Black Bean Soup Recipe
This easy Black Bean Soup recipe is smoky, hearty, and ready in about 30 minutes. Made with canned black beans, fire-roasted tomatoes, and chipotle in adobo, it’s a one-pot, vegan and gluten-free dinner that’s perfect for busy weeknights or cozy weekends.
Servings: 4
Cost: $8
Equipment
- chef's knife
- cutting board
- stock pot or dutch oven
- Immersion Blender or blender
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 1 red bell pepper diced (or poblano for mild heat)
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano Mexican if you have it
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander optional but great
- 1 chipotle peppers in adobo minced + 1–2 tsp adobo sauce (adjust to heat)
- 30 ounces canned black beans, rinsed and drained
- 3 cups low-sodium vegetable broth plus more to thin
- 14.5 ounces canned fire-roasted tomatoes, with juices
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 Tablespoon lime juice plus more to taste
- 2 Tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro optional
For serving (choose your favorites)
- Diced avocado sour cream or dairy-free yogurt, chopped cilantro, sliced scallions, pickled red onions, crushed tortilla chips, queso fresco, hot sauce, extra lime wedges.
Instructions
- Heat oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add the onion and bell pepper with a pinch of salt; cook, stirring, until softened and lightly golden, 6–8 minutes.
- Stir in garlic, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, and coriander. Cook 30–60 seconds until fragrant. Add chipotle and adobo sauce; stir 30 seconds more.
- Add black beans, broth or stock, tomatoes, bay leaf, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a lively simmer and cook 12–15 minutes to meld.
- Remove bay leaf. Use an immersion blender to partially blend 1/3–1/2 of the soup right in the pot (or transfer a couple ladlefuls to a blender, blend until smooth, return). You want it to be creamy-chunky.
- Stir in lime juice and cilantro. Taste and adjust the seasoning with more salt, lime, or adobo heat as you like. If too thick, add in more broth or water.
Notes
- For a thicker soup, blend more of the beans; for a thinner soup, add extra broth or water until you reach your desired consistency.
- Adjust the heat level by using more or less chipotle peppers and adobo sauce. Start small, then add to taste.
- The soup will thicken as it cools and after chilling in the fridge—just stir in a splash of broth or water when reheating.
- This recipe is naturally vegan and gluten-free when made with vegetable broth and dairy-free toppings.
- Try variations: add diced sweet potato, frozen corn, or shredded rotisserie chicken (if not vegan) to switch things up.
Nutrition
Calories: 410kcal | Carbohydrates: 65g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Sodium: 747mg | Potassium: 910mg | Fiber: 22g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1642IU | Vitamin C: 44mg | Calcium: 121mg | Iron: 6mg