Black Bean Soup
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Whip up this creamy, veggie-packed black bean soup in just 30 minutes using simple pantry staples.
Made entirely from pantry and fridge staples, this Southwestern black bean soup is quick, easy, and nutritious. It’s packed with vegetables and aromatics, like onions, garlic, and carrots, as well as warm spices to create a rich depth of flavor. Bonus: you don’t have to worry about meticulously chopping the vegetables since they all get puréed in the end—just give them a rough chop and you’re good to go! Serve the soup with cornbread, chicken quesadillas, or beef empanadas.
“This recipe was so simple and easy to whip up (not to mention healthy) that I was shocked by how good it tasted. Served with the Once Upon a Chef cornbread muffins…perfection!”
What You’ll Need To Make Black Bean Soup
- Olive Oil: Used for sautéing; provides a base for cooking and releasing flavors from the onions, garlic, and carrots.
- Yellow Onions, Garlic, Carrots: These aromatics add depth and foundational flavors to the soup.
- Canned Black Beans: The main ingredient; gives the soup its body and texture, primary flavor, and adds protein to make the meal more nutritious and filling.
- Low-Sodium Chicken Broth: The liquid base of the soup, it contributes to the soup’s depth of flavor and consistency. Using low-sodium broth helps control the overall saltiness (canned black beans are salty!). Vegetable broth can be substituted for a vegetarian version.
- Oregano, Ground Coriander, Ground Cumin, Cayenne Pepper: These spices add warmth, earthiness, and a slight kick, contributing to the soup’s Southwestern profile.
- Lime Juice: Adds brightness and acidity.
- Sour Cream: For serving, offers a cool, creamy contrast to the warm spices of the soup; adds a tangy flavor and creamy texture.
- Cilantro: Adds a fresh, herbal element and color to the soup.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
To begin, cook the onions, garlic, and carrots in olive oil over medium heat until soft.
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!
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely! To make the black bean soup vegetarian or vegan, simply use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.
Yes, the soup will keep well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat it on the stove over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until it’s heated through. If the soup is too thick, you can add a little water or broth to reach the desired consistency.
Yes, the soup can be frozen for up to 3 months. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight and then reheat it on the stovetop over medium heat. Again, if the soup is too thick, you can add a little water or broth to thin it out.
If you’d like to make the soup thicker, you can add an additional can of black beans.
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Black Bean Soup
Whip up this creamy, veggie-packed black bean soup in just 30 minutes using simple pantry staples.
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)
- ¾ teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1¾ teaspoons ground cumin
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Scant ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, from 1 lime
- ⅓ 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.
- Make-Ahead/Freezing Instructions: The soup will keep nicely in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. It can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator and then reheat it on the stovetop over medium heat until hot. If the soup is too thick, you can add a little water or broth to thin it to the desired consistency.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- 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.
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Comments
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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
I made this last night and I needed to simmer it for at least 30-35 minutes. I also used my immersion blender and left it a little chunky. It was delicious but I
do understand what you might have encountered.
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.