My family loves this easy black bean soup recipe so much. We make it often! I love how quickly it comes together and that it’s designed for canned or previously cooked black beans (hello, quick dinner!). You can make this soup as spicy as you like. I add canned chipotles in adobo, which adds some spice, but you can add even more for a spicy black bean soup. For more bean soups, try our white bean soup or this easy vegetarian chili with quinoa and black beans.
Key Ingredients
Black Beans: You can use canned black beans or home-cooked black beans (here’s how to cook dried black beans). Aromatics: I love making this soup hearty, so I combine onion, carrot, and garlic for the base. Then, I add more flavor with a bay leaf, cilantro, vinegar, oregano, and cumin. This soup is so flavorful!! Chipotle Chiles in Adobo: Whenever I see them in the store, I add a can of chipotles in adobo sauce to my cart. Chipotles are dried, smoked jalapeños that taste smoky and quite spicy. Adobo sauce is a spicy, red sauce that packs a major punch of flavor. For this soup, I add one pepper, which I mince, along with a little sauce. This amount adds enough spice to the soup so that you notice it. For an extra spicy black bean soup, add more. You will have some leftover, which you can save for another recipe (it freezes well). I also use chipotles in adobo sauce to make my chipotle bean chili. Tomatoes: Canned diced tomatoes are perfect for this soup, but chopped fresh tomatoes are great, too. If you go the canned route, look for fire-roasted tomatoes for extra flavor. Broth: I use veggie broth, but chicken broth or chicken stock are fine. Use what you love!
How to Make the Best Black Bean Soup
Making black bean soup is simple (it all happens in one pot)! To make it, you’ll cook onions and carrots in olive oil until soft and sweet. Then stir in garlic, ground cumin, oregano, red wine vinegar, and chipotle chiles for more flavor. Pour in your broth, tomatoes, and a bay leaf. Then, stir in the black beans and simmer until the veggies are tender, about 20 minutes. Before serving, I like to taste the soup and season it with salt and a little extra acid from vinegar or lime juice. I love lime juice for this (it really makes the flavors of the soup pop). We often enjoy this as a brothy soup (like in our photos), but you can also blend black bean soup to make it creamy. For a thickened soup, blend a portion and add it back (like I do for this white chicken chili). Or blend the entire pot using an immersion blender to make it thick and creamy.
What to Serve with Black Bean Soup
I love this black bean soup and usually add a few slices of avocado to the top, but there are many options for serving this soup. Try homemade guacamole, crushed tortilla chips, or a spoonful of sour cream. I also love extra lime juice and cilantro! Beyond that, you can add something to the side. Consider a batch of homemade corn tortillas (they are so good) or a side of this avocado salad. 1 to 3 canned chipotles in adobo, finely chopped, plus 1 tablespoon adobo sauce 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 cup diced onion, 1/2 large onion 3/4 cup diced carrots, 1 large carrot 1 tablespoon minced garlic, 3 to 4 cloves 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar or lime juice 1 (15oz) can diced tomatoes, try fire roasted tomatoes 4 cups (946ml) vegetable broth, see our homemade veggie broth 1 bay leaf 1/2 cup cilantro leaves, roughly chopped For serving: Avocado, lime wedges, cilantro, sour cream, cheese 2Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or deep pot over medium heat. Add the onions and carrots. Cook, stirring often, until they have softened slightly and smell sweet, about 5 minutes. 3Stir in the garlic, cumin, and oregano, and cook for 30 seconds. 4Add the vinegar or lime juice, minced chipotles and adobo sauce, can of tomatoes, broth, black beans, and bay leaf. 5Bring to a simmer, taste, and then season with salt and pepper. 6Simmer the soup until the carrots are tender, and the broth reduces slightly, about 20 minutes. 7Stir in the cilantro and the juice from half a lime (or substitute the lime with an additional tablespoon of vinegar). 8For a brothy soup (like in our photos and video), serve the soup straight away. 9For a thicker, more velvety soup, transfer 1/4 of the soup to a blender and blend until smooth. Pour the blended portion back into the soup and serve.
