Red Bean Soup

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 cup diced bacon
• 11/2 cups chopped yellow onions
• 1/4 cup chopped green bell peppers
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 4 bay leaves
• 8 ounces andouille, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch slices
• 1 small (5 to 6 ounce) smoked ham hock
• 2 cups dried red kidney beans, soaked overnight
• 1 tablespoon Essence, recipe follows
• 2 quarts chicken stock
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons chopped parsley
• 3 tablespoons Sherry
• 1 1/2 cups cooked long-grain white rice, warm
• 6 tablespoons chopped green onions
• 2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon dried leaf oregano
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme

1. Heat the oil in a large heavy pot over high heat.
2. Add the bacon and saute for 2 minutes.
3. Add the onions, bell peppers, garlic, bay leaves, andouille, and ham hock and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.
4. Add the beans and cook for 2 minutes.
5. Add the Essence and stock, stir well, and bring to a boil.
6. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 1 1/2 hours, until beans are tender, stirring occasionally.
7. Add the salt and parsley, cover the pot, and cook for 15 minutes.
8. Discard the ham hock and bay leaves.
9. Remove 1 cup of beans from the pot and reserve.
10. With a hand-held immersion blender, or in batches in a food processor, puree the red beans.
11. Add the Sherry and reserved beans, and stir well.
12. To serve, ladle a generous cup of the soup into each of 6 bowls.
13. Top each serving with 1/4 cup of the rice and 1 tablespoon of green onions.
14. Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight jar or container.
15. Yield: about 2/3 cup
16. Recipe from "New New Orleans Cooking", by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch.
17. Published by William and Morrow, 1993.

olive oil, bacon, yellow onions, green bell peppers, garlic, bay leaves, andouille, hock, dried red kidney beans, chicken stock, salt, parsley, sherry, white rice, green onions, paprika, salt, garlic, black pepper, onion powder, cayenne pepper, dried leaf oregano, thyme

Taken from www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/red-bean-soup-recipe.html (may not work)