This recipe was taken from the book Riverboat Memories

Ingredients:

1 pound small red chili beans, rinsed, drained and picked over
2 Tblsp olive oil
1 pound andouille or kielbasa sausage, cut into 1/2 inch slices
1 large onion, chopped
1 large rib of celery, cut into 1/2 inch slices
1 medium green bell pepper, seeded, and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
6 scallions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 cupd beef broth
3 cups water
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp salt
4 cups hot cooked rice

In a large soup pot, combine beans with enough water to cover them by 2 inches. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat, cover and let stand for 1 hour. Drain well.

In a large soup pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook, turning often, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer the sausage to a plate using a slotted spoon, and set aside. Add the onion, celery, bell pepper, scallion and garlic to the pot. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened, about 7 minutes. Stir in the beef broth, water, thyme, black and cayenne peppers and bay leaves. Bring to a boil over high heat.

Stir in the drained beans. reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered for 30 minutes. Stir in the salt and continue simmering until the beans are just tender, 15 to 30 minutes, depending on the dryness of the beans. Stir in the sausage and cook for 15 minutes more. Using a potatoe masher, crush enough of the beans in the pot to thicken the dish to the desired consistancy. serve in bowls spooned over the hot cooked rice.