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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This was as good as it gets for Black Bean Soup – better than most restaurants. Easy recipe I followed it to the letter and wouldn’t change a thing.
Absolutely delicious! I used regular chicken broth so omitted the additional salt and also omitted the cayenne, personal preference. Thank you Jenn!
Another nice soup. Used 2 19-ounce cans of beans for just the right thickness. A little too much heat for me. Jenn, how do you think I can adjust the seasoning? Would a stalk of celery add anything to the soup? Can hardly wait to have it for dinner tonight complete with sour cream and cilantro
Hi Carol, Glad you like it but sorry you’re finding it to have too much heat! Dairy helps to tone down heat, so when you’re serving it, I’d just stir the sour cream in (as opposed to just putting a dollop on top of your serving). Hope that helps!
This soup is sensational. So full of veggies and yummy fiber-filled goodness.
Perfection, one of my fave soups that is so quick and easy. Thank you one again Jen. 😊
This is one of my three favorite “creamy” soups of yours. The other two are the chicken enchilada and asparagus soups. In warmer weather I serve them in cups along with lighter fare. In colder weather they get served in bowls with meats, breads, cheeses, etc. Thanks to your instructions all three are easy to make and provide delicious results.
This soup was exactly what I’ve been looking for since tasting Black Bean Soup about 10 years ago. Had no idea where to start or how to make it. Thanks to you it was perfect!
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!
Delicious…I so much prefer Jen’s version of this pureed Black Bean Soup over the traditional served at most Mexican restaurants. This soup is truly restaurant-quality! Another recipe from once upon a chef that did not disappoint!!
I felt like this was more of a bean side like tacos with beans and rice versus actual soup.
I forgot to mention I prepared this soup for my gluten free 87 year old mother who is hypersensitive to spices. To accommodate her sensitive palate I omitted the cayenne pepper and added 1/2 can of refried beans. It was the perfect fix .
Simply delicious.
This is now on regular rotation at our house. My sons, who have never seemed to like soup before, LOVE it. We add sour cream and fresh slices of avocado and it is delicious and creamy. Comes together quickly too, which is always great on a weeknight when you are staring at the fridge wondering what to cook!
Delicious and so easy, especially if you use an immersion blender. Who would eat canned soup if they knew how fast and easy it is to make homemade soup as good as this with ordinary ingredients?
Super easy and very quick to whip up this soup requiring just a few ingredients. Have made this several times and turns out delicious each time. The consistency is on the thin side.
Jenn, I can’t tell you how many times this Black Bean Soup recipe has saved me at the end of stressful workdays in the last (incredibly stressful) year! Like many of your recipes, I’ve made this so many times, I don’t even need to refer to the recipe anymore because the ingredients and amounts are cataloged in my head! Anyway, this soup. So easy, so creamy, so comforting, so delicious. I always have the ingredients in my pantry so it’s a super-easy (and healthy) solution when I forget to plan dinner ahead. (It’s great if you’re looking for a vegan option that doesn’t taste vegan!) And it comes together really quickly. Seriously, people. It’s the least stressful homemade soup you will ever make. 30 minutes from opening the cabinet door to table. And that is a winner in my book after a long day.
Also, I think this is the first soup I ever made with the hand blender, and it came out so lusciously smooth that I sought out other soup recipes that are blended (like your Asparagus with Lemon Soup, which is so creamy yet shockingly doesn’t contain any cream).
For this soup, I like to rinse an extra can of beans and toss that in after the soup has been blended and is almost ready because we like having a little bit more fiber from the extra beans. I’ve also tossed in some leftover shredded chicken, though honestly….it doesn’t need it. We top it with sour cream and some tortilla chips or baguette slices. There is nothing better on a cold winter night. Actually….it’s freezing and snowing today and I think I’m going to make this tonight!
Forgot to say it’s a vegan option if you sub vegetable stock for the chicken. =)
I love how creamy and filling this soup is! I make a batch for the week and eat it throughout.
This soup is absolutely delicious! I’ve made a regular version, with chicken broth and sour cream, as well as a vegan version with vegetable broth and no sour cream. Both were excellent! If you don’t eat the whole batch right away, it freezes very well. Another great recipe!
This soup is absolutely delicious! I’ve made a regular version, with chicken broth and sour cream, as well as a vegan version with vegetable broth and no sour cream. Both were excellent! If you don’t eat the whole batch right away, it freezes very well. Another great recipe!
So simple, but just perfect. All three kids devoured it, even my self proclaimed soup hater. Served with a scoop of Mexican rice and sour cream, so yummy 😋
I made this as a starter for a small gathering of friends who brought over authentic tamales … We were all in awe of the flavor and texture of this soup. I did add 4 extra cans of beans to get my preferred consistency as I doubled the recipe. It turned out beautifully!! A dollop of sour cream & sliced avocado put it over the top! When I read the spice combination, I could tell it was going to be a deep rich favor and couldn’t wait to make it. The only disappointment was not having leftovers! I have made several of your recipes, Jen, and have yet not to love one! Cashew chicken is next!
Hi Jenn. Could you please tell me how much a medium onion roughly chopped would yield, approximately? This soup is delicious and full of flavor. My question is more of an afterthought. Thank you and Happy 2021.
Glad you like the soup. I would guesstimate the a roughly chopped medium onion would be about 1 cup.
Hi Jen – I’m making some meals for a friend who is undergoing chemo and her family. Thought this would be perfect! She can’t have animal proteins so I’ll sub in veg stock. are there any additions to the spices or cooking time you’d make in that case – so it’s still flavorful?
That’s nice, Janette. It’s fine to use vegetable stock here in place of chicken stock without any other modifications. Hope she enjoys!
Delicious! Sour cream and cheese as garnish make this soup exceptional.
LOVE this soup! Hands down the best black bean soup I’ve tried. Kids love it too, and you can trick them with healthy vegs as it’s also pureed! Jenn, I’ve made this a dozen times and still haven’t printed it out, but love it each time! 💞
Excellent! My cuban boyfriend is a fan of black beans and he loved it. Followed the instructions, didn’t change a thing, and it came out perfect . I love all your recipes 💜
❤️
This was fantastic! I made it with vegetable stock, and garnished with some crumbled lime flavored tortilla chips and vegan cashew sour cream. So good! I did hold off a bit of the cooking liquid at the end of the blending process, so will probably eliminate about a half cup of water from the cooking next time just so I get the consistency I like. But I plan to make this many times again, and highly recommend it. Thank you for the recipe!
If you are making this with dried beans you have cooked, how much beans are used?
Hi J, You’ll need about 3-/12 cups of cooked beans, which I’d guesstimate would be about 1-1/2 cups dried beans.
Finally found a black bean soup recipe that doesn’t call for chili powder, and it’s delicious. Made a vegan version (veggie broth & omitted sour cream, and it’s excellent. Thank you!!!
Delicious!
I’m allergic to carrots. Any suggestions for a sub?
Hi Catharine, parsnips, turnips, or celery would all work here. Hope you enjoy!
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.
Maybe Covid? I contracted Covid a year ago at the time I suffered with zero taste and smell now every once and awhile my taste will mess up and most foods will be bland, I always check with my husband just to be sure if the issue is me or the food.
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! 🙂