Black bean soup is one of my favorite meals, but it kind of freaks me out! See, it tastes kind of meaty to me. Does anyone else have this problem? When I first gave up meat I panicked and thought I was eating a totally non-vegetarian soup every time I got it at a restaurant (despite being assured my many-a-helpful server that it was totally meatless). So what was going on? Black beans have a naturally savory flavor to them. Pair that up with some flavorful broth and smoky spices and you’ve got a flavor-packed soup that might just confuse a new vegetarian like I was. I’ve confirmed all this by making own spicy black bean soup, and it actually turned out more delicious than those that I ate at restaurants. This stuff is intensely flavorful, super thick hearty, and totally meal-worthy. Let’s talk about how it’s made!
Super Thick and Creamy Black Bean Soup
The key to making a really good, really hearty blended soup is this: use very little broth! The same principle that applies with veggie soups like this butternut squash soup, also works for bean soups. Precooked beans have water in them, so you don’t need to add all that much liquid. Stick with a small amount when cooking the soup — here we’re using 3 cups of broth for a batch of soup that uses 3 cans of beans. This will give you a very thick soup. Too thick? Maybe! Fortunately that’s easy to fix by adding more broth or water.
How to Make Black Black Bean Soup
Start by heating up some oil in a large pot. Add an onion and a red bell pepper, and let them cook for about 5 minutes. This will release some of their flavor and get them softened up so the soup doesn’t have to simmer as long. Now you can add your garlic, jalapeño pepper, and spices. You’ll just be toasting these ingredients briefly to bring out the flavors. Once the garlic starts to become very fragrant you can add your broth and beans. Now the soup just needs to simmer for a short time. Within about 15 minutes the beans should have softened up a bit. Take the soup off of the heat and blend about half of it — or as much as you like! Feel free to blend all of it for a super creamy soup, or just a tiny bit for a chunky soup. Stir in some lime juice, salt and pepper. Grab some bowls!
Top It!
One of the funnest things about black bean soup is the toppings! You can switch them up every time you make it for a totally different meal. Here are a few of my favorite black beans soup toppings:
Avocado slicesFresh cilantroChopped scallionsHot sauceTortilla strips (like the ones I used on this taco soup)Vegan shredded cheeseVegan sour cream or cashew cream
Is this soup gluten-free? It is!Can I make this soup with dried beans? You can, but you’ll need to soak and precook them first (canned beans are cooked). Try this method. You’ll need about 5 ½ cups of cooked beans for this recipe.Is this soup spicy? It’s pretty mild, but if you’re concerned about the heat, leave out the jalapeño pepper and substitute mild chile powder for the ancho chile powder.Can I make this soup in an Instant Pot/slow cooker? I’m sure you can, but I haven’t tried either of these variations, so I can’t give exact instructions.For a flavor variation, try replacing 1 cup of the broth with beer!
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