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