Black Bean Soup

This Black Bean Soup recipe is creamy and comforting, made with veggies and black beans. It makes the best mild or spicy black bean soup, and it can be made vegan or vegetarian.

 

Estimated reading time: 10 minutes

Here at The Busy Baker we love a good, hearty soup, and this Black Bean Soup is one we’ve been making for decades. It’s the perfect easy, budget-friendly meal, and it can be served with just about any Tex-Mex inspired toppings you have on hand. We love it served with tortilla chips, pickled onions, chopped tomatoes, and cheese, but you can serve it however your family enjoys it!

Black bean soup is a hearty, versatile soup that’s a common staple in Latin American cuisine. It’s usually made from black beans simmered with a blend of aromatic herbs, spices, and vegetables, and the result is a rich, satisfying meal that can be adapted depending on your family’s tastes and dietary preferences.

Traditional black bean soup recipes usually call for savoury ingredients like garlic, onions, cumin, oregano, bay leaves, and sometimes smoked meats, such as bacon or ham, to give a smoky depth of flavour. However, many modern, quick-to-make versions can be made vegetarian or even vegan, letting the natural, earthy flavour of the beans shine through.

However it’s made, it’s a delicious hearty meal that’s best topped with whatever toppings you like!

There are SO many reasons why we love this delicious black bean soup. Here are just a few!

1. It’s FULL OF NUTRIENTS: Loaded with protein and fiber, this soup is as nutritious as it is delicious.
2. It’s EASY TO MAKE: With just one pot and minimal prep and clean up, you can have this nutritious meal on the table in less than an hour.
3. It’s CUSTOMIZABLE: You can adjust the spice level, veggies, protein, and even toppings to your preference.
4. It’s great for MEAL PREP: It stores well both in the freezer and the refrigerator and tastes even better the next day.

While we think it’s a great meal all on its own, here are a few recipes we love to serve alongside this delicious easy black bean soup recipe!

• Cornbread Muffins
• Healthier Low Fat Cornbread
• Easy Guacamole
• Pickled Onions
• Mexican Rice
• Homemade Nachos

Want to take this Black Bean Soup recipe to the next level? Follow all our tips and tricks for the best black bean soup recipe you’ve ever tasted!

Make sure you let your spices toast a little in oil (around the veggies) as this will bring out their flavours and make the soup taste better.

The liquid in the cans adds extra richness and thickness to the soup.

Let the soup simmer for a longer time if you prefer it thicker or, add a splash of stock or water if you prefer it thinner.

Our Pickled Onions are a great addition to the top of this soup, as are pickled jalapeños, fresh cilantro, shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, crushed up tortilla chips, diced avocado, and lime. Customize the toppings to your family’s preferences and enjoy!

The pickled jalapeños add acidity (and also some subtle heat) to this dish. Don’t skip them. Or add just the pickling liquid if you prefer. If you’d like to skip the heat all together, add some extra lime juice to get a more balanced soup. The acidity brightens up all the flavours in this soup and balances the richness.

Running into trouble with your homemade black bean soup? Here’s a list of possible pitfalls and the troubleshooting ideas we recommend to fix and prevent them!

When you add spicy ingredients, make sure you add them gradually, tasting constantly. If your soup is too spicy, you could dilute it with some more broth or some extra beans. You can also try balancing the soup by adding some more lime juice and some dairy, like sour cream or full fat greek yogurt.

If you’d like your soup thicker, blend about 1/3 of the soup in a blender and add it back into the pot. You can also simmer the soup over medium-high heat a little longer to get the consistency you’re looking for.

If you’d like to thin out your soup, add some more broth or even water. Keep in mind that the soup thickens as it cools so warm up your soup thoroughly before adding more liquid.

Dishes made with beans require generous seasoning so make sure you taste as you go and adjust the seasoning to your preference. Lime juice, chopped up pickled jalapeños and pickled jalapeño or onion liquid balance and brighten this soup a lot so make sure you don’t skip them. You could also add an extra teaspoon of ground cumin and some more smoked paprika for more depth of flavour.

Make sure you properly balance all flavours in this soup. Add brightness with lime juice, pickled jalapeños and their pickling liquid, and top it with Pickled Onions. Also make sure that you serve it with fresh ingredients like avocado and fresh cilantro.

Here’s a list of everything you’ll need to make this easy black bean soup recipe (paid links):

• large knife and a Cutting Board
• measuring cups and spoons
• Garlic Press
• heavy-bottomed soup pot
• wooden spoon
• Soup Ladle

Here’s a list of all the ingredients you’ll need to have on hand to make this easy black bean soup recipe (paid links):

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 red onions
• 2 carrots
• 2 sticks celery
• 4 cloves garlic
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
• 1 tablespoon thyme
• 1 tablespoon oregano
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 tablespoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
• 3 cans of black beans 15 ounces each
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 1 can crushed tomatoes
• 1/4 cup pickled jalapeños finely chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 1-2 limes just the juice
• avocado, tortilla chips, pickled red onion, lime wedges for serving

We love this black bean soup just as it is, with a variety of fresh and delicious toppings, of course! But if you want to try something new, here are a few simple variations on the basic recipe you could try:

1. Make it MEATY: Start this soup by sautéing 2 cups of chopped chorizo, pork knuckle, or bacon.
2. Make it SPICY: Add 1-2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce to this soup to make a spicy black bean soup.
3. Add some CHICKEN: Add 2-3 cups of shredded chicken before the soup finishes cooking.
4. Add extra VEGGIES: Sauté corn, zucchini, and red bell pepper with the onions.

We hope you love this Black Bean Soup recipe as much as we do! Let us know in the comments below, what’s your favourite cozy soup to make? We’d love to know!

• Tomato Soup
• Avgolemono Soup
• Meatball Soup
• Minestrone Soup
• Vegetable Soup
• Lasagna Soup
• Broccoli Cheddar Soup
• Carrot Ginger Soup
• Roasted Vegetable Soup
• Homemade Mushroom Soup
• Vegan Miso Soup