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This deliciously flavorful black bean soup recipe is simple to make in just 30 minutes! It uses canned beans and other inexpensive everyday ingredients.
Try my Easy Black Bean Chili or this Black Bean Corn Avocado Salad with Rice next.
Why you’ll love it
This black bean soup has a combination of incredible flavors, a wonderfully rustic texture, and it’s really easy to make. It’s healthy and light and will be your new favorite way to use canned black beans. Does it get any better than making a budget-friendly meal that actually tastes good?
I think it’s the fragrant spices that take my version of this beloved soup to the next level. It’s earthy, smoky, and bright all at the same time, making it really special. You’ll be surprised at just how delicious a quick 30-minute soup can be. Oh, and the leftovers are just as tasty!
What you’ll need
- Olive oil, onion, garlic – to make the tasty aromatic base. I like sweet (Vidalia) onion, but yellow works too.
- Chicken broth – for more depth of flavor. Use vegetable broth if you prefer.
- Tomatoes – I love the flavor boost that a can of fire-roasted diced tomatoes brings, but in a pinch you can use the regular kind
- Black beans – they’re a great source of protein and very filling, and I always have plenty of cans of beans as a pantry staple
- Green chilies – these come chopped in small cans in the Mexican or international section of the grocery store. I chose mild for this recipe.
- Red bell pepper – for color and a hint of sweetness
- Chili powder, smoked paprika, ground cumin – my irresistible signature seasoning mix for this soup
- Lime juice – a little bit of acidity brings a burst of freshness and complements all the flavors. Don’t skip it, and always use fresh!
Tools for this recipe
Check out Natasha’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!
- I use an immersion blender to blend it right in the pot. I don’t make it completely smooth because it gives it texture and contrast.
- This is the Dutch oven I use.
- I love this can opener. It’s lasted me for years!
How to make black bean soup
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
Sauté the onion in a soup pot. Stir in the garlic, broth, diced tomatoes, beans, green chilies, red bell pepper, and seasoning. Simmer the soup until the vegetables are softened.
Blend the soup so that it’s mostly a purée. I like to leave some of it unblended. Add the lime juice, season generously with salt & pepper, and enjoy!
Black bean soup toppings
- I highly recommend chopped cilantro (or fresh parsley if you can’t have cilantro) to top this soup off! Scallions and red onions would be a good option as well.
- Avocado slices or Guacamole bring creaminess to this soup, as would sour cream.
- For even more freshness, garnish with some chopped tomatoes or salsa and a lime wedge.
- Try sprinkling shredded Mexican cheese on each bowl for some cheesy goodness.
- Tortilla strips give it an extra crunch.
Substitutions and variations
- It can be made into a vegetarian black bean soup (vegan, in fact) no problem if you substitute the chicken broth for vegetable broth. Everything else is vegan friendly as written.
- For a spicy kick, add in a 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper or use spicy green chilies instead of mild.
- This recipe is easily doubled. Simply straight double all of the ingredients.
What to serve with this soup
- I like the simplicity of pairing it with a slice of crusty bread.
- You can also serve it with a side salad. Try mixed greens with this Chipotle Cilantro Lime Ranch Dressing or my Creamy Pesto Dressing.
- I’ve been known to eat this with a grilled cheese sandwich.
Leftovers and storage
- This soup makes fantastic leftovers. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days.
- Reheat in a small saucepan over a low heat, stirring occasionally. You can also microwave it in small increments until warmed through.
- You can absolutely freeze this soup! It’ll be good for up to 3 months. I’d thaw it in the fridge overnight before reheating for best results.
More cozy soup recipes
If you made this quick black bean soup, please leave a star rating and comment below! Don’t forget to tag me #saltandlavender on Instagram if you make any of my recipes.
Easy Black Bean Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 (14 ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes with juices
- 3 (14 ounce) cans black beans drained & rinsed
- 1 (4 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
- Toppings (optional): chopped cilantro (recommended), sour cream, tortilla strips, avocado, etc. to taste
Instructions
- Add the oil and onion to a soup pot and sauté it over medium heat for 5-7 minutes (it's ok if it lightly browns – more flavor!).
- Stir in the garlic, followed by the broth, diced tomatoes, beans, green chilies, red bell pepper, and spices.
- Increase the heat to high and bring the soup to a boil. Cover the pot with the lid slightly open, reduce the heat, and simmer for 8-10 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 it a bit chunky.
- Stir in the lime juice, and season with salt & pepper as needed (I found that I needed to add a fair amount of salt).
- Serve as-is or with desired toppings.
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).
- Nutrition info doesn’t include any soup toppings.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
© Salt & Lavender Inc. Content and photographs are copyrighted. Sharing this blog post is much appreciated, but copying and pasting full recipes without authorization to social media is strictly prohibited.
This recipe was originally published on October 24, 2019. It’s been updated with new photos and better instructions but is the same great recipe!
This recipe was easy and delicious! The many ingredients blended together made this soup so flavorful. I’m replacing this recipe with my current black been soup recipe. It’s a keeper!
That makes me so happy, Janet!! 😀 Thank you so much!
I cannot rave about this recipe enough. This is sooooo good. My husband and kids ( who are picky eaters) tore this UP! I wish I would have doubled it! Thank you so much for sharing ❤️
You are very welcome!! 😀 Appreciate your review, Christine!
Yum, made exactly as recipe stated. Absolutely delicious! I am converting to vegan cooking and lifestyle, this is making the conversion easy. Can’t wait to try some more of your recipes.
Wonderful! I’m thrilled it was a hit. Appreciate your review!
This was easy and delicious- sure to become a family favorite!
Thank you so much, Joani!
This is a great soup! I tweaked it a smidge. I didn’t add cumin because I don’t care for it. I figured the cumin in the chili powder would be enough and it was. If blending or mashing the beans to thicken the soup is more than you want to deal with, stir in a can or two of refried black beans. It works a treat! I added red chili flakes instead of cayenne because I like the flavor better. Cubed up a 7 oz. ham steak and added that, too, along with one capful of Wright’s Liquid Smoke. Served the soup with warm garlic bread. Hubby and I loved it and it’s so easy to make. Great for chilly rainy SoCal winter evenings. Thanks for a winner recipe!
You are very welcome, Vicky!! 😀
Just tried this. Followed your recipe exactly and sooooo good! The lime juice brightened the taste so very well.
Thanks for sharing your
Fantastic!! 😀 Thanks, Gail!
Hello! Love this recipe, it is my go-to. Wondering if I could make it in a crock pot?
Hi Christine! I’m thrilled to hear that. I think you could try, but I haven’t ever made it in a slow cooker before, so I would just be guessing. You could probably try throwing everything in there, but it may be a bit less flavorful if you don’t do the sauté steps on the stove first.
This soup is SO GOOD!!! I made it for lunches this week but I’m not sure it’s going to last until tomorrow haha I added the cayenne, maybe about 1-2 teaspoons so it definitely has a kick. I’ll be making this over and over again for sure!
Wonderful!! 😀 I’m so glad you like it, Betsy!
I made this recipe in my 6 qt. crock pot and it came out wonderful. I let it go for 6 hours on high because I wanted the chopped onions to be soft. If you cook this on high, I recommend a liner in your crock pot so the bean starch doesn’t burn on the sides of the crock.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Vicky! Thanks for the tip! 🙂
I made this soup, only substitute was lemon for the lime that I didn’t have. For garnish I used crumbled goat cheese and cilantro. We loved it and this 81 yr old appreciated that it didn’t take me all day to make !!! Definitely a keeper. Thanks so much 😃
I’m thrilled it was a hit!! 😀 You are very welcome, Maggie. Appreciate your review.
This is an EXCELLENT recipe! It is easy to make, cooks rather quickly and tastes delicious!
Thank you for posting.
You are very welcome!! 😀
Very easy soup. A little acidic but a touch of sugar on the tomatoes helped that.
Glad you liked it! Yes – I use the sugar trick sometimes myself with canned tomatoes. 🙂