioli to create a perfect combination of flavor and textures. It may not be a giant All-American gut bomb burger, but it just flat tastes good… and isn’t that the whole point?

What you need:

1- Package Hurst’s® HamBeens® Cajun 15 Bean Soup

1- Cup finely diced onion

1- Green bell pepper, finely diced

1- Orange or yellow bell pepper, finely diced

2- Cloves minced garlic

3- Eggs

1.5- Cups bread crumbs

Salt and pepper to taste

Vegetable Oil (for pan frying)

Roasted Garlic Aioli:

1/2- Cup mayonnaise

1- tbsp. Dijon mustard

1- tbsp. lemon juice

4-5 Cloves of roasted garlic

1. Rinse (cold water) and sort through the beans. Discard any pebbles or debris that may be present. In a large bowl, cover the rinsed beans with about 3″ of cold water and allow beans to soak overnight, or at least 8 hours. After soaking, place beans in a large soup pot with 8 cups of water. Bring to a rolling boil, then reduce the heat to medium and simmer for about 2 hours, or until beans are completely tender. (If water amount gets too low, just add 1/2 cup at a time just to cover the beans.)

2. While beans are cooking, prepare the vegetables. Dice each pepper and onion into 1/4″ pieces (or smaller) and set aside.

3. When beans are cooked through, drain off any excess liquid, reserving 1 cup of the “bean stock”. Allow the beans to cool.

4. Using either a food processor, blender, or potato masher, blend the bean mixture into a stiff “bean paste”. If the mixture becomes too thick, add small amounts of the leftover bean stock. Transfer mixture into a large mixing bowl.

5. Mix in peppers, onion, garlic, 1 cup of bread crumbs, eggs, salt and pepper.

6. Stir in 3/4 of the Hurst’s Cajun seasoning packet. (If you want an even stronger Cajun punch, add in the entire package.)

7. Wet your hands (prevents sticking) and begin constructing the patties. Once formed, dredge each in the remaining bread crumbs and place on a large baking sheet. Place in the fridge while making the garlic aioli.

*NOTE: From this point on, these burgers can be fairly delicate to handle. I found that using both a hand and spatula together works the best, but let me know if you figure out a better method.

8. In a small bowl, mix mayonnaise, lemon juice, Dijon, and smashed roasted garlic cloves until fully combined. Place in the fridge until ready to serve the burgers.

9. Using a tablespoon of vegetable oil, brown both sides of the burger over medium-high heat. Flip several times to prevent burning, and allow the inside to get hot (which will help the burger “set-up” and not be mushy on the inside.)

10. Spoon on a nice big dollop of aioli, along with some fresh lettuce and tomato. Serve with a few dill pickle spears or some New Orleans style “Dirty Rice”… Enjoy!

*I also recommend a soft bun (not like the one pictured) which will help keep the burger from getting squished and falling apart.

This is also my submission for this month’s My Legume Love Affair: 13th Helping. This contest was started by The Well Seasoned Cook and Hurst is now a monthly sponsor of this great legume event. Check it out and submit your best bean recipe!

This spicy Cajun soup recipe from Hurst is one our best sellers. It is incredibly easy to make and costs less than $1.00 per serving (including some warm cornbread!). Any type of protein can be used, but this time I went with a Smoked Turkey Sausage that was on sale. Enjoy!

Hurst’s® HamBeen’s® Cajun 15 Bean Soup was an immediate success when first introduced several years ago. It is our spiciest “out-of-the-bag” recipe and customers really enjoy the great smokey flavor our secret seasoning blend provides.

What you need:

1- Package Hurst HamBeen’s Cajun 15 Bean Soup (If you look closely, you can see the flavor packet inside.)

As mentioned above, the sausage was on sale, so that made my protein choice a lot easier. I look for can goods that are on sale which really brings the final meal cost down.

Total cost of meal: $8.93

• 1lb. – Smoked Turkey Sausage (any type of meat, chicken, pork, or seafood can be substituted)
• 1 Can Diced Tomato
• 1 Large Onion, Chopped
• 3 Cloves Chopped Garlic (This can vary to individual tastes)
• Juice from 1 Lemon
• 1 Box Corn Bread Mix (At $.49, Jiffy was by far the lowest priced corn bread mix)

After sorting and rinsing the dried beans, place them in a large bowl and cover with 2″-3″ of water. Let sit for at least 8 hours. *TIP Do this right before you go to bed, then when you wake up, remove from the water and they are ready to go.

The beans will plump up from soaking in the water.

Place the beans in a large soup pot with 8 Cups of water and bring to a rolling boil. After boiling for several minutes, reduce the heat and simmer the beans for about 2 1/2 hours.

While you wait…

Prepare your onion, garlic, sausage, and lemon.

• Dice the onion into roughly 1/4 inch pieces
• The garlic can be prepared however you like. Some like whole cloves, others prefer minced.
• Slice the sausage on the bias (slight diagonal); it provides nice bite-sized pieces and just looks better than plain rounds.

In a large pan, put a small amount of oil (vegetable, olive, etc.) and heat at medium-high. Once the pan is hot, drop in the sausage and onions. You should hear a sizzle if the pan is at the right temperature. Once the onions are translucent and the sausage begins to brown, add the garlic. Saute for another 3-4 minutes and then set the mixture aside for later.

After 2 1/2 hours, your beans should look similar to these. Most of the liquid has reduced and the beans are almost completely tender. At this point, if the soup is too thick for your liking you can add a 1/2 cup or more of water to get your desired consistency. Remember that the can of tomatoes will also contribute some liquid to the dish.

Add the sausage/ onion/ garlic mixture, the diced tomato, and the lemon juice. Stir to combine all ingredients and then simmer for another 10 minutes.

The final step is to add the Cajun flavor packet and stir well to combine. Let the seasoning incorporate into the soup for at least 15 minutes, just enough time for:

This mix only required 1/3 cup of milk and 1 egg. I also had an extra can of sweet corn in the pantry, so I added it to the mix for extra flavor and texture.

Fifteen minutes later and the soup smells incredible! The beans are still intact and not mushy at all and the sausage (along with the seasoning) adds a delicious smokey flavor. Time to plate…

ENJOY!