Easy Black Bean Soup
Easy Black Bean Soup is the BEST budget-friendly dinner, made with black beans simmered with carrots, celery, onion, peppers, and crushed tomatoes, seasoned and topped with lime juice and cilantro, ready in under 45 minutes!
Black Bean Soup is one of my favorite quick and hearty weeknight dinners, and a really budget-friendly option! All you need is a few pantry ingredients like some veggies, spices, and a few cans of black beans. I like to serve this with avocado, fresh cilantro, lime wedges, and tortilla chips.
If you loved this recipe, you may also love my Lentil Vegetable Soup, Instant Pot Broccoli Cheddar Soup, and my Tuscan White Bean Soup!
Table of contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Perfect For Busy Weeknights – This comes together on the stovetop in less than 45 minutes, making it perfect for nights when you need dinner on the table fast!
Hearty & Filling – Black beans are great for a hearty taste and texture, along with fiber to keep you full and satisfied!
Budget-Friendly – This is one of my favorite budget-friendly meals because it’s made with some pantry staples like beans, broth, and veggies.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Black Beans. I’m using canned black beans, because they’re already fully cooked. Use a mesh strainer to rinse the beans before adding them to the soup.
Onion. I like to use Vidalia onion because it’s on the sweeter side, but a yellow onion would work, too.
Carrots & Celery. Carrots add a nice sweetness that balances out the other savory notes, while celery adds a nice savory flavor.
Peppers. I like to add bell pepper for extra veggies (any color), and a jalapeno for some heat (add more jalapeno for more heat).
Garlic. Fresh minced garlic will taste the best, but you can also use garlic powder if that’s what you have.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil. I’m using a little bit of olive oil to saute the vegetables, adding some caramelization that brings a ton of flavor to the soup.
Crushed Tomatoes. This adds a really nice tomato base to the broth, giving it the perfect flavor.
Broth. For this recipe, I like to use vegetable broth or chicken broth. Just make sure it’s gluten free.
Lime Juice. This adds a nice bright flavor that helps balance out the savory notes in the soup.
Spices. I’m using a mixture of oregano, chili powder, ground cumin, and black pepper. You can add salt to taste, but the beans are already higher in sodium, so I’m not adding extra.
If you want this to be even easier, you can use a tablespoon of gluten free taco seasoning.
Kitchen Tools
For this recipe you’ll need a medium sized dutch oven or soup pot, and a mesh strainer to wash the beans.
How to Make Black Bean Soup
In a medium dutch oven, add olive oil, onion, carrots, jalapeno, bell pepper, and celery over medium-high heat. Saute until vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes, stirring often.
Move the vegetables over to one side and add the garlic, stirring for about 30 seconds. Add the seasoning and stir everything together.
Pour in the crushed tomatoes, broth, and black beans. Stir until everything is well-combined. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Place the lid on the pot and cook for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Using an immersion blender, puree about half of the soup, leaving some big pieces. If you don’t have an immersion blender, carefully ladle into a blender in small batches, then pour back into the pot.
Stir in the lime juice and fresh cilantro. Add any toppings (avocado, sour cream, shredded cheese, queso fresco, etc) and serve.
Recipe Variations
- This recipe is still pretty mild, even with the jalapeno. If you’d like it spicy, add more chili powder, cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, hot sauce, or additional jalapeno peppers. You can also replace the bell pepper with poblano pepper.
- For a creamier soup, stir in a splash of heavy cream or sour cream. For a dairy-free version, use canned full-fat coconut milk.
- You can add other veggies like zucchini, spinach, kale, or corn kernels. This is a great recipe for cleaning out the fridge!
- For a meaty version, shred a rotisserie chicken and add to the soup right after blending it. Or top with crispy bacon.
- For more carbs, try adding cubed sweet potato.
- For more flavor, you can also add some smoked paprika and bay leaves to the broth. Remove the bay leaves before serving.
Recipe Tip! If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can work in batches and puree the soup in a regular blender. I would do smaller batches because it will still be really hot!
Frequently Asked Questions
This soup is fine to make ahead of time, just bring it to room temperature and refrigerate until you’re ready to eat. I would reheat it in a pot on the stove, adding any additional broth as-needed once it’s warm. You can also use the immersion blender again to help bring back some of the creamy texture.
Recipe Tip! I’m adding the spices to the vegetables before adding the broth. This helps the spices toast a little bit, which really brings out the flavor.
More Soup Recipes
- Slow Cooker Cabbage Soup
- Sausage and Potato Soup
- Cabbage Chicken Soup
- Kale and White Bean Soup
- Instant Pot Chili
Storage
Refrigerate leftover black bean soup for 3-4 days in an airtight container. Reheat in a saucepan on the stove over medium heat.
Freeze leftover soup for 2-3 months in an airtight container. Defrost in the refrigerator, then reheat in a saucepan over medium heat.
Cooking Tips
- Make sure you’re starting with fully-cooked black beans, which is why the recipe calls for canned beans. This soup is not enough to cook dried black beans thoroughly.
- If you don’t have a hand blender or a regular blender, you can use a spoon to mash some of the beans against the side of the pot.
- Try to cut the vegetables into even sizes, so they all finish cooking around the same time.
Tried this recipe? ⭐ Leave a review and share what worked best for you—your tips help other home cooks get the same delicious results!
Easy Black Bean Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 2 large carrots, chopped
- 2 medium celery ribs, chopped
- 1 medium bell pepper, any color, stemmed, seeded, and chopped
- 1 medium jalapeno, stemmed, seeded, and diced
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 tablespoon chili powder
- 1/2 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 60 ounces canned black beans, (4 cans) drained and rinsed
- 24 ounces crushed tomatoes, (1 large can)
- 4 cups low sodium vegetable broth, gluten free
- 1 medium lime (juice only)
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
Equipment
- 1 medium dutch oven (or soup pot)
Instructions
- In a medium dutch oven, add olive oil, onion, carrots, jalapeno, bell pepper, and celery over medium-high heat. Saute until vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes, stirring often.
- Move the vegetables over to one side and add the garlic, stirring for about 30 seconds. Add the seasoning and stir everything together.
- Pour in the crushed tomatoes, broth, and black beans. Stir until everything is well-combined. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Place the lid on the pot and cook for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Using an immersion blender, puree about half of the soup, leaving some big pieces. If you don't have an immersion blender, carefully ladle into a blender in small batches, then pour back into the pot.
- Stir in the lime juice and fresh cilantro. Add any desired toppings and serve.
Notes
- Make sure you’re starting with fully-cooked black beans, which is why the recipe calls for canned beans. This soup is not enough to cook dried black beans thoroughly.
- If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can work in batches and puree the soup in a regular blender. I would do smaller batches because it will still be really hot!
- If you don’t have a hand blender or a regular blender, you can use a spoon to mash some of the beans against the side of the pot.
- Try to cut the vegetables into even sizes, so they all finish cooking around the same time.
Nutrition
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