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Why I Love Black Bean Soup
A soup doesn’t need a long, exhaustive list of ingredients to be delicious. Black bean soup is one of the quickest soups I make, which only needs a few ingredients 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 a weeknight meal, canned beans are a great option. They’re creamy, and with a few sautéed vegetables and spices, a soup is created.
The secret that makes this recipe amazing: Blending some of the soup before serving gives it a creamy, smooth finish.
Why you’ll love this black bean soup:
- Perfect for a weeknight, with mostly pantry ingredients and a few fresh veggies.
- Fresh jalapeño and cumin add warmth, not just heat.
- Jarred salsa adds a secret, complex flavor with almost no extra effort.
- Easy to customize with toppings and can be vegetarian or vegan.
Black Bean Soup Ingredients
The best part about this soup recipe is how simple the 10 ingredients are:
- Onion, celery, and carrots – May not be traditional in a black bean soup, but they add so much more flavor. Once softened and then cooked with the beans, the mixture becomes tender and gives a terrific texture.
- Garlic – An essential underlying flavor.
- Jalapeños – Add some heat but also give a good chili pepper flavor. If you don’t love spice, make sure to remove the seeds and pith.
- Cumin – The warm, earthy spice that gives the soup its traditional flavor.
- Black beans – Hands-down the canned star of this recipe. Feel free to use no-salt-added beans to control the sodium.
- Salsa – The secret ingredient that adds a lot of flavor without any effort. I use my home-canned salsa, but use what you love.
The full amount of each ingredient can be found in the recipe card below.
How to Make Black Bean Soup
There are 3 super easy steps to make this black bean soup:
Step 1: Start the vegetable base – Heat neutral oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, celery, and carrots. Season with salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened, but not browning.
Step 2: Add the beans – Stir in the minced garlic, chopped jalapeño, and cumin, and cook for about 1 minute. Pour in the black beans along with all the liquid from the cans, along with the salsa. Bring the pot up to a gentle simmer and let it cook for 20 minutes.
Step 3: Blend and simmer – Once the soup has simmered, add 1 ½ cups to a blender and blend until smooth. Then pour this back into the pot and stir to combine. Ladle into bowls and set out toppings such as sour cream, fresh or pickled jalapeño, cilantro, green onions, avocado, and cheese.
Recipe Tips
- Control jalapeño heat – For milder soup, remove the seeds and white pith from the jalapeño. Leave some seeds if you like things a bit spicier.
- Use the bean liquid – Do not drain the beans. Their liquid adds both flavor and body, so you get a richer, more “black bean” taste. Plus, there’s no broth in this recipe, so the liquid makes it a soup consistency.
- Blend just part of the soup – Blending a portion of the beans makes the soup thick and creamy while still leaving whole beans and vegetables for texture. It feels hearty without any cream.
- Make it vegetarian or vegan – The base soup is naturally vegetarian. Skip dairy toppings like sour cream and cheese, and you have an easy, satisfying vegan meal.
Follow These Tips
Serving & Storage
To serve – Ladle the soup into bowls and add toppings however you want: shredded cheese, avocado, cilantro, jalapeño, or a dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt. The best part about this soup is that it can easily be customized. Serve it with tortilla chips, warm cornbread, or a simple green salad to turn it into a full meal.
To store – Let the soup cool to room temperature, then transfer to airtight containers. Refrigerate for up to 5-7 days. The flavors deepen as it sits, making it even better for lunches. If desired, you could also put the soup in freezer-safe containers, leaving a bit of headspace, and freeze it for up to 3 months.
More Soup Recipes
Have I Convinced You to Make This Recipe?
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Black Bean Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp neutral oil
- 1 medium onion diced
- 2 ribs celery diced
- 2 medium carrots diced
- 1 ½ tsp kosher 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 kosher 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.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did you make this? Leave a comment below!
Styling: Addelyn Evans | Photography: Dera Burreson
This is the first time I have made a black bean soup and this soup is the best I have tasted! Who knew? You don’t need meat to get the flavor or texture.
Thank you Kaleb for this cozy, comforting, heaven in a bowl!