email series
Black Bean Soup
You can have this warming veggie-rich black bean soup ready to go in 30 minutes.
This Southwestern black bean soup is a quick and easy recipe made from pantry staples. What makes it so good is the high proportion of vegetables to beans: lots of garlic, onions, and even some carrots in the mix. You don’t have to worry about finely chopping the vegetables since they all get puréed anyway; just give everything a rough chop and you’re good to go.
What you’ll need to make Black bean soup
To begin, cook the onions, garlic, and carrots in olive oil over medium heat until soft.
How to make Black bean soup
Add the beans and spices.
As well as the chicken broth.
Cover and simmer for about 15 minutes, until the vegetables and beans are very soft.
Purée the soup with a hand-held immersion blender. If you don’t have one, you can use a standard blender and work in batches. Just be sure to keep the hole in the lid open and cover it up with a dishtowel – this allows the steam to escape and avoids a hot soup explosion all over your kitchen.
Before serving, stir in some fresh lime juice to add a touch of brightness and wake up all the flavors.
Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with a dollop of sour cream. Finally, scatter some freshly chopped cilantro over top. You can get creative with additional garnishes. My husband loves to crush tortilla chips over his, and sometimes I’ll toss in some chunks of avocado. A spoonful of salsa would also be nice. Enjoy!
You may also like
Black Bean Soup
You can have this warming veggie-rich black bean soup ready to go in 30 minutes.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 medium yellow onions, roughly chopped
- 4 large garlic cloves, crushed and peeled
- 2 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
- 2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth (or vegetable broth for vegetarian option)
- 3/4 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1-3/4 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Scant 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- Handful chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large soup pan. Add the onions, garlic cloves and carrots and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft and translucent, about 8 minutes. Do not brown.
- Add the black beans, chicken broth, oregano, coriander, cumin, cayenne pepper and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer gently for about 15 minutes.
- Purée the soup using a hand-held immersion blender until very smooth and creamy. (Alternatively, you can use a standard blender to puree the soup in batches; see note.) Stir in the lime juice and season with salt and pepper to taste. Ladle the soup into bowls and top each bowl with a dollop of sour cream and freshly chopped cilantro.
- Note: If using a standard blender, purée the soup in batches, being careful not to fill the jar more than halfway. Be sure to leave the hole in the lid open and loosely cover with a dish towel to allow the heat to escape. Pour the blended soup into a clean pot.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The soup can be frozen for up to 3 months. Defrost the soup in the refrigerator for 12 hours and then reheat it on the stovetop over medium heat until hot. (It may thicken up a bit while in the freezer; if so, just thin it out with a bit of water or broth while reheating.)
Pair with
Nutrition Information
Powered by 
- Per serving (4 servings)
- Serving size: about 2 cups
- Calories: 475
- Fat: 14g
- Saturated fat: 4g
- Carbohydrates: 66g
- Sugar: 5g
- Fiber: 21g
- Protein: 27g
- Sodium: 424mg
- Cholesterol: 10mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
See more recipes:
Reviews & Comments
Add a Review or Question
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Superb, making it again soon. Partially puréed it for more texture.
I thought it was excellent. Good flavor and think I will definitely be saving this recipe. Think I will go buy your cookbook as I have really liked every recipe I tried from you so far.
Thanks
I have been cooking from this amazing site for years and have never had anything but huge success with the recipes. This soup however REALLY disappointed. It was so thin and lacked taste. Perhaps if you cut the broth in half, the consistency might have been better. STILL A HUGE FAN OF JEN’s but this recipe just didn’t work.
You must have missed something up. This soup is thick and tasty every time I have made it.
I halved all of the spices since my family doesn’t like things too spicy. I used 3 1/2 cups of chicken broth since I didn’t have a third can of beans. I puréed a little more than half the soup, With the sour cream and cilantro as toppings it’s very tasty.
Where did the metric conversion go?
Hi Zahra, I don’t think this recipe ever had metric conversions, but I just added them. Hope you enjoy the soup if you make it!
Thank you Jen & Ronna! (Churrascos Black Bean Soup recipe) I combined the 2 recipes, OUTSTANDING flavorful, delicious soup. 1 regret – failing to make this earlier than I did, it’s sooooo good. Black Bean soup is my favorite soup & this is amazing. Know I’ll be making it a LOT. The evening I made it, tasted mild so I upped the cayenne, tend to enjoy spicy fare. The the following day, it’s fiery-hot, even for me. Should have left it alone. Perfect, AS-IS!
The black bean soup is absolutely delicious. I add a third can of black beans and a jalapeno pepper (minus most of the seeds). YUM!! It is quick and easy to make.
This recipe is a starting point but as written we found the soup too thin (that pretty dollop of sour cream in the photo sank invisibly to the bottom of our bowls) and needing more spice. Next time I would add a chopped jalapeño (or two or three) in with the veggies and, as others have suggested, add another can of beans after pureeing the soup.
Absolutely AMAZING! Very easy to make and totally delicious. Thanks!
I don’t know what took me so long to make this easy and delicious soup. I’ve made it twice now and it’s a big hit. I had a handyman working while I was cooking and I had to give him some soup to take home with him. The aroma is as good as the soup – completely enticing. If you’re on the fence, make it. It’ll be a go to.
OMG I just made this soup with a couple adjustments for personal preference….I added a can of rinsed and drained chickpeas and once everything was pureed together I added a cup of corn. Topped with a TBSP of homemade avocado spread and I honestly dont even know if I can handle the 2 hour wait until supper…..a delicious recipe that you can adapt to your own but truly needs no adapting! This recipe will not disappoint!!!!
I love the sound of this recipe and would like to make it using a pound of organic black beans that need to soak overnight. How would I adjust the spices as I am not sure how 2 cans of ready beans relate to the dry ones. Please advise! Thank in advance for your response!
Hi Lori, I think the only thing you’ll likely need to add is more salt as canned beans contain a decent amount. I’m not certain how much you’ll need so I’d suggest just adding it to taste. Hope you enjoy!
Just made this for the first time. Fabulous flavor. Didn’t have cayenne pepper so I used a little red pepper flakes. Cut down on the chicken broth and included about 1/2c. of liquid from the beans.
Used a stick blender and soup seemed watery. However, I then ran it through my Vitamix blender at high speed for about 45 seconds each batch. What a difference. Soup thickened up and had a very satiny mouth feel.
Did the same with your potato and leek soup last night made with coconut cream. Blender made the soup much thicker and richer.
Looking for puréed soups online and found your recipe. I made it today, it was excellent, didn’t change a thing.
Shared on Facebook… thanks
A delicious, easy to prepare soup. I agree with other reviewers that it is a bit thin made as directed, but I added cooked crumbled Mexican chorizo and We really enjoyed it. Next time I’ll either cut back on the broth or add more beans. Thanks for a great soup, Jen.
You sure know your spices! I made your chicken tortilla soup last night and this black bean soup tonight. Both were perfectly seasoned! I wouldn’t change a thing on the tortilla soup and the only thing I would do next time for this one is to add less broth (and I only used 4 cups of broth). It was a little too watery for me but the taste was perfect! I can’t wait to try more of your recipes!
I made this soup couple of years ago and loved it. Somehow, I completely forgot about it afterwards. But today wanted be a bit healthy and avoid the meat eating habit, and the first soup that popped in my head was this. Wanted to add some doritos in it, but sadly don’t have that, so will have to make use of the taco shells that we have.
It is an absolutely fantastic soup. Hats off to you Jenn.
Cheers
Flavor of this soup is the most perfectly-balanced black bean dish. I use a little less broth, so it is more like a bean dish to serve over rice. — My grandson’s favorite!
just made this soup with a cpl of changes.
extra chick broth, used a 48 oz can. no cumin, which i do not like. no oregano, used 1 t basil instead. after blending i added a finely chopped red bell pepper . and a small can of corn for texture. few shots of hot sauce. garnished with diced avocado and fat free fage greek yogurt. delicious!
My husband & I loved your soup…AND, so did our Amazon parrot! I dipped some crusty bread in it and she went crazy for it. She fanned her tail, chortled and talked to her soupy morsel the whole time she ate. So Jenn…you have some serious enthusiasm for your recipe from a 30-something bird to add to your kudos… 🙂
Ha! So glad it’s enjoyed by both humans and birds! 🙂
I have made this recipe so many times and just love it. Last time I threw a red pepper in, so am getting creative. Thank you so much for this recipe, one of my favorites!
What is a serving size?
Serving size is about 2 cups. Enjoy!
Our family loves this warm and delicious soup. I have served it many times. We like to add a bit of shaved cheddar and nacho chips to dip on the side. Thanks for this keeper!
Hi Jenn,
I was wondering if I could use borlotti beans since I made a huge pot… do you think it would work! I know the black beans pair better with lime and cilantro… but I was still wondering…
🙂
Hi Sara, I’m not that familiar with borlotti beans, so I can’t say for sure, but I suspect they would work here. (Particularly because the soup is pureed at the end). I’d love to hear how it turns out!
This soup is marvelous! The spices are spot on.
Sour cream dollop for serving just puts it over the top!
Thanks for such a great recipe!
Really loved this soup! I made it exactly as the recipe is printed, just added a sprinkling of grated cheddar along with the sour cream and a bit of crumbled tortilla chips on top. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Loved this recipe! It was delicious and simple! I didn’t see your note about cutting back on the chicken broth for thicker soup so I used cornstarch to thicken it up. Can’t wait to try your other recipes.
Winner, winner, soup for dinner! The flavors really come together on this recipe. I did not have coriander so I added extra cumin and it was fine in maintaining the complexity of the flavoring. I agree with all of the reviews regarding the thinness of the soup. I am hooked on your site and can’t wait to purchase your upcoming cookbook. Can you please provide an update regarding the status of the cookbook. Thanks a bunch Jenn!
So glad you enjoyed the soup! The cookbook is progressing and will be available in the spring of next year (so still a ways away, but I hope worth the wait)!
LOVE THIS SOUP!! Another family favourite and the recipe that got me to subscribe to your emails. Thank you!
This soup was great as is and very easy to make. Some of my family requested I leave some of the beans whole instead of blended. The 2nd time I made this, I added cans of black beans at the end. It was great.
Made this last week for a friend with a cold. I added a little bit more lime juice and used half beef broth, half chicken because thats what I had on hand. Wonderful soup!
Love this soup! Usually have all the ingredients on hand except sour cream. As with all your directions, easy to follow directions. I usually prepare extra, it freezes perfectly. It’s always nice to have a soup packed with amazing flavours and ingredients ready at a moments notice. Kids and adults enjoy it 🙂
Thanks!
This tastes great! I had made some black beans with my pressure cooker the other night and used the leftovers to make this soup. I had added epazote to my beans already and it tasted great in this soup with the other herbs! I don’t know if the liquid called for in this recipe is too much or too little as stated by other reviewers because my black beans already had enough of water that I only needed to add some more to it. This is another keeper. Thanks Jenn!
The flavor of this soup was great. I served it with a mound of cilantro-lime rice in the middle and some avocado slices on top, which helped make it a full meal.
We loved this recipe! It was easy for a quick weeknight dinner with rice and had a complex flavor. I would highly recommend this recipe, so much that I blogged about it myself!
Fantastic! The whole family loves this one and it’s a regular in our repertoire. It freezes great, too. I often serve it with roasted butternut squash & onions, or with roasted acorn squash stuffed with wild rice/celery/onion/cranberry/pecan filling. Thanks for this great recipe!
I did not care for this recipe- apparently I missed the note above advising you to cut down on the broth to avoid a thin soup. I don’t know who would enjoy this recipe prepared as written. It was just brown liquid when I finished. I had to add two more cans of black beans to give it some texture. I don’t think you need to puree the whole mixture either. At most I would puree half and leave the other half chunky. I also sautéed bacon for my fat and cooked veggies in the fat and used the crubmled bacon to give it a smokey flavor. I wold have been able to enjoy that flavor more had I not pureed the soup. Will not make this version again.
you did something incorrectly. soup has a lovely creamy texture. not mud like and no way too thin
LOVED the flavor on this!! I did up the cayenne a bit…I don’t have a 1/8t measuring spoon, so I used a scant 1/4t and it was great!! I skipped the carrot because I just can’t stand cooked carrots. The only complaint from my family was that it was too watery. I’ll definitely make this again and add a third can of black beans.
I just made the soup, and it is quite lovely! I am going to take some other’s suggestion and add another can of black beans next time for a slightly thicker soup. Also, just a note to those worried about the calories, fat and cholesterol in the sour cream- I use fat free Greek yogurt for everything that calls for sour cream, and I’ve never been disappointed, including this recipe. Plus, Greek yogurt is extremely healthy, so you don’t have to worry if trying to restrict fat, calories and cholesterol, like me. Thanks Jenn!
I made this tonight for dinner. It was so tasty and easy to make. So glad a coworker told me about your site. Can’t wait to try another recipe
I made this a few days ago for the first time and holy smokes this was tasty!!! My husband loved it too. Can’t wait to try your other recipes now that I’ve discovered this site, thank you!
Made this soup (as written) for dinner last night. It was delicious. It thickened up a bit over night and was even better today for lunch. I pureed only half / three-quarters, added it back, and it worked out very well. We like a little texture in our soups, and the beans, carrots and onion that weren’t pureed provided just enough.
This looks delicious, and I will definitely keep this on file for a Lenten Friday. How long would I have to cook it if I used dry beans? Presoaked for 8 hours.
Hi Caitlin, I would make sure the beans are cooked to your liking before you add them to the soup. They only simmer for 15 minutes once in the pot. If you need more advice on cooking dried beans, this is a good resource.
I love the flavor of this soup. I followed others advice and added an extra can of beans. However, I puréed half and added the other half of the beans whole. I used chile powder (1/4 t) instead of cayenne because my husband doesn’t like spicy food. I added cayenne to my bowl. I will certainly make this again!
I subscribe to your website and this recipe appeared in my mailbox recently. It’s been cold and rainy here, so a pot of soup was in order. I rushed home after work and was grateful this was quick and easy to make. Great flavors and texture. I will make this again for sure. Thank you again Jenn for another winning recipe.
Regarding your black bean soup, I’ve not yet tried it, but one way I get a ‘chunky’ black bean soup is to either hold back or add an additional can of beans and add it to the soup after pureeing.
Can’t wait to try your recipe!
Hi Vickie, I think you’re better off adding an additional can of beans after puréeing with this recipe, otherwise it might be too thin. Hope you enjoy it!
While in Santa Fe New Mexico, I tried black bean soup for the first time, loved it. I did a search and found your web site. Your soup rivals that of Santa Fe and I could not believe how simple! Using bacon fat to soften the veggies and for garnish, this was the perfect soup for reminiscing. Looking forward to your newsletters.
Janet
This is a very nice soup although I made it with fresh black beans after soaking them for a while and cooked in the pressure cooker with the chicken broth. Black beans are excellent for kidney energy which Chinese healers recommend highly.
Yum, yum! Did I say yum…… this black bean soup was so easy and delicious. My family and I had this as a side dish with seafood tacos. I especially love the simple step-by-step directions. Thanks for keeping it simple, fun, and delicious!
Perfect!!!! I just made this recipe with a bit for cayenne and added a chipotle, no seeds, and nailed the best black bean soup I’ve ever had! Unos used to have a delicious black bean soup but they took it off their menu, this recipe is even better than unos! So glad I stumbled onto your site, thanks for sharing and I cannot wait to try more of your recipes
Another solid winner, Jenn! This one will be made again and again. We thought the seasoning was perfect, as was the heat level. And it froze/reheated beautifully!
I used 4 cups of cooked black beans (cooked from dried) and the full 5 cups of broth. 🙂
If I leave off the sour cream there’s no other source of cholesterol, correct?
Thanks,
Hi Susan, I believe that’s correct.
Absolutely delicious!!!!!! Fabulous flavors! This will definitely be a new family favorite.
Didn’t even know I could do this with black beans. Great recipe.Must try
the soup was delicious. Just loved it
Oops. I forgot to rate.
I made this on Sunday, and this is a winner. I added chipotle to give it an added kick. I can’t thank you enough for opening your heart and sharing 5-star recipes
This is definitely my new favourite soup recipe! I LOVE it! I followed the recipe here pretty much to a tee but added some shredded chicken once I pureed and we sprinkled tortilla strips on top. Super tasty and filling enough to stand alone as a main…. Although I’ve also served it as a side with burritos!
This is another one of her hearty bean soups that we have for work week meals. We double the recipe, pre-make some brown rice, and have some of each (heat in microwave) each evening. We have blended it and we have not blended it. Both are great…even without the sour cream.
Hey jenn, made this soup the other night and served to my family and some Nicaraguan friends. Everybody enjoyed and some of the kids were spotted licking their bowls! My question is: I always make beans myself and then have put in two cups of cooked beans per can called for. So I used 4 cups of beans for this recipe and then reduced the broth to 4 cups instead of 5 because I wanted it more chunky. However it turned out really thin even still. How much beans would you use? Maybe 2 cups per can is not enough…thanks for your suggestions!
Hi Grace, So glad everyone enjoyed! Actually, there are about 1-1/2 cups of beans in a standard size can. The soup is not that thick, but it’s absolutely fine to make it thicker. Just add 1-2 cups more beans and it should be just right 🙂
I made this tonight and loved it! I followed the recipe except I used dried basil and didn’t garnish with the cilantro (just made with what I had on hand). I imagine it would be even better with the fresh herbs. I saw the comments on adding an extra can of beans but I really liked the consistency as is.
On a side note, I found your blog several years ago when I was searching for a recipe for the Chez Francois herbed cottage cheese, and now it came up again when I was looking for a soup recipe (both are fantastic!). It’s now bookmarked…
I forgot to rate the recipe when I posted my review. Definitely a 5-Star recipe.
Made this black bean soup today. Loved it. Easy to make and wonderful flavor. The only thing I might do different next time is increase the cayenne just a little. Also, another person said they use an extra can of beans. I might try that as well. Thank you for a great recipe. Can’t wait to try some of your others.
Yummy! A hit in my house. My child who doesn’t eat soup eats soup now!
I added an extra can of beans to the recipe.
I made this but only had one can of black beans and one can of kidney beans on hand. Wow, it turned out so great! I’ll be checking here for more recipes. Thanks!
What is a serving considered? A cup?
Confused is it 400 something calories per one serving or for 4?
thanks
Hi Charles, One serving is about 2 cups and 475 calories. Sorry for the confusion.
Oh thats quite all right. I was just confused.
I made my soup with PACIFIC low sodium vegetable broth (no GMOs!!) and instead of the paprika I used one and a half jalepenos (fresh and seeded).
As far as the garlic, I got a jumbo garlic but I think I got a full bulb? It didn’t produce any cloves so I just chopped up one bulb–was I right in my hunch?
I topped it with some horizon organic sour cream wow it’s divine!!!!
my normal Kitchenaid, set on #2 Puree, works just as well as any other fancy product out there.
ps, in the calorie count are you including sour cream or no? I am using one tablespoon per 1 serving 🙂
Hi Jerry, Unfortunately, no since it is optional 🙂
This tastes great! Made it tonight and can’t wait to have the rest that I froze. I added a jalepeno, no seeds, instead of the cayenne. Nice warmth. I look forward to trying your other recipes!
thanks so much for mentioning that. I tried one jalepeno the first time but it must have been too small, but this time I used practically 2 and I definitely tasted a zesty difference, thanks so much for the tip!!
All but one of my kids ate this up and I loved it so much I had to make a second batch the same week. I can’t recommend this highly enough!
I made this recipe recently and thought it was delicious. It was so good that the second time I prepared it I doubled the recipe so I wouldn’t run out so fast! To make the soup slightly thicker I add an extra can of black beans and to kick it up even more I added a half pound of smoked sausage cut into fine dice. Fabulous!
Another winner! Made this last night and at first i thought it would be too thin…i ended up loving the consistency. It wasnt too heavy and the leftovers today are even better! Family loved it too. I made as written but added some bacon for added flavor.
What about nutrition facts? Is cream desirable?
Hi Nibahoo, The nutritional data has been added underneath the recipe (this is a new feature on my site so I am still going back and adding it to older recipes). Cream is not necessary.
I liked it because it is not cumbersome to make it. I just can’t print it. Cordially, NR
Did you try clicking on the “print” tab?
Hey I know this is off topic but I was wondering if you knew of any widgets I could
add to my blog that automatically tweet my newest twitter updates.
I’ve been looking for a plug-in like this for quite some time and was hoping maybe
you would have some experience with something like this.
Please let me know if you run into anything.
I truly enjoy reading your blog and I look forward to your new updates.
Just made this soup and it was delicious. I have made at least 6 of your recipes and consider your site a sure thing. Friends and family have raved about anything I have made. Can’t wait to eventually try them all. Thank you for your great instruction and expertise. BTW I am living in Mexico at the moment so finding all the ingredients can sometimes be a challenge so any substitutions you can suggest in your recipes would be so helpful. Thanks so much.
Thanks, Lorna! So glad you enjoyed. Feel free to email me with specific questions about substitutions.
Hi there, this weekend is good designed for me, for the reason that this point in time i am reading this
great educational article here at my residence.
Howdy! Quick question that’s totally off topic. Do
you know how to make your site mobile friendly?
My weblog looks weird when viewing from my iphone 4. I’m trying to find a template or plugin that
might be able to fix this problem. If you have any suggestions, please
share. Thank you!
Hello, I log on to your blog on a regular
basis. Your story-telling style is awesome, keep up the good work!
I do not even know how I ended up here, but I thought this post was great.
I do not know who you are but certainly you’re going to a famous blogger
if you are not already 😉 Cheers!
I love this soup recipe. The garnishes really do a lot for the presentation (and added flavor and texture) though. I love fresh avocado, cilantro, and tomatoes with a side of corn tortilla chips. I use the soft corn tortillas and brush with olive oil and sea salt. Quickly bake in the oven on high temp (I think 400 F) to get them nice and crispy….then cut in fours and enjoy!
My bad (above post) I served this after adding lime and Sourcream …. that made all the difference! So Good! Even hubby loved it!
Just did a taste test while it is simmering on the stove. It’s good, but it seems to be missing something… It’s still very good tho. I made it chuncky, I think I might puree it a tiny bit 🙂
This is one of my favorite soups! I make it with vegetable broth instead of chicken broth to keep it vegetarian. I also have used 4 cups of broth instead of 5 for a thicker consistency. Both of my daughters (ages 3 and 5) love this so I keep it in my rotation and make it at least once a month!
I made this soup, and it was perfect! I used a dollop of greek yogurt instead of sour cream and it worked well as a substitution
Jenn,
I have now tried at least a dozen of your recipes and loved them all. Love the pictures so I know what finished product should look like. You are the best! I saw your black bean soup recipe but would like to offer you a different style (non-blended) which is a South American recipe. This recipe comes from my favorite restaurant, Churrasco’s in Houston. I thought maybe you would like to try it too. Starting with dried black beans really makes a difference. Let me know what you think if you make it. Here ya go:
Churrascos Black Bean Soup
Ingredients:
1-pound bag of dried black beans
9 to 10 Cups of water
½ small can tomato paste (unseasoned variety)
½ Cup red wine
1 stick butter (You may use ½ stick to make it lower-fat)
1 medium red pepper chopped finely
1 medium white onion chopped finely
4 bay leaves
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1- 2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
Directions:
Soak black beans in water overnight..
You may soak beans up to 1 day before.
Rinse beans (the water will be black).
Add the 9 cups of fresh water (not the water beans soaked in) to a large soup pot and then add the beans, salt, pepper, and bay leaves.
Bring beans to a boil and continue to boil, stirring frequently to keep from sticking, for one hour.
After the first hour, add the rest of the ingredients. Lower temperature of stove to medium low and continue to cook (stirring frequently) for another hour. If the beans begin to stick to the pan, turn down the temperature to simmer. If the soup gets too thick, add up to one more cup of water, a little at a time.
Don’t forget to fish out the bay leaves before serving.
Serve with a little dollop of sour cream, grated cheese, and chopped cilantro on top.
Churrasco’s serves this soup in a hollowed-out bread boule.
Regards,
Ronna
Thank you so much, Ronna. I will definitely make this soup!I can tell just from looking at the recipe that it will be good 🙂
Hi Jenn, I just wanted to let you know that I just made and tasted the Black Bean Soup. What a great recipe! Thank you for sharing all your lovely recipes. I have tried several of your recipes and there is not one loser in the the bunch. I would make them all again & again!! I can’t wait for my hubby to come home this evening. I know he will enjoy this very much. Many thanks again for taking the time to share these recipes. You are the best!
Thank you, Mickie! That is so nice to read 🙂
Made this with some baked tortilla crisps . Maybe on of my favorite comfort meals
Perfect winter dish. My local Food Lion closed up and had a 50% off sale, and I ended up with a cart full of dried beans (they last for-freaking-ever). I made this with homemade stock and added some sriracha for a little heat. Wonderful.
My family and I absolutely adore this soup, and I do add one more thing to give it a little extra zest. I add a can of Ro-Tel diced tomatoes and chilis. It just adds a little more zip to it, which is nicely complemented by the chopped cilantro. I make this every few weeks in the winter months and friends and family love it as well.
This is a delicious recipe. The only question I have is about the nutrition facts which say that there is 15gram of fat in this recipe. There’s only 2 tbsp of oil so where is the fat coming from? Anybody have any ideas?
So glad you enjoyed it, Sharon. Perhaps it’s from the sour cream?
Jennifer, thank you so much for your site. Literally ever single recipe I’ve made from your posts have been fantastic – unlike other food bloggers that I follow. Again, thanks! You are making my English husband, living in Paris, very happy!
An American ex-pat
That is so nice to hear, Tracy. Thanks for letting me know!
we make a lot of soups and sandwiches with 5 grandkids here everyday …and to make it a meal for the kids we added tubetti pasta(cook pasta as directed)and instead of lime juice and sour cream the grandkids like spaghetti cheese
Yum…have made this three times since finding your recipe for it a few months ago. It’s so tasty and easy to make. Just for a bit of extra thickness, I also throw in a 40 oz. can of Goya black bean soup. Forgot the cilantro the first time I made it, but added the next two times…adds a fantastic extra dimension to the soup!
if pictures tell a thousand words and most food is comfort food for someone out there…
your blog alone is Food for the Soul!
Thank you and I will be trying Jennifer’s Black Bean Soup at some point for my daughters’ this Summer – Thank You!
Everyone now and then I come across a recipe that blows my mind, and this one was it for me. I’m not much of a bean soup person and black beans aren’t my husband’s favorite, yet I went out on a limb and tried this recipe because all the spices in it sounded so good. Well, we both LOVED it!!! Our two boys loved it too! Thank you so much, Jenn!!
Hi Jenn,
I was wondering if this soup would freeze well. I’d love to make a couple of big batches and freeze some smaller portions.
What are your thoughts?
By the way, just made your Black Bean Salad! OH MY! It is fabulous! Love your site!
Hi Candace, Thank you and so glad you enjoyed the black bean salad! I think this soup would freeze fine. You may need to thin it out with a bit of water after defrosting it, but otherwise I don’t see any issues.
Thanks Jennifer! Making this now! 🙂
@Katrin my immersion blender cost all of 10.00 years ago at walmart. Still works and could not live without it!
This soup is so goo an soooo easy! My entire family loves it! I make usually cheddar bisquets with it! YUMMMY! keep them coming Jenn so far I haven’t found a recipe of your that wasn’t totally amazing!!
This is different than our black bean soup recipe so I will try it next time I make black bean soup.
I love this recipe, so simple, healthy and very tasty. It’s my “go to” soup!
Great easy recipe. The fresh lime juice and fresh cilantro give it an extra “wow” factor. I have made it twice now- it is in our keeper file
Fantastic!! and even better the second day
Going to try this recipe and for sure going to put them on a bed of garlic grits ~ what a great idea. I may add chopped avocado as a garnish!
Good recipe…Soup is even better the second day!
My family loved this recipe and I liked how easy it was to put together.
I really liked this recipe. The first time I made it I messed it up by forgetting and ingredient but then I made it again and it was good!
This soup is so easy, and so tasty, it has become a family favorite over the past month
This recipe was awesome. So easy to make and the whole family loved it.
Made this last night and served it on a bed of Garlic Grits. My boys, 11 and 15 years old, gobbled it down and asked for seconds.
Ok.. I could not convince my 3 young boys to try this one but my husband and I loved it! 🙂
Delicious and so good for you!
I just discovered your blog a few days ago and since then I’ve made about 5 of your recipes and they are AMAZING! I just finished making the Black Bean Soup and it’s incredible – the oregano adds so much to the flavor. You’re a fantastic chef, your blog is awesome and keep the recipes coming!
Thank you, Rosee!
mmm. this soup sounds so good
i was thinking of buying an immersion mixer to make all these delicious soups
but what model or brand of immersion mixers would you recommend?
Hi Reyna, I have a very basic Cuisinart immersion blender. Not sure which model but no bells and whistles. It’s one of the few kitchen tools I absolutely couldn’t live without!
America’s Test Kitchen (google this) has done immersion blender tests and came up with the conclusion that the inexpensive ones work just fine. Check it out!
This was so delicious! My family loved it. I hope you don’t mind, I posted a link on my blog…
http://caramagic.blogspot.com/2012/01/best-bean-soup-ever.html
Thanks for sharing the recipe with your readers, Cara. So glad you enjoyed!
This soup is delicious and so easy! I made it on a cold weekend afternoon and it was so flavorful, filling and healthy. I served it with homemade foccacia warm out of the oven. I always look forward to Jen’s recipes in my inbox 🙂
I made this simple soup yesterday on the coldest day so far this year in NY. . it was a breeze to make, and the flavor is outstanding. What a nice way to warm up on a cold night. Next time I will decrease the amount of chicken broth by about a cup for a little bit of a thicker soup. Other than that, I wouldn’t change a thing. It has a nice spicy zing to it. I topped mine with queso cheese and greek yogurt.
I made this soup and the ingredients were so simplified, I didn’t actually anticipate it to taste as great as it does. However, It IS so delicious, I can’t wait to make it again. Thankfully, it is so quick, easy, and healthful, I (and my husband) can enjoy again and again. Thanks Jen..this one is superb!
I made this soup last might and it was fantastic!! I didn’t have coriander and forgot the garlic, and it is still wonderful!
My family loves black bean soup and I have made many variations- this is one of the best (and easiest!) I have found. Thanks for sharing 😉 I added some smokey ham left over from NYE and it was a nice variation.
I will definitely try this hearty, healthy soup in the week ahead. Perfect for a cold winter’s night. Thank you for the inspiration!
Soups are one of my favorite food vehicles, and this sounds hearty and delicious!
Mmmm. I love any soup that warrants me getting out mu immersion blender!!!