Hearty and filling, this black bean soup comes together with humble ingredients but tastes fantastic. Thanks to the use of canned black beans, this soup comes together in under an hour, and odds are, you already have all the ingredients in your kitchen! It’s perfect for busy nights as it’s easy to make and nutritious. It’s also vegetarian and vegan friendly, so it’s perfect for any occasion.
Even better, this soup tastes more flavorful the next day, so leftovers always taste great. You can whip up a large batch to enjoy for lunch throughout the week or double the recipe to freeze half of it for a later day. It’s such a wonderful recipe that everyone will enjoy. Make the meal even more hearty by serving it with one of my bread recipes such as my cornbread muffins recipe, garlic bread recipe, or dinner rolls recipe.
What You Need to Make This Recipe
Onion — I use a yellow onion but feel free to use whatever onion you have on hand.
Carrots — chopped carrots add a subtle sweetness to the soup and also bulks up the soup.
Seasoning — make sure your cumin and dried oregano are fresh and not stale for the best flavor.
Black beans — canned black beans keep this soup quick and easy. Make sure you rinse and drain the beans beforehand, as it helps remove the metallic flavor and a lot of the sodium.
Broth — vegetable broth helps keep the soup flavorful and adds depth to the overall flavor.
Lime juice — I highly recommend using fresh lime juice as it tastes the best. Bottled lime juice may leave a slightly bitter aftertaste.
How to Make Black Bean Soup
1. In a medium Dutch oven, add the oil and warm over medium heat. Add the onion and carrot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.
2. Add the garlic, cumin, oregano, salt, and red pepper flakes. Cook stirring constantly for 2 minutes.
3. Add the black beans to the Dutch oven.
4. Add the broth and lime juice. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to low. Cover, and simmer the soup for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Ladle 2 cups of soup into a blender. With the blender vent open, blend the soup until smooth. You can also use an immersion stick blender to blend the soup.
6. Pour the blended soup back into the pot with the remaining soup. Cook, uncovered, until soup has thickened and reached the desired consistency, about 10 to 20 minutes more. (For a thicker soup, go the full 20 minutes.) Serve topped with avocado, sour cream, and cilantro.
Pro Tips for Making This Recipe
- If you accidentally make the soup too thick, you can add more vegetable broth to thin it out.
- Feel free to add extra vegetables from your fridge to the black bean soup! Spinach, zucchini, kale, celery, and peas make for a delicious addition.
- For a spicier kick, add a diced and deseeded jalapeno pepper to the soup when you add the onions or a small pinch of cayenne pepper.
- Pico de gallo, salsa, and guacamole also make great toppings for the soup.
Frequently Asked Questions
I prefer using canned beans for this soup as it keeps the recipe quick and easy. If you only have dried beans, you will have to cover and cook them on medium-low heat until they are soft, which can take up to 2 hours, depending on the size and age of the beans.
Store leftover soup in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the fridge. Make sure the soup is at room temperature before storing it.
After your soup is at room temperature, transfer it to a freezer-safe container and freeze it for up to 1 month. Let thaw in the fridge overnight before you reheat the soup.
Reheat over the stove over medium heat and frequently stir until the soup is warmed through or in the microwave for 30-second intervals, stirring in between each interval.
If you love this recipe try these out!
If you’ve tried this Black Bean Soup recipe, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
Black Bean Soup
Equipment
- Dutch oven or large pot
- Blender
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cups chopped yellow onion (about 1 large onion)
- 1½ cups chopped carrot (about 4 medium carrots)
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 3 (15.25-ounce/432g) cans black beans drained and rinsed
- 4 cups vegetable broth (960ml)
- ¼ cup fresh lime juice (80ml)
Instructions
- In a medium Dutch oven, add the oil and warm over medium heat. Add the onion and carrot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.
- Add the garlic, cumin, oregano, salt, and red pepper flakes. Cook stirring constantly for 2 minutes.
- Add the black beans, broth, and lime juice. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to low. Cover, and simmer the soup for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Ladle 2 cups of soup into a blender. With the blender vent open, blend the soup until smooth. Pour back into the pot with the remaining soup.
- Cook, uncovered, until soup has thickened and reached the desired consistency, about 10 to 20 minutes more. (For a thicker soup, go the full 20 minutes.) Serve topped with avocado, sour cream, and cilantro.
Video
Notes
- If you accidentally make the soup too thick, you can add more vegetable broth to thin it out.
- Feel free to add extra vegetables from your fridge to the black bean soup! Spinach, zucchini, kale, celery, and peas make for a delicious addition.
- For a spicier kick, add a diced and deseeded jalapeno pepper to the soup when you add the onions or a small pinch of cayenne pepper.
- Pico de gallo, salsa, and guacamole also make great toppings for the soup.
