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A soup does not need a long, exhaustive list of ingredients to be delicious. Black bean soup is one of the quickest soups I make that only needs a few additions to be an outstanding meal.
The workhorse of this soup is the canned beans. When starting with canned beans, the cook time is substantially shorter. I frequently make my own beans, but for the purposes of a weeknight meal, canned is a great option.
Canned beans are creamy, and with the addition of a few sautéed vegetables and spices, a soup is born. To amp up the creaminess, blending some of the soup before serving gives a smoother finish.
The ingredients that make up this black bean soup
- Onion, celery and carrots may not be traditional in a black bean soup, but they add so much more flavor to the soup. Once softened and then cooked with the beans, the mixture becomes tender and give terrific texture.
- Garlic is an essential underlying flavor. Add the garlic towards the end of the sautéeing of the vegetables so it does not burn or get bitter.
- Jalapeños add some heat but also give a good chili pepper flavor. To reduce the heat, remove the seeds and pith.
- Cumin is the warm, earthy spice that gives the soup the traditional flavor that is prevalent in many black bean soup recipes.
- Black beans are hands-down the star of this recipe. Canned beans are cooked to a perfectly creamy state, soaking in the other flavors of the soup so well. Feel free to use no-salt-added beans to control the sodium.
- Salsa is the secret ingredient that adds a lot of flavor without any effort. I use my home canned salsa, but use what you love. Your favorite salsa will add great flavor!
A good amount of the flavor in this soup comes from the pre-made salsa. You can customize this not only to your favorite brand (or homemade variety) but also to any heat level. The soup does not have a multitude of components, but don’t be fooled! The flavor will speak for itself. The soup is comforting, nourishing, and filling!
More soup recipes
Beef and Barley Soup
Roasted Carrot Soup
Easy Taco Soup
Ham & Potato Chowder
Watch how to make this black bean soup
Black Bean Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp neutral oil
- 1 medium onion diced
- 2 ribs celery diced
- 2 medium carrots diced
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 jalapeño diced
- 1 tsp cumin
- 3 15-oz cans black beans
- 1 pint salsa
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a 6-quart Dutch oven or stockpot over medium-low heat. Add the onion, celery, carrot, and salt. Cover and cook the vegetables to soften but not brown, 5-6 minutes.1 medium onion, 2 ribs celery, 2 medium carrots, 1 ½ tsp salt, 2 tbsp neutral oil
- Once the vegetables are softened, remove the lid and add the garlic, jalapeño, and cumin. Stir until the garlic and cumin are fragrant, 1 minute. Add the black beans and salsa. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 20 minutes.3 cloves garlic, 1 jalapeño, 1 tsp cumin, 3 15-oz cans black beans, 1 pint salsa
- Once the soup has simmered, remove 1 ½ cups and blend until smooth. Add the blended soup back to the Dutch oven with the rest of the soup. Stir and serve with favorite toppings.
Delicious, will definitely make again. Love how easy at the end of the day. I’ve done many of your recipes,all great!! Thank you!
The soup is amazing and I loved it.
Family did also.
Will be making it again, was perfect for this rainy Alabama night.
I put a scoop of rice on bottom of bowl and soup on top.
Was awesome.
Made this tonight. Only had 2cans of black beans so I substituted northern beans for the 3rd can. Followed the rest of recipe and it was delicious! Will
Make again…. ☺️
This soup is delicious! And honestly doesn’t need any toppings, it’s good just the way it is…especially if you are in a hurry. My hubby loves black beans and this was the perfect comfort food to make him after he had surgery.
The only thing I did different was that I blended one whole can of beans before adding to the soup instead of blending afterwards. Didn’t want to deal with blending hot soup at the moment. It came out a perfect consistency!
This is the best black bean soup I’ve had, restaurant or homemade. It’s a little different with no stock or rinsing of the beans,so I was intrigued. Thank you!
I made this today and it was just awesome – I used two jalapeños – so it was a bit spicy but I like it that way – I thought the blending would be hard but I used my regular blender and it was perfect! I didn’t use any toppings – it didn’t need any – so much flavor!
Thank you so much! This is a keeper!
Elizabeth
Kaleb, do you drain and or rinse the beans? Thanks.
Sorry! I see now I do not drain the beans.
Btw, what the heck ran thru the yard towards the end of the video? Lol
I think you are absolutely adorable. You and Kipper.. love your gardens and canning.. The style of cooking and recipes. 😋 Yum.. Have you ever grown any crops in straw bales?
Absolutely delicious! Such fresh and flavorful base ingredients, spot on spices resulting in a quick and flavorful meal.
I never leave comments but I just had to after trying this soup! I’ve never had black bean soup before although black beans are my favorite. It looked so easy, I had to give it a try and it was amazing! The only change I made was to not use the jalapeno but I can’t say I missed it at all. I topped it with chunky salsa and guacamole and it made a great meal for a cool winter night. I’ll definitely be making again…and again!
The family loved it! Will be fun changing up salsas to play with different flavors and spice levels. Already planning my next batch!
Snowy cold day here in Canada! Saw this and had to try. I had all the ingredients in the house and it was so easy! Delicious! I’ll be freezing some in my Souper Cubes for my granddaughter to take back to University with her. Thanks for all your expertise. I’m definitely a Fan!!!
Made this soup after watching you prepare it….I added a can of RoTel …it was amazing….served with sour cream, avocado and chips…YUM!!!
I’ve made this twice and it is a major winner! Thank you Kaleb for a quick, healthy, and delicious recipe! I stir Greek yogurt in when served for some added creaminess!
Another awesome recipe Kaleb! Thank you!
My husband and I love this soup. Make it all the time. I do leave out the salt and jalapeño have it with cornbread. Highly recommend it
Tried loads of different black bean soup recipes and this has been our favorite!
I love your recipes, your householding, your farming.
You live my dream!
Do you drain the black beans?
It’s perfect!
This was delicious and easy. I served it with cornbread on the side.
Can this recipe be frozen?
Wonderful and sooooo easy. I cooked the black beans in the InstantPot. Will definitely make again.