Easy Black Bean Soup
Who is ready for fall and all the warm and cozy soups? Easy Black Bean Soup is the perfect meal for any cool night, coming together with one of my pantry favorites.
Pour yourself an Ultimate Spicy Michelada and get out the soup pot. This soup combines fresh ingredients with a couple of pantry pulls and comes together in less than two hours as it simmers low and slow, developing its flavors.
Ingredients
Living in Florida, black bean soup has always been a favorite. However, with a few accessible ingredients Easy Black Bean Soup is a simple comfort you can make any time.
- Onions – Part of the trio of vegetables that make up a mirepoix. Onions add a sweet note to the broth.
- Carrots – The second part of the mirepoix, carrots add natural sweetness and texture.
- Celery – The third part of the mirepoix, celery gives freshness to the broth.
- Garlic – Aromatic and sharp, garlic adds savory depth to every bite.
- Salt and Pepper
- Black Beans – The star of the show, you can use precooked black beans or my pantry staple, canned black beans.
- Oregano – Floral and fragrant, this offers up an herbaceous note.
- Cumin – Warm, earthy, and deeply fragrant, cumin is a common seasoning that pairs well with the earthy black beans.
- Chili Powder – Use your favorite kind. Some are more earthy, like ancho, while others are a little fruitier like guajillo.
- Paprika – A little smoky, it gives depth to the broth.
- Tomato Paste – This adds both a little thickness and also sweetness to the soup.
- Tomato Puree – Tomato puree adds both a little acidity and sweetness to the soup.
- Bay Leaves – Herbaceous, floral, and aromatic, they perfume the entire soup.
- Broth – Feel free to use your favorite. Even water will work.
How to Make Easy Black Bean Soup
With just a little chopping of your mirepoix at the beginning, this soup simmers low and slow as all of the flavors meld together.
Time needed: 1 hour and 45 minutes
Hearty and cozy black bean soup will become your new fall favorite recipe.
- Mise en Place
Chop up your mirepoix. If using canned black beans drain and rinse them.
- Sauté
Add your olive oil to a Dutch oven or large stock pot. Add your onions, celery, carrots, and garlic and allow them to cook until the onions are translucent, about five minutes.
- Season it Up
Add your seasonings and cook for one minute to wake them up. Add your tomato paste and stir to combine. Allow it to cook for a minute or two until it deepens in color.
- Low and Slow
Add your tomato puree and stir and then add your black beans and bay leaves. Add your broth and cover. Allow the soup to simmer for about an hour and a half.
- Top it Off
Add your favorite toppings such as sour cream, avocado, or cilantro.
Substitutions
- Crushed Tomatoes – The tomato puree in this recipe can be replaced with crushed tomatoes.
Variations
- Creamy – Use an immersion blender once the soup is done to give this a creamy texture.
- Spicy – When you are adding your mirepoix, add a diced jalapeno for a little heat.
- Vegan – Use vegetable broth to make this a vegan or vegetarian dish perfect for meatless Monday!
- Sausage – Try adding fresh chorizo to this for a heartier soup.
Tools for Easy Black Bean Soup
There is no special equipment require for this hearty and filling soup. A Dutch oven will give you even, consistent heat and allow the soup to simmer low and slow.
Storage
This soup is a great make ahead and will be even better the next day. This soup is also an ideal dish to use as meal prep. Always store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Top Tip for Easy Black Bean Soup
When working with spices like cumin and chile powder, always allow them to toast for a minute or too in your oil to wake them back up and amplify their flavor. This is also true for the tomato paste. It will go from a vibrant red to a rusty color.
Easy Black Bean Soup
Equipment
- 1 Dutch oven or stockpot
Ingredients
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
- 2-3 celery stalks, chopped
- 2-3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp chile powder
- 1 tsp oregano
- 2-3 bay leaves
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 cup tomato puree or crushed tomatoes
- 2 cups precooked black beans or 1 can (15oz) of drained black beans
- 1 cup broth
Instructions
- Heat a Dutch oven or stockpot on medium heat. Add the olive oil.
- Add the onions, celery, carrots, and garlic. Sauté for about 5 minutes until the onions are translucent and the vegetables a little tender.
- Add the salt and seasonings and stir to combine. Allow them to cook for a couple of minutes.
- Add the tomato paste and stir. Let cook for a minute until darkened in color.
- Add the tomato puree and continue to stir for a couple of minutes.
- Add the black beans and bay leaves. Cover with broth. Put the lid on your pot and allow to simmer for an hour and a half.
- Serve with your favorite toppings!
My boyfriend really enjoyed it, and it was a very unfussy soup to make, adjust spices and liquids for flavor and texture, etc. I appreciated how healthy it was and the bold approach to flavor provided by the various spices, but the flavor profile and texture were kind of underwhelming for me. It also had a redder, more tomato soup or chili color, consistency, and flavor than I wanted. The black beans were almost an afterthought and could have been replaced by any bean. Really more of a vegetable soup with beans than the more Mexican-inspired dish pictured above. Stuck pretty much to the recipe except for doubling it and adding a bit more broth when it was cooking down too thick. I’ll definitely adjust some ratios and try this one again, if only to keep the boyfriend happy 😊