Spicy Black Bean Soup

Packed with spicy flavor, hearty enough for a meal, and easy enough for a weeknight! The best part: this spicy black bean soup comes together in just over thirty minutes.

Black bean soup is one of my favorite meals, but it kind of freaks me out! See, it tastes kind of meaty to me. Does anyone else have this problem? When I first gave up meat I panicked and thought I was eating a totally non-vegetarian soup every time I got it at a restaurant (despite being assured my many-a-helpful server that it was totally meatless).

So what was going on? Black beans have a naturally savory flavor to them. Pair that up with some flavorful broth and smoky spices and you’ve got a flavor-packed soup that might just confuse a new vegetarian like I was.

I’ve confirmed all this by making own spicy black bean soup, and it actually turned out more delicious than those that I ate at restaurants. This stuff is intensely flavorful, super thick hearty, and totally meal-worthy. Let’s talk about how it’s made!

Super Thick and Creamy Black Bean Soup

The key to making a really good, really hearty blended soup is this: use very little broth! The same principle that applies with veggie soups like this butternut squash soup, also works for bean soups. Precooked beans have water in them, so you don’t need to add all that much liquid.

Stick with a small amount when cooking the soup — here we’re using 3 cups of broth for a batch of soup that uses 3 cans of beans. This will give you a very thick soup. Too thick? Maybe! Fortunately that’s easy to fix by adding more broth or water.

How to Make Black Black Bean Soup

Start by heating up some oil in a large pot. Add an onion and a red bell pepper, and let them cook for about 5 minutes. This will release some of their flavor and get them softened up so the soup doesn’t have to simmer as long.

Now you can add your garlic, jalapeño pepper, and spices. You’ll just be toasting these ingredients briefly to bring out the flavors. Once the garlic starts to become very fragrant you can add your broth and beans.

Now the soup just needs to simmer for a short time. Within about 15 minutes the beans should have softened up a bit. Take the soup off of the heat and blend about half of it — or as much as you like! Feel free to blend all of it for a super creamy soup, or just a tiny bit for a chunky soup.

Stir in some lime juice, salt and pepper. Grab some bowls!

Top It!

One of the funnest things about black bean soup is the toppings! You can switch them up every time you make it for a totally different meal.

Here are a few of my favorite black beans soup toppings:

• Avocado slices
• Fresh cilantro
• Chopped scallions
• Hot sauce
• Tortilla strips (like the ones I used on this taco soup)
• Vegan shredded cheese
• Vegan sour cream or cashew cream

FAQ & Black Bean Soup Tips

• Is this soup gluten-free? It is!
• Can I make this soup with dried beans? You can, but you’ll need to soak and precook them first (canned beans are cooked). Try this method. You’ll need about 5 1/2 cups of cooked beans for this recipe.
• Is this soup spicy? It’s pretty mild, but if you’re concerned about the heat, leave out the jalapeño pepper and substitute mild chile powder for the ancho chile powder.
• Can I make this soup in an Instant Pot/slow cooker? I’m sure you can, but I haven’t tried either of these variations, so I can’t give exact instructions.
• For a flavor variation, try replacing 1 cup of the broth with beer!

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Spicy Black Bean Soup

Packed with spicy flavor, hearty enough for a meal, and easy enough for a weeknight! The best part: this spicy black bean soup comes together in just over thirty minutes.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Calories 260 kcal

Author Alissa Saenz

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 medium red bell pepper, diced
• 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ancho chile powder
• 3 cups vegetable broth
• 3 (14 ounce or 400 gram) cans black beans, drained and lightly rinsed
• Hot water, as needed
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Toppings of choice, such as cilantro, scallions, hot sauce and avocado

Instructions

1. Coat the bottom of a large pot with oil and place it over medium heat.

2. When the oil is hot, add the onion and bell pepper. Sweat the veggies for about 5 minutes, until the pepper is soft and the onion is translucent.

3. Add the garlic, jalapeño pepper, cumin and ancho chile powder. Cook everything for about 1 minute, stirring constantly, until the garlic becomes very fragrant.

4. Stir in the broth and beans. Raise the heat and bring the broth to a simmer.

5. Lower the heat and allow the broth to simmer for about 15 minutes, until the beans soften up a bit. Add water to the pot as needed if it becomes too dry.

6. Remove the pot from the heat. Use an immersion blender to blend about half of the soup. Alternatively, transfer it in batches to a blender or food processor, and then return the blended portion to the pot.

7. Thin the soup with as much water as you like, then reheat it if necessary.

8. Remove the soup from the burner and stir in the lime juice, salt and pepper.

9. Ladle into bowls and top with toppings of choice. Serve.

Nutrition Facts

Spicy Black Bean Soup

Amount Per Serving (1.5 cups)

Calories 260 Calories from Fat 37

% Daily Value*

Fat 4.1g6%

Saturated Fat 0.8g4%

Sodium 742mg31%

Potassium 739mg21%

Carbohydrates 41.1g14%

Fiber 14g56%

Sugar 2.4g3%

Protein 16.5g33%

Calcium 5mg1%

Iron 24mg133%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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