Slow Cooker Smoked Sausage Black Bean Stew
Slow Cooker Smoked Sausage Black Bean Stew, a hearty bean soup loaded with sausage and vegetables in a flavorful, smoky broth.
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Slow Cooker Smoked Sausage Black Bean Stew is an easy-to-make, cozy comfort food that’s thick, chunky, and incredibly flavorful.
This black bean stew is loaded with flavor thanks to smoked sausage, smoked ham hocks, fresh vegetables, aromatics, and a touch of liquid smoke.
The ham hocks don’t just add a smoky flavor, after they’ve cooked in the soup, we pull all the meat off them and add it to the slow cooker.
Because they take a long time to cook, dried beans are perfect for the slow cooker. If you cook this on low, it could cook all day – perfect for busy work days!
15 Bean Soup with Kale and Smoky Mexican Black Beans are some of my other favorite slow cooker bean recipes.
Ingredients needed (scroll down to recipe card for complete recipe):
- Dried black beans (soaked overnight)
- Smoked sausage – Kielbasa, Andouille, etc.
- Smoked ham hocks
- Broth – vegetable or chicken
- Canned diced tomatoes
- Liquid smoke
- Onion
- Garlic
- Bell pepper
- Celery
- Seasonings – dried thyme, salt, pepper, bay leaves
📍The full recipe with exact ingredient amounts and instructions is on the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
How to serve black bean stew
This smoky black bean stew is a delicious, hearty meal all on its own, but can also be served over rice.
We like to serve it with French bread, cornbread, Texas toast, or Jalapeno & Green Chile Spoon Bread.
Toppings for Black Bean Stew: sliced scallions and/or hot sauce are great toppings.
💡Tips & Tricks
- Black beans: Make sure you soak the dried beans overnight first, especially if they’re older, as they take longer to soften.
- Liquid smoke: A little goes a long way, but it adds great flavor to the soup.
- Texture: Optional, but I like to mash some of the beans to give the broth a thicker texture.
- Turkey Sausage: To make this soup healthier, I’ll sometimes swap out pork sausage for smoked turkey sausage.
Looking for more slow cooker soups? Here are some favorites:
- Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup
- Slow Cooker Jalapeno Cheddar Potato Soup
- Slow Cooker Curried Lentil Soup
- Slow Cooker Creamy Chicken Gnocchi Soup
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Slow Cooker Smoked Sausage Black Bean Stew
Equipment
- 6-quart slow cooker or larger
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried black beans soaked overnight
- 2 smoked ham hocks
- 1 small yellow onion diced
- 1 medium green bell pepper diced
- 1/2 cup diced celery
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 13 ounces smoked sausage (kielbasa/andouille) chopped
- 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes undrained
- 4 cups broth vegetable or chicken
- 1 cup water
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- Optional garnishes: scallions, hot sauce
Instructions
- Make sure you have soaked your black beans overnight. Drain soaked black beans and add them to a 6-quart or larger slow cooker.
- Nestle the ham hocks in the black beans, then add the onion, bell pepper, celery, garlic, smoked sausage, canned tomatoes, broth, water, bay leaves, dried thyme, and liquid smoke. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir to combine. Cook on high for 4-6 hours or low for 8-10, or until the beans are soft.
- Remove the bay leaves and discard. Pull the ham hocks out and set on a plate. Once cool enough to handle, pull the meat off the ham hocks and add it to the soup in the slow cooker.
- I like to take a fork or potato masher and smash some of the beans. This thickens the broth, but a combination of whole beans and smashed beans creates a great texture. Season soup with salt & pepper to taste and enjoy! Excellent garnished with scallions when serving. If you like spicy, hot sauce is a great topping.
Notes
- I have only tested this recipe with soaked, dried black beans. If you try it with canned black beans, you won’t need as much liquid.
- If you like spicy food, feel free to add a diced jalapeno to the vegetables and a little cayenne pepper to the seasonings.
- We got 7-8 servings each time we tested this. Varying factors include: serving size, if bread was served with it.
- Once cooled, store leftover soup in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. You may need to add a little liquid when reheating.
- Soup can be frozen in freezer-safe containers. Use within 3-6 months for the best quality.
Warm, hearty, and perfect for winter!