Black Bean Soup – healthy, hearty and satisfying black bean soup loaded with layers of flavors and a good dose of beans, potatoes and other spices. Can be made completely vegan without sacrificing the taste. Absolutely waist-friendly! Sizzlingly and Sassy. Who wants a bowl?
Sometimes you just need a big bowl of a hearty soup. Saturday afternoon was one of those days for me. It was quite chilly, with a sprinkle of rain here and there and when there is rain you need to warm up. And so I decided to make this satisfying black bean soup since I had some canned beans sitting in my pantry.
How do you make the best black bean soup?
One of my favorite inexpensive and healthy recipes during the colder months is soup. And my favorite of them all is this Black Bean Soup! Bean are life! What I have for you today is a flavorful and very hearty black bean soup which doesn’t break the bank to make.
This Black Bean Soup is loaded with undeniably great flavors like, garlic, ginger, peppers, and, of course, some heat! Spice lovers use habanero pepper. I did not use it because this is a favorite of my sous chef (son) and he’s not the biggest fan of hot spice. Instead, I used a small jalapeño pepper instead.
This makes for a perfect meal for a busy winter day when you need comfort without the calories. And you know this doesn’t take hours to make. You simply have to saute the veggies along with the spices and seasoning. Then add in the beans, potatoes, broth, tomatoes, bay leaf, bouillon powder and salt and bring it to a boil. After boiling, simmer it gently for about 25 minutes or until you achieve your preferred consistency.
Can I use canned beans for this black bean soup?
Whenever I cook beans, I always cook more than what I need for the day so I can freeze the leftovers and have it on hand for busy (or lazy) days when spending time in the kitchen seems like such an arduous task. It happens to all of us (myself included).
And if you really dread boiling beans then use the canned beans instead. Be sure to rinse them thoroughly before adding them to the pot. You can also through in about a cup of sweet potatoes for additional chunkiness in your soup if you’d like.
Oh, do make this skillet cornbread to go with them. They might not be healthy but they are definitely Sexy and Sassy.
Enjoy!
Tips and Notes:
- To make this completely vegan, you can replace the chicken bouillon powder to vegetable bouillon.
- If you want more heat in this recipe, please feel free to use habanero instead of jalapenos or a dash of chili powder.
- You certainly can use water instead of broth but the taste won’t be the same. Go for low-sodium for a healthier choice and a vegetable broth to make it completely vegan.
- To cook this in a slow cooker, saute all the aromatics first, then add it to the slow cooker together with soaked beans. Add water and/or broth ,then cook for 6-8 hours until tender. You will definitely have to adjust liquid.
Watch How To Make It
This blog post was first published in January 2015 and has been updated with photos, write up and a minor recipe adjustment.
Black Bean Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon canola oil
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
- 1 teaspoon fresh minced ginger
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 small jalapeno pepper seeded and minced
- 4 cups cooked black beans or 2-3 15oz. cans rinse and drained
- 1 Fresh tomato diced
- 1 Large potatoes (about 1-1 and 1/2 cup)
- 1 large bay leaf
- 1 tablespoon chicken bouillon powder (adjust to taste or leave out )
- 4 cups broth or more chicken or vegetarian
- salt and pepper , to taste
- fresh cilantro/parsley leaves , optional
- avocado (to serve) optional
Instructions
- Heat the olive / canola oil over medium heat in a large sauce pan. Add the onions, garlic, thyme, ginger, paprika, jalapeño and sauté, stirring occasionally until onions are soft and translucent – about 6-7 minutes. Do not brown.
- Add the black beans, potatoes, tomatoes, bay leaf, bouillon powder, chicken and salt .
- Sauce for about a minute or two , add broth then bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat, cover and simmer gently for about 25 minutes or more until potatoes are tender and soup has a creamy consistency.
- Adjust seasonings and thickness of soup according to preference with broth and spices.
- Remove, garnish with fresh parsley leaves or cilantro and serve warm with corn bread and avocado
Nutrition Information:
How to Make Black Bean Soup
Heat the olive / canola oil over medium heat in a large sauce pan. Add the onions, garlic, thyme, ginger, paprika, all spice, jalapeño and sauté.
Stir occasionally until onions are soft and translucent – about 6-7 minutes. Do not brown.
Add the black beans, potatoes, tomatoes, bay leaf, bouillon powder, and salt and cook for about a minute or two . Then add broth and bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat, cover and simmer gently for about 25 minutes or more until sweet potatoes are tender and soup has a creamy consistency. Adjust seasonings and thickness of soup according to preference with broth and spices. Remove, garnish with fresh parsley leaves or cilantro and serve warm with corn bread.
Allison Bungard says
Our whole family this soup! it was so filling. I also took your suggestion of cooking dried black beans and using them for the soup instead of using canned beans in the soup, and we could tell a huge difference. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Kimberly Warren says
Delicious and filling! Great easy winter meal.
miranda johnson says
what do I do with the potatoes?
ImmaculateBites says
Hi Miranda! Add the potatoes to the bean soup for a complete hearty meal 🙂
Cheryl says
Just made this Black bean soup my husband and enjoyed it Thank You for sharing your recipes
ImmaculateBites says
Hi Cheryl. The pleasure is mine :)! Glad you loved it.
Lory says
I just made this and it tastes so good. I used two cans for the beans and one can of drained diced tomatoes cause I didn’t have fresh and used four cups of chicken broth for the broth and three chicken bouillon cubes cause I didn’t have powder. Also added a can of drained corn and a handful of fresh spinach. I poured it over brown rice and garlic quinoa. Tasted real good topped with sour cream and shredded cheddar
Lisa SIegel says
This is my first time making black bean soup. It was ok. I think perhaps I should have left out the un-chicken (vegan) bullion since I added vegetable broth. And the dried thyme I used (because I didn’t have fresh thyme) overpowered the broth a bit. Also, there’s a big difference between 30 oz of beans (what I used) compared to 45 oz of beans. Unfortunately, the soup ended up being more watery than I would have liked, with what seemed like more potatoes than beans.
tovie says
This was delicious! I added some smoked turkey sausage.
Mia says
It’s that time of year soup, soup and more soup; I have 2 cans of black bean at 19 oz instead 15 oz, do I need to add your more or less of the other ingredients.
ImmaculateBites says
Hi Mia, You really don’t need to. It will do just fine
Mia says
I just made this soup, added kale used sweet potato instead as well omitted the bullion cube. I keep adding fresh ground pepper and Himalayan pink salt to kick the blandness out. I wish it was thicker. Would the bullion cube make it better. I think I might add chili flakes. Is it freezable?
Laura S says
Delicious! And smells so good while cooking! Thanks for a quick and tasty recipe!
Joe says
Making again tonight. Fantastic dish.
Lali says
This was really bad for me.
Carly says
Why was it bad? I am thinking about making it but don’ t want it to be bad lol
Tawny says
Going to a wine party… what kind of wine would you pair with this soup?
ImmaculateBites says
Zinfandel or anything with a hint of sweetness works for me.
Reagan says
My kids keep coming to the kitchen, they want it now. Making this is with Korean sticky chicken, cornbread and fried rice flavored with chicken broth and onion.
imma africanbites says
Woow! That really sounds like a wonderful meal. I love Korean sticky chicken, too!
Debbie says
Can I substitute white potatoes? No one in our family likes sweet potatoes! This recipe sounds awesome and I can’t wait to make it!
imma africanbites says
Yes, you can. Please do let me know how it works for you. Enjoy!
Desiree Thomas says
My sister, Cierra and I made this recipe last night. It was amazing in flavor and depth. Bay leaves are not a staple in our home but with this recipe I know how it can add a lil something to a meal. We did add chorizo and frozen corn to ours!
ImmaculateBites says
Hi Desiree! I bet it tastes even better with chorizo and corn. Thanks for the feedback!