Cooking Steps

• Put the dry beans in a large soup pot or a large bowl; cover in water and soak for 8 hours or overnight. Water should come up about 2 inches over the beans.
• When ready to cook, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large Dutch oven or a heavy pot over medium heat. Add the sausage slices to the heated oil and cook until browned on both sides. Stir frequently. Remove the browned sausages from the pot and set them aside.
• Add butter to the pot and let it melt. Stir in the onions and cook over medium heat for 3 minutes or until starting to soften. Add celery and bell peppers; continue to cook for 4 minutes. Add a little more butter if needed. Stir in garlic and cook for 15 seconds.
• Add salt, oregano, thyme, paprika, cayenne, and black pepper; continue to cook for 1 more minute. Pour in the vegetable broth and stir, scraping up all the browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
• Drain the soaked beans and rinse; add the beans to the pot and stir in the browned andouille sausage.
• Add the bay leaves, increase the heat to high, and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer for 1-½ to 2 hours or until beans are soft and tender.
• Start checking for doneness around the 1-½ hour mark by mashing or squeezing the beans between your fingers. The skin should be a bit resistant to pressure, but the interior should be the consistency and appearance of a baked potato.
• When the beans are cooked through, remove the bay leaves from the pot and discard them. Remove 1 cup of beans to a bowl; mash the beans with the back of a fork, and then return them to the pot and stir until blended.
• If the mixture is too thick, add up to 1 cup of water or broth. Taste the mixture for salt, pepper, and seasonings, and adjust accordingly.
• Stir in the parsley and green onions, and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Remove the beans from the heat and serve them over cooked rice.