This Southwestern flavored Easy Black Bean Soup is hearty and healthy. Make it with canned black beans for a simple and quick one-pot meal. You can enjoy the soup chunky or blend it up for a creamy black bean soup!
Some of my favourite go to healthy recipes are those that can be made with staple ingredients. I know that as long as I have some good quality boxed broths, canned beans and a few other basic ingredients, I can get a delicious and healthy meal on the table quickly for the whole family to enjoy.
Not only is this soup delicious but it's also healthy. Black beans are naturally low in fat, high in fibre and protein and are a very good source of essential vitamins and minerals. And for those with gluten intolerance, this soup is also naturally gluten-free.
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How to Make it
This Southwestern black bean soup is simple to make, requires mostly staple ingredients and can easily be made vegetarian or even vegan by using vegetable broth.
Using canned black beans means this tasty soup can be prepared quickly. Including prep and cook time you can make this soup in less than 60 minutes!
Here's an overview of the ingredients this recipe calls for. The full recipe card is available at the end of the post.
Ingredients Overview:
- Olive oil and butter
- Onions, celery, garlic, jalapeño, sweet red bell pepper
- Chili powder, ground cumin, dried oregano, ground coriander, sea salt and black pepper. For a spicy black bean soup, you can add a little bit of cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes.
- Black beans
- Stewed tomatoes
- Broth. Either chicken or vegetable broth will work.
- Lime and fresh cilantro
Steps Overview:
- In a large pot, over medium heat, cook the chopped onion and celery for a few minutes before adding the red pepper, jalapeno and garlic. Continue cooking over medium heat until the vegetables are softened.
- Add all the seasonings, black beans, stewed tomatoes and broth.
- Let it come to a boil, reduce the heat and let it simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Taste the soup to adjust the seasoning and then just before serving, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lime juice to the pot.
If you have any leftover chicken you can shred it and add it to the pot right before serving it for a chicken black bean soup. It's so good!
How to Make it Creamy
For a creamy black bean soup, purée the soup in batches in a blender or use an immersion blender (hand blender) to purée the soup right in the pot. It can be puréed entirely or you can purée only a portion of the soup to get a thicker soup that's still chunky (that's how I made it).
Or leave it as is, it's delicious whichever way you eat it. If you do decide to purée the soup, I recommend adding a couple of tablespoons of fresh cilantro leaves along with the beans and veggies in the blender, the fresh cilantro adds so much flavour to the soup!
Calories:
At only 244 calories a serving (without the toppings), this flavorful black bean soup is light and healthy, but still super satisfying and sure to become a favorite in your household.
Serving Suggestions
This soup can be made even more delicious and interesting by topping it with a variety of garnishes. Here are some of my favorite toppings:
- sour cream
- shredded cheddar cheese
- red onion
- green onion
- diced avocado
- chopped cilantro
- crushed tortilla chips
If you're looking for side dishes to serve along the soup, you can make a batch of these delicious Mini Cornbread Muffins or these Sweet Potato, Parmesan and Rosemary Biscuits.
Storage Instructions
Store leftover black bean soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Reheat soup over medium-high heat stirring regularly until it boils, if you find that it has thickened too much you can add a little water to thin it down. Let the soup boil for one to two minutes, reduce heat and simmer until desired temperature is reached.
Enjoy!
More Delicious Soups
- Tomato Orzo Soup
- Lebanese Red Lentil Soup
- Sweet Potato and Red Lentil Soup
- Creamy Chicken Noodle and Vegetable Soup
- Beef Barley Soup
Easy Black Bean Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp. olive oil extra virgin
- 1 tbsp. butter
- 2 medium onions finely chopped (1-1/2 cups )
- 2 celery stalks finely chopped (about 1 cup )
- 3 cloves medium garlic minced
- 1 tbsp. jalapeno finely chopped
- 1 sweet red pepper finely diced
- 1 ½ tsp. chili powder
- 1 ½ tsp. ground cumin
- 1 ½ tsp. dried oregano
- 1 tsp. ground coriander
- ½ tsp. sea salt reduce if using salted broth
- ½ tsp. black pepper
- 4 cups canned black beans drained
- 2 cups stewed tomatoes with juice
- 6 cups broth, reduced sodium either chicken or vegetable
- 1 tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice more to taste
- Options for Topping:
- finely chopped red onion
- chopped avocado
- sour cream
- fresh cilantro
- corn chips
- shredded cheese
Instructions
- In a heavy-bottomed pot, heat the butter and olive oil over medium-high heat.
- Add the onion and celery and cook for 2 to 3 minutes before adding the red pepper, jalapeno and garlic.
- Lower heat to medium and cook, stirring every few minutes, until vegetables soften, about 6 to 8 minutes.
- Add all the seasonings,and then the drained black beans, stir the beans with the vegetables and seasonings.
- Add the stewed tomatoes with their juices, stir and then add 5 cups of broth.
- Bring the soup to a boil, reduce heat and let the soup simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Taste soup and adjust seasonings.
- If desired, you can purée part of the soup in your blender and return it to the pot. If soup is too thick, add one more cup of broth to thin out soup.
- Before serving, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lime juice to the pot of soup.
- Serve with desired toppings!
Notes
- Optional toppings are not included in the calculation of nutrition facts.
Nutrition
This post was originally published in November 2016. It has been updated. Recipe remains unchanged.
sweethyhope
Thursday 10th of January 2019
its looks delicious. I will Try. Thank you
Sweet and Savoury Pursuits
Thursday 10th of January 2019
Wonderful, it you have a chance let me know how you liked it.
Florentina
Wednesday 13th of September 2017
This is so very tasty! I love the combination of flavors and the fact that is an easy to prepare recipe. Wish you a fantastic day! Greetings, Flo
Sweet and Savoury Pursuits
Friday 15th of September 2017
Thank you so much Florentina. I agree, I love simple recipes that deliver on ease of preparation and taste delicious!
Karen
Wednesday 23rd of November 2016
A delicious soup any time of the year but especially good during the holiday season when everyone is so very busy.
Sweet and Savoury Pursuits
Wednesday 23rd of November 2016
Exactly, once you've got all the ingredients chopped up and in the pot, a soup is pretty hands-off cooking!
C.M.
Saturday 19th of November 2016
This looks so delicious, I love black beans.
Sweet and Savoury Pursuits
Monday 21st of November 2016
Thank you, so do I!
nancyc
Tuesday 15th of November 2016
I LOVE Black Bean Soup, especially when it's cool outside! This soup looks so good!
Sweet and Savoury Pursuits
Thursday 17th of November 2016
Thanks Nancy! I just love beans in soups, they're just so tasty!