Black Bean Soup
171 Comments
Updated Feb 09, 2024
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This black bean soup is one darn good vegetarian soup that’s humble yet dazzling. It’s layered with savory and spicy flavors, and can be made in about 30 minutes.
The Benefits Of Black Beans
If you’re not quite a black bean lover yet, let me tell you why you should be. They’re great sources of fiber and filling protein, light on the wallet, easy to cook with, and they’re perfect for adding an earthy, robust flavor and meaty texture to your meals. Yeah, they’re pretty great, eh?
You’ll often find me sprinkling black beans on burrito bowls, stuffed peppers, and taco salads – pretty much all my Mexican recipes. But you know I’m all about ingredient versatility. So what better way to make a vegetarian soup than with loads of veggies and black beans?
Black Bean Soup Ingredients
Black bean soup is a staple recipe in many countries around the world. There are versions from Mexico, Spain, Puerto Rico, and other countries in the Caribbean and Latin America. My recipe is heavily influenced by traditional Cuban black bean soup recipes, but of course, I’ve tweaked it a bit to my liking!
- Vegetables: Onion, carrots, and celery (the usual mirepoix blend) give this soup a chunky veggie boost.
- Vegetable Broth: You can use vegetable broth or chicken broth in this recipe. It’s up to you, depending on if you’re trying to keep it vegetarian or vegan.
- Black Beans: While dried black beans are an option, you’ll need to cook them first before adding them into the soup. So to keep this recipe quick and easy, I’m opting for canned black beans.
- Spices: A blend of cumin, oregano, coriander, and cayenne pepper adds an earthy, spiced flavor that compliments the beans perfectly. And if you want this to have a bit more kick, add a pinch more cayenne!
Find the printable recipe with measurements below.
How To Make Black Bean Soup
I’m happy to say that this is a one-pot recipe! Those are always my favorites for a quick and easy dinner. Here’s how it goes.
You’ll start by sauteing the veggies in a large pot for 4 to 5 minutes. Then stir in and “toast” all of the spices for another minute, until they’re aromatic.
Next, add the black beans and chicken broth. Bring it to a boil, reduce the heat to low and let the soup simmer for about 15 minutes.
The last step is transforming this black bean soup to the perfect creamy yet chunky consistency. I’m using an immersion blender to blend a few rounds directly in the pot. But if you don’t have one, transfer 1 to 2 cups of the soup into a blender and puree it. Then stir it back into the pot along with fresh lime juice for a pop of bright flavor!
How To Serve Black Bean Soup
- Sprinkle some fresh toppings such as diced avocados, red onions (even pickled red onions), cotija cheese, or chopped cilantro.
- Add a dollop of sour cream for a creamy, fresh, and tangy touch!
- Serve with rice to make this an even heartier meal.
Storage Tips
- To store: Store any leftovers in an airtight container for 4 to 5 days in the fridge.
- To freeze: Pour this into a freezer-safe container and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. I love to use Souper Cubes to freeze individual servings (which can be found on my Shop page).
- For reheating: If frozen, thaw it in the fridge the night before. Then you can warm it up in a bowl in the microwave for 1 to 2 minutes. Or you can warm it up in a pot on the stovetop.
More Easy Soup Recipes
Excited to make more soups? Try out some of these personal favorites of mine – along with these other soup recipes!
Whenever you’ve got cans of black beans laying around – don’t forget to make this soup! And when you do, I’d love to hear how it turned out in a comment below!
Black Bean Soup
Description
Video
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large red onion, chopped
- 1 large carrot, peeled and diced
- 2 celery ribs, diced
- 1 jalapeno pepper, deseeded and diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 3 (15-ounce) cans low-sodium black beans, drained and rinsed
- 3 cups low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
- 1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- Optional toppings: fresh cilantro, red onion, avocado, or sour cream. Plus extra lime wedges for serving.
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery, and jalapeno pepper, and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, or until softened.
- Add the garlic, cumin, oregano, coriander, cayenne pepper, and salt, and stir together for another minute, until fragrant.
- Add the black beans and chicken broth, stir, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Using an immersion blender, puree the soup a few times to have a mix of creamy and chunky textures. Alternatively, you can scoop out a cup or two of soup, blend it in a standard blender until smooth, and then stir it back into the pot. Then, stir in the lime juice.
- Ladle the soup into individual bowls and garnish with your favorite toppings.
Lisa’s Tips
- Each serving is about 2 cups.
Nutrition
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“That’s good soup” – my 13 year old son. Thanks for providing delicious 30 min meals that my family enjoys and I feel good feeding them!
Happy to hear you and your son are loving this black bean soup, Dawn!
This is, by far, the best black bean soup I’ve ever made. I love black bean soup and I’ve never before found a recipe that was quite “right”. This one is!
Yay, love to hear that. Thank you!
I made this soup when my husband and I were detoxing thinking it wouldn’t be that great, but we were under strict rules. It has now became a regular favorite anytime, not just during detox. I don’t know how something so simple and so easy to make can be so delicious, but it is.
It really is packed with flavor, isn’t it? So happy you both love it, Tiffany!
Just made this for dinner tonight & it truly hit the spot! Thank you so much! Xoxo.
Hi Christin – I’m glad you love this black bean soup!
I had bypassed this soup for so long because I thought how good could this be? I mean I like black beans so I made it. So simple and so good! Mind blown 🤯 I also use it as a dip- yummy
Hi Valerie – Glad you finally got around to making this! And yes, it can definitely be a form of dip too :)
This was easy and delicious! It will be great for taking to work for lunches. Thank you!
Hi Rochelle – Happy to hear you’re loving this black bean soup!
ANOTHER winner! The soup came together so quickly yet I was pleasantly surprised at the depth of flavor. My fav black bean soup to date.
Hi Peg – I’m glad you found a black bean soup you love!
I have made this so many times. I love it and so do my guests! My daughter is a vegetarian and her husband is gluten-free so this fits into their weekend visit perfectly. The only thing I changed was to leave out the jalapeño.
You won’t be disappointed by this recipe. So good!
Hi Karen – Happy to hear everyone is loving this black bean soup!
What is driving up the sodium in this recipe? You are using low sodium in both the beans and broth. 1822 mg sodium seems like a lot for this.
I had the same concern. I totaled the sodium amounts myself which included the kosher salt and got about 880, a whole thousand mg less — equal to a half teaspoon of salt — than what it states. I have hypertension so the way I make it does NOT have anywhere near the sodium the recipe states. I believe there was likely a simple addition or multiplication error and that it’s not as heavy on sodium as it says.
That said, I just made it again yesterday and am loving every bite. I actually increased the heat by including half the seeds of jalapeno too. I’m from the Southwest and love having the steam blowing out my ears!
Thank you Lisa Bryan for the recipe; a woman in my church served this a few times for lunch throughout Lent and it was a HIT! Never any left!
I’ve been searching for a really good black bean soup recipe and this has become my “go to” recipe! It’s the best I’ve ever made and always receives raves from friends. Thank you!
Happy to hear it’s your go-to!
I tried this recipe tonight and it is very good! Thank you so much
Hi Cynthia – Happy to hear you love this black bean soup!
Made this a few times. DELICIOUS
Yay, happy you loved the recipe, Bonnie!
Delicious. Replaced the cayenne and jalapeño with small can of diced mild green chile.
Hi Diane – Thanks for the review and so glad you enjoyed this black bean soup!
I enjoyed the soup but it was quite salty for me. I will halve the salt next time. Used a chopped red chile pepper instead of jalapeño and had a nice heat without being too much. Wasn’t sure what the avocado added to the soup. Thought it was delicious as is.
Hi Mindy – it sounds like you may not have used low-sodium broth. That could have made it extra salty. :)
So good!! I didn’t change a thing but I did add some shredded chicken. You were right, lime is a must!
Hi Karen – Happy to hear you love this black bean soup!
Very delicious! The flavors are so satisfying. Even better with avocado as a topping.
Hi April – Happy to hear you love this black bean soup!
I had a few cans of black beans and decided to try this black bean soup. Yum! Followed recipe ingredients as instructed; no changes. Do not skip toppings — they’re everything! 😋
Hi Lana – I’m glad you love this black bean soup!
How would I convert the canned black beans into dried black beans? Is 15 ounces canned equivalent to 15 oz soaked beans? I am anxious to try your recipe.
Hi Chris – you can reference this measurement: 1 (15 ounce) can black beans = 1 ½ cups cooked beans, drained.
This soup is perfect as written, but can also be played with. The toppings are non-negotiable for me though. Thanks!
Hi Manda – Happy to hear you love this black bean soup!!
This is by far my favorite recipe!!!!! I make this every week. It is so easy to put together and you have a homemade warm meal in less than an hour. You can’t mess this one up. I do use a bit less cumin in mine and I make sure I have a good amount of onion carrot celery and of course garlic. You need to put this recipe in your next cookbook😉
Thrilled to hear you’re loving this black bean soup, Shari!
Hi, Lisa! This is definitely a great recipe. Delicious! I was wondering though, can you tell me the size of the Weck glass jar you used as demonstrated at the end of the video? That size seems perfect. Thanks!
Hi Lynne – those are the 1/2 liter Weck Jars. You can find them linked on my Shop page. :)
Very easy, fast recipe that is super tasty!
Thanks Diane! Happy you loved it.
I love this recipe. Easy to make and very warming on this rainy day. I used a sample spice packet I had on hand (Penzy’s Southwest Seasoning) and added some extra cumin. Turned out perfectly!
Wonderful! I’m glad this black bean soup was the perfect dinner to make on a rainy day.
Made it and it is delicious and flavorful!
Yay, happy you loved the recipe, Diana!
Absolutely delicious, satisfying soup !
Glad you enjoyed this black bean soup, Claire!
This is a delicious recipe for Black Bean soup. A little spicy only because I didn’t have my glasses on when I read the ingredients and added 1/2 teas. of cayenne pepper instead of an 1/8th! Lol Really made me stand up straight!
Next time I’ll put my glasses on and buy a lime before I make this. Thank you Lisa!
Oh no!! Though I have to admit I’ve done the same myself a time or two, haha. Enjoy your extra spicy black bean soup! ;)
Thank you Lisa! It’s still delicious, and healthy! 😁
Glad you love this black bean soup!
soooo easy and yummy !!!
That’s great to hear, Lauren!
Yummy. I used dried black beans that I soaked overnight. Recipe is easy and delicious. Just the right amount of spice for me.
I’m so happy you loved the recipe, Carrie!
Very nice, thanks for the recipe, love all your vegetarian recipes, especially the potato salad, please consider adding some raw food recipes! many thanks
Thanks so much, Sandra! I’m happy you’re loving all my vegetarian recipes. I’ll keep that in mind for the future. :)
Love this recipe!
Absolutely DELICIOUS!!! I added red bell pepper to sautée with the other veggies, and I didn’t need the lime or cilantro.. that’s how great the soup was by itself!!
Wonderful! Happy to hear this black bean soup was a hit, Ashley.
Delicious 😋 recipe Lisa. I love it. Specifically I’m only eating plants based meals. Lisa can you tell me where to get those glass containers.
You can find the containers linked in the Shop page on my website :)
Absolutely delicious and healthy option. I did not have a carrot on hand I thought about using canned carrots but I just opt them out completely and i added a serrano/jalepeno pepper, red chili flakes because I like the spice and it was absolutely delicious oh and also used bone broth instead of vegetable broth. Well definitely be a top favorite of mine thanks for sharing
Happy to hear this soup came together beautifully with what you had on hand, Kayla!
Omitted the celery and added some frozen corn. The flavor is surprisingly complex and delicious for simple ingredients!
I’m glad you loved it!
This soup is so delicious, especially with all the toppings! I make it frequently, even in the summer. The recipe is perfect.
Glad you’re loving this black bean soup Lisa!
We didn’t care for this at all.
Sorry to hear that Cassie. Any reason why?
Amazing how delicious this is and how easy to make. Easy ingredients and very tasteful. It’s always a hit.
Happy to hear you’re loving this black bean soup Neil!
I just made this and it’s delicious! Had it with cornbread like others suggested and it’s the perfect pair.
Glad this soup was a winner Katie!
I made this black bean soup for lunch today. It was so deliscious! I replaced the cayenne with 2 teaspoons of chipotle Tobasco sauce which gave the soup a nice smoky flavor.
Glad you loved this black bean soup with your touch of Tobasco sauce!
Excellent and easy to make.
I use my own homemade chicken stock and topped with sour cream and lime juice.
This recipe is a keeper
Can you freeze this soup?
Hi Sophie – Yes, you can freeze this soup!