This black bean soup recipe is healthy, simple to make, and quick (it uses canned beans). Eat it as-is or load it up with your favorite toppings!
This is a great soup because it’s fairly light and fresh-tasting, but you can also add some toppings to make it more into a meal. Otherwise, this is a great soup that you can eat as an appetizer or even a snack.
This soup can easily be made vegetarian (vegan, in fact) if you substitute the chicken broth for vegetable broth.
How do you make black bean soup?
- Sauté the onion in a soup pot;
- Stir in the garlic, diced tomatoes, beans, green chilies, red pepper, and seasoning;
- Simmer the soup for 8 minutes;
- Blend the soup so it’s mostly a purée (I like to leave some of it unblended for texture);
- Add the lime juice and salt & pepper.
(full ingredients and instructions can be found in the recipe card below)
What to serve with black bean soup
- Chopped cilantro
- Scallions
- Avocado
- Tortilla strips (I used multi-colored ones in the photos)
- Shredded Tex-Mex cheese blend
- Sour cream
- Chopped tomatoes or salsa
- Lime wedges
I just love cooking with canned beans. They’re delicious, super easy to use, a good source of protein, and nice and filling.
Love beans? Try these recipes:
- Crockpot Cabbage Soup with Beans, Sausage, and Potatoes
- Easy Baked Beans with Bacon
- Corn and Black Bean Salad (Texas Caviar)
- Easy Black Bean Chili
- Chicken Fajita Soup
- Turkey White Bean Chili
- Easy Three Bean Salad
- Creamy Taco Soup
Will you cook this black bean soup?
Questions? Leave me a comment below. Don’t forget to tag me #saltandlavender on Instagram if you make any of my recipes. 🙂
Easy Black Bean Soup
This black bean soup recipe is healthy, simple to make, and quick (it uses canned beans). Eat it as-is or load it up with your favorite toppings!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 (14 fluid ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes with juices
- 3 (14 fluid ounce) cans black beans drained & rinsed
- 1 (4 fluid ounce) can diced green chilies with juices
- 1/2 red bell pepper chopped
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Garnish (optional): chopped cilantro (recommended), sour cream, tortilla strips, avocado, etc.
Instructions
Add the oil and onion to a soup pot and sauté it over medium-high heat for 5-7 minutes.
Stir in the garlic, followed by the broth, diced tomatoes, beans, green chilies, red pepper, and spices.
Increase the heat to high and bring the soup to a boil. Cover the pan with the lid slightly ajar, reduce the heat and simmer for 8 minutes.
Using either an immersion blender or a regular blender, blend most of the soup (use caution - you may want to let it cool a bit first). You can blend it all, but I like to leave some whole beans in there for texture.
Stir in the lime juice, and season with salt & pepper a needed (I found that I needed to add a fair amount of salt).
Serve as-is or with desired toppings.
Recipe Notes
- This recipe serves 4, but it's easy to double all the ingredients if you need extras (just make sure to use a decent size pot).
- Want to make this a spicy black bean soup? Add in 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper or use spicy green chilies (I used mild ones).
Emily says
I just made this soup. It’s delicious. Super easy too. I also squeezed a fresh lime wedge in the individual bowls. Definitely added great flavor!
Natasha says
That’s great! Thanks for taking the time to leave me a comment! 😀
Masooma Z says
Made this today. Simple to make yet so flavorful. Loved it. Will be adding this to my rotation. Perfect for a cold day like today.
Natasha says
So happy you enjoyed it!! 🙂 Thanks for letting me know!
Victoria Wagner says
I made this wonderful soup using veggie broth for my family on Christmas Eve. It was a hit! I have vegan and gluten free cousins and they loved it. We had a mix in bar set up and added avocado, cilantro, sour cream and tortilla strips. I puréed a little over half the chunky ingredients so it still had texture but smooth at the same time. Can’t wait to make again. Thank you!
Natasha says
I am so glad it was a success, Victoria! Thanks so much for letting me know. ♥️♥️♥️
LizAnne says
Delicious soup and very easy to make. Made it as stated just added 1/8th teaspoon cayenne. Great idea to leave some of the beans whole and purée rest. Had a nice texture. Family asked to put this on rotation for fall/winter. Thank you for this nice recipe.
Natasha says
I’m so happy it was a hit! Thanks so much for leaving me a comment! 🙂
David Moses Perez says
I made this recipe and loved it — and EASY was the the perfect word. This will become a keeper in our household. I followed the recipe to a “T” added the salt-to-taste as it suggested and was delicious. I went back for 3rds. The one thing I will do better next time is only blend half, so it’s bit more chunky. Cheers and Enjoy!
Natasha says
I am so happy to hear it, David!! Thanks so much for leaving me a comment! 🙂