Meet my favorite black bean soup! It takes advantage of canned black beans and comes together quickly. Yet the soup tastes remarkably fresh thanks to the carrots, celery and garlic.
Cumin and a little bit of sherry vinegar (or lime juice) add a Cuban flair that takes it over the top. This lightly creamy black bean soup is packed with flavor.
This homemade soup is a million times better than the store-bought variety. Read the comments if you don’t believe me just yet!
How to Make The Best Black Bean Soup
A few notes and tips before you get started:
You don’t need a long list of ingredients for complex flavor. Basic, fresh aromatics like onion, carrots and celery make all the difference. Just cook them until they’re nice and tender.
Briefly sauté the cumin, garlic and red pepper flakes to enhance their flavor. Then, add the remaining ingredients and gently simmer until the beans are tender and the flavors have melded.
To achieve the perfect soup texture, purée a portion of the soup in the blender until it’s super creamy. Then stir it back into the pot. Ta da! Now you have black bean soup with tender beans and a lightly creamy consistency, no cream required.
Black Bean Soup Storage Tips
I should mention that this recipe makes quite a lot of soup. Leftovers will keep well for four to five days, so it’s perfect for weekday lunches.
You can also freeze this soup. I always freeze my soup in pint-sized mason jars, leaving room for expansion at the top and waiting to screw on the lids until the soup has fully frozen. Then I just defrost it later.
Slow Cooker Black Bean Soup
Rumor has it that this black bean soup turns out well in a slow cooker (Erin said she “basically just put it all in the crock at the same time and slow cooked it for about 6 hours”). If you give that a try, will you please let me know how it turns out?
Please let me know how this soup turns out for you in the comments! I’m always so eager for your feedback and hope my recipes turn out wonderfully for you.
Craving more hearty vegetarian soups? Don’t miss the following soup recipes on Cookie and Kate:
- Vegetarian Chili
- Butternut Squash Chipotle Chili
- Pinto Posole
- Mexican Quinoa Stew
- Best Lentil Soup
- Plus my cookbook has eight of my favorite soup recipes!
Watch How to Make Black Bean Soup
Spicy Black Bean Soup
- Author: Cookie and Kate
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 45 mins
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Vegan
This healthy black bean soup recipe is easy to make with canned beans. Thanks to some basic aromatics and Cuban spices, it’s incredibly flavorful and delicious. This soup is naturally vegan, vegetarian and gluten free. The recipe yields quite a bit of soup (6 to 8 servings)—it is easily halved, or you can freeze the leftovers.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 medium yellow onions, chopped
- 3 celery ribs, finely chopped
- 1 large carrot, peeled and sliced into thin rounds
- 6 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
- 4 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (use ¼ teaspoon if you’re sensitive to spice)
- 4 cans (15 ounces each) black beans, rinsed and drained
- 4 cups (32 ounces) low-sodium vegetable broth
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
- 1 to 2 teaspoons sherry vinegar, to taste, or 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Optional garnishes: diced avocado, extra cilantro, thinly sliced radishes, tortilla chips…
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onions, celery and carrot and a light sprinkle of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetable are soft, about 10 to 15 minutes.
- Stir in the garlic, cumin and red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Pour in the beans and broth and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cook, reducing heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer, until the broth is flavorful and the beans are very tender, about 30 minutes.
- Transfer about 4 cups of the soup to a stand blender, securely fasten the lid, and blend until smooth (never fill your blender past the maximum fill line, and beware the steam that escapes from the top of the blender, it’s very hot). Or, use an immersion blender to blend a portion of the soup.
- Return the pureed soup to the pot, stir in the cilantro, vinegar/lime juice and salt and pepper, to taste. Serve.
Notes
Recipe adapted from The America’s Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook.
Suggested sides: Chunky avocado salsa, a little green salad, quesadillas or a grilled cheese sandwich.
Ray
I always enjoy making soups- they’re low-stress, involve lots of slicing away at fresh vegetables, and feel a little magical!
I found this while looking for a nice vegetarian black bean soup recipe and I’m so glad I tried it! I think I may have used a bit too much onion (I may have selected some pretty large “medium” sized onions) and it tasted a little sweeter than I thought it was intended to- but it’s still so good! I’m a young professional and & I now have lunch for the rest of the week!
With a dollop of sour cream and some soft corn tortillas on the side, this soup is heaven! Thank you for the recipe. I’ll be visiting your site for more recipes shortly- I think I’ll be tackling that sweet potato and black bean quesadilla recipe next!
Olivia
This was delicious!!
Jenny Sutherland
Thanks,for recipe,made it with just sun flower oil,didn’t have any cilantro but it was still good.
Nicole
Ok long story short, i have been trying to quit eating meat but I could not find recipes to fit my meat and cheese lovin’ pallet. So, im searching and searching for recipes and come across this spicy black bean soup. I cooked it last night and omg i was so thrown back by the flavors. I had some for breakfast with a few radishes and yes it was oh so good. Thanks for the recipe I think I can trasition my family and I into a meatless existence in peace now. I will definitely be back for more recipes.
Kate
That’s great to hear, Nicole! I have lots of recipes for you. :)
Fin
I’m cooking this for the second time tonight, and this time I’m making a big batch to freeze for another day. Just the right thing for a cold and rainy summer’s day in the UK! Warming, rich, delicious and filling.I popped a chopped up mix of avocado and tomato on top, which cut through the richness of the soup perfectly.
Erin Mo
Made this on a rainy day and it was delicious! I halved the recipe and it came out a little thick but still tasted great. Will make again!
Sylvia Ramos
Hi Kate! This soup is all I ever wanted from a black bean soup. Yummmmm! Thank you. :D :D :D
Christopher
Unless your doctor tells you to watch your sodium intake, always use broth that’s not reduced-sodium in all recipes that require broth, so you don’t have to add salt yourself, or try to save your recipes because it needs salt to improve the taste (even if it’s not bad tasting); Otherwise, I can eat this often.
Christopher
Also, I sliced a harbanero pepper and added maybe/around 3 cups of collard greens, and I left out the 3/4 teaspoon of sea salt since I used regular no chicken veggie broth. Came out amazing.
Christopher
Making again soon. Thank you for sharing this recipe
Monica
This soup is amazing! I made it in my crock pot today and have added it to the weekly rotation. Thank you!
Sarah
I just finished cooking this soup (and my mother and I are eating it right now) and it is absolutely delicious! Pureeing part of the soup helped thicken it up nicely. Five stars all the way!
Julie
Oh. My. Goodness. This soup is amazing!!! I want to eat the whole pot! I’m not exaggerating. It’s really good. Especially with tortilla chips. Thank you so much for this recipe!
Deborah
Hi Kate,
thanks for the fab recipe! We used to buy a black bean soup mix that we loved and then it disappeared – I’ve tried a couple of home made versions that didn’t live up to it but this one does! I did use the crockpot as you mentioned which was super easy – the only addition I made was 3 or 4 chilies in adobo sauce for a bit of a smoky taste.
Deborah
Suzanne
I made this tonight, and it’s delicious! I didn’t have any cumin, so I just left that out. I added an extra clove of garlic, two chopped tomatoes (which I think is a great addition!), a dash of cayenne pepper, and two sliced green onions, in addition to the original recipe. I topped it with diced avocado and lime tortilla chips. EXCELLENT! Thanks for the recipe! :)
Kate
Thank you, Suzanne! Your version sounds great to me!
Eva
Hi! I made this last night although it was a small batch because I didn’t have a lot of black beans. My sons said over and over how good it was and I have to make this again! Well, I’m cooking dried black beans now so I can make mass quantities today and freeze some. Thank you for a really great recipe. I thoroughly enjoyed this too
Kate
Thank you, Eva! Happy to hear it.
Sony
My quest for the perfect black bean soup came to an end when I made this soup last night. I was already soaking black beans so I made my beans from scratch instead of using out of the can. I seasoned the beans with hickory smoked salt and West African uda pepper. Outside of this I made exact to the instruction and was profoundly pleased…and so was my husband! I will make this again and again!
Kate
Thank you! I’m so glad. :)
Susan
We love this black bean soup! I use homemade beans and vegetable broth, and I sauté the veggies in a little water instead of oil, as we’re whole food, plant based. It’s so quick and it turns out perfect every time!
Susan
I forgot to mention that we like this soup so much that we dehydrate it and take it on all of our backpacking trips (several every year). I also follow the recipe exactly except for substituting water for the oil, and I use home-cooked beans and vegetable broth as I mentioned above.
La petite poire
This soup sounds and looks amazing!!! I can’t wait to try it out now that it’s coming back into soup season. Thanks for sharing
Peetie
its getting cold and I made a batch of this soup and its wonderful so hearty
Kate
Thanks, Peetie! Stay warm!
Andrea
I made this recipe last night – it was so good!! It was my first cookie and kate recipe. 2 thumbs up. I will make this again for sure :)
Thank you.
Kate
Thank you, Andrea! I’m so glad you loved your first C+K recipe. Thank you for saying hi!
Grace
Loved how simple this was, but still packed a flavorful punch. I am very much looking forward to creating more of your recipes. Thank you!
Kate
Thank you, Grace! Really happy to hear that you enjoyed this one. Hope you love the others, too!
Dawn
This soup sounds great, will make it this weekend. I purchased a soup maker last spring and only used it once. Do you think this would work in it or should I play it safe and follow the recipe?
Mike M
Great recipe….only change was that I used red pepper instead of celery (I didn’t have celery). Everything else was the same….my oh my what a fantastic soup. Low fat, but creamy and rich and just the right amount of heat to make it enjoyable. The lime and cilantro made it at the end…very nice acidity and herb to balance the flavours. Easy, fast and flavourful.
Sandy
I made the spicy black bean soup in the crock pot. So easy and yummy, everyone loved it!
Heather
Lovely recipe for a cool fall evening! I used your suggestion of lime juice vs sherry vinegar and used an immersion blender. Balanced flavors and just enough heat to warm your body :) Although it didn’t take too long to make, I may try it in the slow cooker for a weekday meal. Thanks for the recipe!
CarolAnn
Freeze leftovers? What leftovers! This soup is divine. The lime juice and cilantro are a must. Thank you for sharing!
H K
This soup is SO DELICIOUS! Easy to make too! I mixed in some corn and sour cream and it all tasted like a delicious burrito. My favorite soup by far.
Pat Anderson
I love black bean soup but always bought the beans that came with a spice packet. My store quit carrying that brand so I had to find a recipe that my husband & I would like. We both loved this recipe and it was so easy to make…will definitely make it again (in a much larger batch so I can freeze some) Thanks
Neal Kranes
Beany tastiness. I added red pepper, serrano peppers (with seeds), brunoise’d them all up very small. Added an extra can of beans and homemade veggie broth. Goodness.
Chris
This is a nice recipe for black bean soup. I followed the recipe except I added extra cumin and used Rotel to spice it up and add some tomato at the same time..
Martha
This soup is amazing! It will definitely be put in our weekly rotation this winter. This was quick to put together, healthy, and there are so many ways to add on ingredients like the avocado, radishes, cheese, Greek yogurt, etc for extra tastiness. Thank you…your recipes are quickly becoming favorites in this house!
Marsha
I tried this recipe and it was delicious. Next time I’ll skip putting black beans in the blender. I prefer to eat the beans.
Deisha
Made this last night with my dad, absolutely delicious! The spice level was perfect and the flavors were out of this world. Defiantly going to try another one of your recipies soon!
Lane
Delicious soup! Do you have the nutritional information on this?
Jennifer
Can’t wait to try this. We’ll be having it tonight :)
Charlotte
Hi Kate,
Merry Christmas from London, UK! I am eating a big bowl of your soup now and its incredible! I have only been veggie for 4 weeks now and use your blog religiously so thank you so so much.
Super tasty, hearty soup to get through Christmas!
Char x
Cathy
Just made this and it’s delicious! Reminds me of Dr. McDougall black bean and lime instant soup. Except way better for you! I always hated how much sodium it had, and the price. Really good served with pico de gallo and a side of lime.
Tarah
Hi there! Can you make this with black beans that are soaked over night. Would you have to cook them first or can they just cook in the soup?
Lavanya
I made this with dry black beans soaked overnight. I did cook them first in a pressure cooker. I think you could probably cook the beans during the soup making, but it may take a lot longer!
SHEILA NIERMEIER
Looks like a great recipe…for those of us who can’t eat tomatoes… Would love to know the carb count though..
Kate
Hey, Sheila – right now I don’t have nutritional info / calorie counts for my recipes, but am working on a solution to it.
Mindy
This soup is delicious, easy to make, and super filling! I love that I can even get my 7 year old to eat it (he loves it with homemade tortilla strips for dipping). It’s really great reheated all week for my lunch as well.
Kate
Yes, this one keeps really well for a full week of soup. So happy you & your son loved it!
Ronald Dixon
Quick question: What are the consequences of not pureeing four cups of the soup during step three? I really would like to make this recipe, but I want to use as little dishes, and make as little mess, as possible.
Thanks!
Kate
Hey Ronald, puréeing a portion of the same makes it creamy without adding any cream. Without it, the soup will just be more chunky, and hardly creamy. I always try to keep my dishes/equipment use to a minimum but I really think it is worth it here!
Jaime
I just made it (delish!) and did not puree it – I had planned to use an immersion blender for that purpose (no mess) but simply forgot. However, the canned beans were very soft so it still seemed somewhat creamy. FYI, I cooked everything for only 15 minutes, not 30, and got great results. My one modification was to add some chopped red bell pepper, just because I had it on hand.
ErikB
Ronald, using a blender to purée a part of this and many other soups/chili’s on this site is so worth the few extra minutes to clean a blender jar!
K
Great soup! My only changes were to add a sweet potato and a dash of smoky paprika. I can see why this soup made the top ten list for your 2016 recipes.
Kate
:) Thanks so much! And yep, this one is definitely a reader favorite.
Lavanya
So delicious! We made a big batch and froze it…has been great to enjoy on dreary days when we don’t want to cook! It turned out quite thick though, so I plan to make again as a bean dip rather than soup. Very flavorful!
Kate
It’s great for rainy days, and the kick certainly warms you up :) Thanks, Lavanya!
Thomas Foster
I just read through your spicy black bean soup recipe, and I think I will use it for a dinner party in two weeks. I will let you know how it turns out, thank you for your website. If you have added to the recipe in any way please let me know. My best…
Kate
Definitely report back, Thomas! And nope, I haven’t changed this one at all. But, you may want to glance over some of the comments, and see if you find a helpful tip/trick hiding in there.
Shoshana
Hi
If I want to use fresh beans -not out of the can. what are the instructions?
Kate
Hey, Shoshana. Fresh beans are going to take a lot more time and prep, because you’ll want to soak them overnight and then cook them prior to starting the directions here. The Kitchn has great, simple directions for cooking beans from scratch. Let me know how it works out!
Shoshana
i have a pressure pot so-no biggie:)
I’ll try it out this weekend and let you know…
Shoshana
Excellent!
As i live abroad i used lemon ( lime is not very common here) i was also powndering about sherry vinegar substitutes as i have balsamic and regular vinegar so i added a small amount of sherrt liqure ( shery hering)…
The soup has a small sweet flavor from the sherry but still great!
Amy
My husband declared it the best black bean soup I’ve ever made. Thanks for a great recipe that the whole family enjoyed. I added about one cup of extra broth because I prefer it a little thinner.
Kate
YES! I’ll wait for my certificate of achievement in the mail :) haha! Thanks, Amy.
Marcia
If i wanted to make this with dry beans, do I just soak the beans and then cook the whole thing until the beans are tender? Thanks! marcia in colorado
Kate
Hi, Marcia. You’ll want to cook the beans prior to adding them to this soup (canned beans are already cooked). So simply follow the directions, cook the beans entirely, then use them as you would canned beans in this recipe.
Amanda
Another recipe that my entire family loved!!!! I added a bell pepper to mine…
Kate
Yum! Sounds awesome.
Terri Rieser
This was a great soup. I did it all in the crock pot and let it go over night. Great flavor. Do you know the size of a serving? It days 6-8 servings but I wanted to calculate calories.
Debbie
This soup was fabulous. So tasty. I made it with dry beans instead of canned and it was fine. Making the Spice Lentil soup tomorrow.
Kate
Great! Let me know how the Lentil Soup goes :)
Teena
Made it, learning to cook and love it, your pics are amazing! Thanks for the share :)
Kate
You’re welcome, Teena!
Christine
Hello ! I’m new here, but excited to try your kale/quiona soup today and also stumbled upon this black bean soup – excited to try that too! Love your addition of avocaodes and ideas for side dishes…..my question is – if I start with dry beans – can you suggest an adaptation or should I just cook the beans separate and use them already cooked – as if out of the can??? Thank you!
Kate
Hi Christine! I would probably cook the beans separately, just because I’m not sure on timing/liquid amounts for cooking it all together.
Christine
thank you – really enjoying your blog – thanks for sharing your talents with all of us!
Emilie
I made half a batch to try it. Wish I’d made the full batch. :)
anne meissner
I made this tonight….delicious!
I added a chipotle en adobe for extra heat.
I like a lot of beans, so next time I’d add either one more can, or cut back on the broth by a cup.
Love the addition of the fresh lime juice and cilantro
Regina
Working to fill my freezer with healthy grab and go lunches for my husband and me and this recipe was great. I made it as is, with 6 cups home cooked black beans. Delicious!! I ate it with chopped avocado and a crispy toasted corn tortilla.
Kate
I love eating this with something crunchy on top, too. Thanks, Regina!
Colleen
I made this soup today, and am having it for lunch, just delicious. I used beans that I had cooked from a package of dry beans the day before. Just the right amount of spice for me and the lime juice and cilantro make it taste so fresh. I will definitely be making this again.
Kate
Wonderful! Thanks, Colleen.
Mel
Hi Kate! We recently went vegan and I am SO happy I found your recipe today! I just heard my dad yell from the other room- I LOVE THIS SOUP!!!! Nothing left between the three of us. EXCELLENT! Wouldn’t change a thing! THx Kate!!
Kate
Haha! That image made me laugh. I’m so happy everyone enjoys it!
Alicia
I used red bell pepper and jalapeño instead of the carrots and celery that I sautéed with the onions for a more Mexican flair. This was a simple flavorful recipe. Thanks!
Kate
That sounds spicy and delicious, Alicia!
Georgiana
Just made this after baking your amazing banana muffins and. It. Is. Incredible!
Only had one tin of black beans but it worked really well with pinto beans. Also added some cinnamon, paprika and chilli powder and some portobello mushrooms and spinach at the end. The fiancé said it’s “one of the best meals you’ve ever made”.
He’s currently on his second bowl and has shotgunned it for dinner tomorrow night! Cheeky. Consistency was great.
Thank you for such a delicious and healthy recipe. What a super star.
Kate
This is so kind, Georgiana! I’m so glad the two of you enjoyed it. :)
Carlos Woolgar
I made it today for my vegan daughter and my vegetarian daughter. They both loved it! I made the beans fresh in the pressure cooker, so did not used canned. Other than that I followed the recipe to a tee, and I got a very yummy and hearty soup. Five stars from me!
Kate
Thanks so much, Carlos!
Suzanne Thurston
Hi…I am new to vegetarian and kapha ayurvedic cooking. I made this in my slow cooker and it is awesome.
I chose to saute the spices in the olive oil, add the veggies and stir into the spices. In the meantime I had the beans started on soup/stew, 6 hours on high.
I added all the veg and spices and came home to a wonderful meal.
Thank you so much for making my “new way of eating” something yummy and healthy that I look forward to! Who knew?
PS: the program will only allow me to rate this a 3 star but I give it a 5
Kate
This is such a kind comment, Suzanne! I’m so glad my recipes could make this new journey a little easier and more exciting for you.
Natalie
Just made this tonight and it was wonderful! Thank you for this great recipe, we’ll definitely be making it again :)
Kate
Great to hear that, Natalie! Thanks.
Shannon
I made this soup last night and absolutely loved it. I added more red pepper flake because I love spicy. I added cilantro cheese and tortilla chips as a garnish. Avocado and salsa would be delicious too. I took it to work and my co-workers want the recipe because the loved it so much. Thank you.
Kate
Thanks, Shannon! So glad this was such a hit.
Aaron T
I am eating this right now. Yummo!
I doubled the red pepper and used rice vinegar because I couldn’t find sherry vinegar. So good. Thinking about trying it with the spiced beans to add a little more kick.
Kate
Yum! So glad you enjoyed it, Aaron.
Maura
This was wonderful! I did make it in the slow cooker and it turned out to be delicious! I followed the exact same steps as in this recipe and then just left everything in the slow cooker for 6 hours on my slow cooker’s “low” setting. I always get the best results with soups in the slow cooker.
Next time I think I will try it with dry black beans to change the texture slightly.
Kate
Thanks for the slow cooker notes, Maura! That’ll definitely help other readers in the future.
Ryan Black
Hm I’m one of the only boys commenting here. They sure are missing out! Third time making; this is so good and can be both a soup OR a chip dip. I don’t know much about cooking procedures and since you’ve proven to be someone to trust I’m learning a lot. Could you please do a tomato bisque soup??
Kate
Ryan, thank you! So glad you’re enjoying the soup. I actually have a tomato soup recipe in my cookbook, Love Real Food! It’s rich and creamy, but there’s no cream in it. :)
abyrne
Kate I need your help!
First of all- I love this soup. It’s so delicious and chock full of flavor and I’ve made it probably once a month since I found it.
In an effort to make all of my recipes healthier I’ve sworn off canned beans and now make them myself from the dry bean. Also, I have begun making my own vegetable broth.
Yesterday I subbed my beans and stock in this recipe… and it’s not good :( It tastes like bean water. I upped all the spices, even added a few additional to try and give it a punch (chili powder, Worcestershire) and it’s still not very good.
I know the sodium content probably got cut down by 70% from the beans and broth but I can’t imagine just adding salt would fix this. Any help is appreciated, I don’t want to lose this recipe :(
Megan
Love this recipe! I’ve made this multiple times for the family… it never disappoints! We normally top it with avocado, cilantro, & green onions and it tastes great.
Kate
Great! :) Thanks, Megan.
Maggie
I threw together a spur of the moment 4th of July party for 15 people, starting to plan only at 9pm on the third. Most of the menu was pretty easy, but I needed dishes for the people with celiacs, dairy protein allergy, tomato allergy, (like can’t even roam the smallest cross contamination type severe), and vegetarian people. I googled in a bit of a panic and landed here. This recipe was extremely easy and everybody with all those different dietary needs could all eat it. I did have to eliminate the vegetable broth as I couldn’t fine one without tomato, but it really wasn’t necessary. I just used water and a little extra of each of the onion, celery, and carrots and let it simmer for a bit longer than directed. It was an absolute hit and all my guests were asking to take some home and wanted the recipe. I am so glad I stumbled onto this page.
Kate
Ah, you are such a kind friend, making sure everyone’s needs are met! I’m so glad this fit the bill and turned out to be a hit. Thanks for commenting, Maggie!
charity
This soup is great for a light summer meal as well. It is delicious, really great flavor with the combination of veggies and spices. I just had it with guacamole and tortilla chips on the side.
Kate
Thanks, Charity! The garnishes send it over the top.
John from Montreal
I am the Slow Cooker Soup maker in the house hold. I combine the soup ingredients in the morning and serve them as a start to supper. Currently we have six people in our home: Japanese, Taiwanese, English, young, middle aged and very old. The Spicy Black Bean Soup is a favourite with everyone. My wife said it was one of the best soups I have ever made. We add cilantro and serve with tortilla chips for crunch. We also add a dollop of Greek yogurt to round out the flavours. P.S. The soupis also great the next day for lunch. Cheers,
Kate
Thank you, John! I’m so glad this was a hit with your diverse household. :)
Fiona
Made this last night for the first time and it was so delicious that I’m making it again tonight! I’ve made a few other black bean soup recipes in the past and was always disappointed. This one is so simple and so tasty – it’s black bean magic ;)
Kate
Thank you, Fiona! Black bean magic should be its new title! :)
Marfanne
Haven’t made it yet but will — it looks great. One quibble: the link to “Nutritional Information” brings up only the standard disclaimer. I’m sure that’s an oversight, please correct it–some of us really pay attention to this information. Thanks!
Kate
Hey, Marfanne! Sorry about the glitch with the nutritional info–I’m trying to figure out what’s going on with it. What browser are you using? Chrome, Safari, Firefox, etc.?
Paul Wallen
Hi, I was wondering if you might have a recommendation for a mild, not-spicy version of this soup? I’m very sensitive to spicy food but love black beans and soup! (PS: I just discovered your blog this weekend and made the steel cut oats recipe, they turned out awesome!)
Kate
Hi Paul! Just omit the red pepper flakes.
mary
best black bean soup i’ve ever had. Thank you!
Kate
That’s great to hear, Mary!
Kate
I really appreciate your review and feedback, Mary! I am happy to hear you enjoyed it so much!
Madi
Love this review! Any idea how many cups per serving size?
Kate
I’m guessing about 1.5? Sorry for the confusion!
Ann Marie
Delicious! Made this for dinner on a blustery fall evening. I arrived home with groceries in hand at 6:30 and dinner on the table by 7:25, so this was fairly quick. Made the recipe exactly as written, with the addition of a giant sweet potato. I added the potato near the end of the veggie cooking time, but before I added the beans and broth. Turned out perfectly!! Served with some crusty sourdough bread, sour cream, and avocado. Love this recipe – thank you!
Rhonda
Seriously the BEST black bean super ever!
Kate
Thank you, Rhonda! I really appreciate the review.
Burt
I added finely chopped spinach to mine and some white rice
Amir Najam Sethit
It looks so delicious and yummy..! And also healthy soup. Thank you for sharing this healthy recipe.
Kate
You are welcome!
Bre
This soup was phenomenal! It is so easy, I have already made it twice and I’m craving the half I just put in the freezer. THANK YOU!
Kate
You are welcome! I love that you have made it twice already. Win! Thank you, for your review.
Evie
The half-blended step works so so well!! It makes this soup so deliciously and with the lime and coriander it just makes this dish so tasty. I omit the spice as I can’t deal with spice and it’s still so good. I must have made 20 portions of this soup since I found it a few months ago!
Kate
Thank you for sharing your experience, Evie!
Kerry
I’ve made this soup about 5 times and love it. I always add a teaspoon of freshly ground coriander (from whole seeds) and a can of cream style corn- so delicious and simple!
Kate
I love that! Thanks Kerry.
Barbara
I am a new fan of you and Cookie. It seems I am late getting to know you as I have lots of friends who use your recipes a lot. The black bean soup is dee-vicious and easy to make…I have made your slaw as well and what a hit! I want to try everything!!
Amy
I made this soup tonight for dinner. It was delicious! So filling as well. I added one jalapeño to the veggies and a little bit of paprika and chipotle chili powder just to add some spice. I served with a “toppings bar” including cojita cheese, avocado, sour cream and tortilla chips. My husband and teenage girls really liked this as well. I will definitely be adding this to my dinner rotations!! Thanks for the healthy and delicious recipe.
Kate
I love the idea of the toppings bar! So fun. Thank you for sharing what you did. If you would want to leave a star review since you liked it so much, that would be great!
Amy
Oops! Cotija cheese :)
Kate
I knew what you meant :)
Edee
Oh my goodness!!! Fantastic soup! Filling and hearty! Both my husband and I love this delicious soup. Served it up with blue chips and avocado humus! Simple to make. Thank you for this new staple to our menu ❤
Kate
So great! Thank you, Edee for sharing and for the review.
Gretchen
We made your delicious soup tonight and it’s a hit. Going into the “to be cooked again” pinterest folder. Thank you!
Kate
Hooray! I love that you have ‘to be cooked again’ folder. Genius! Thanks so much for the review, Gretchen.
ErikB
I save every recipe I’ve made from you, Kate, in an app I have on my iPad mini called “Paprika”. (The mini on a stand makes for a great kitchen friendly cookbook). Seems most of my favorite recipes are from you!
Samantha Mogabgab
Hello!
I made this and it was delicious! I will say mine came out a lot soupier than your pictures look and I was wondering if you had a tip for the next time I make it. I tried pureeing more of the soup but it didn’t quite get to that thickness.
Thank you!
Kate
Only blend about 4 cups of the soup. You don’t want to blend all of it. That will get the same thickness. I hope this helps!
Kim
I made this soup last night and it was amazing. The only thing I did differently was add 1 more can of black beans. Will definitely make it again. Thank you!
Kate
You’re welcome! Thank you, Kim for the comment. :)
Chelsea Toston
This soup was absolutely perfect! I made it while I was sick and it was exactly what I needed! I added a little bit of chili powder in addition to the other spices, and topped it with avocado, sliced radishes, cilantro, and some shredded cheese. Will absolutely make it again! And my vegan fiance asked me to add it to our favorites list :)
Kate
I’m glad it helped make you feel a little better! Being sick is the worst. I appreciate your review, Chelsea.
Sarah
I have made this a few times now and it is delicious every time. A plus that it is so easy to prepare.
Kate
That’s great! Thank you, Sarah.
annalew722
So delicious and easy to make! Definitely will be a staple in this house
Kate
Great to hear! Thanks for sharing.
Tina Mizhir
I used dried beans and kept adding water. I cooked it uncovered for hours. As a soup it was really, really good. I reheated it a few times and as it cooked down and thickened I then added some cheese and used it as a dip and it was even better! Definitely a keeper!
In the future I will definitely pre-cook beans and freeze in the same size as a can as it seems hard to find recipes with dried beans but I think the long simmering only improved the flavor!
Thanks this one makes in into my cook book :)
Amy
I found that if I am using dried beans, I soak in hot water for an hour and cook in pressure cooker for 30 mins to achieve the softness level I prefer. Soaking overnight in cold water works too but I personally don’t like that option.
Bobbi
My husband is vegetarian and whenever I give him a list of recipe options (“which sounds better: x, y or z?”), if this black bean soup is one of them, he picks it every time. When time allows I make a pot of black beans the day before and use 6-8 cups of cooked beans instead of canned. Doesn’t change the flavor, just reduces trash. We always freeze a few portions for later use and those are great days to pull something this good out of the freezer. Also love the idea of another reader to include nonfat greek yogurt with the toppings. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Kate
That’s great to hear, Bobbi! It’s so good and simple, which I think is one of the best parts. Thanks for sharing your approach and for the review!
Courtney
Hi Kate! I haven’t used dried beans much in cooking but would like to try using them for this recipe. If so, how would you adapt the recipe to use dried black beans?
Kate
I would prepare the beans prior to making this recipe. Follow the instructions on the bag. They usually need to soak overnight. Then you can just use this recipe as is. Hope that helps!
Courtney
Thanks Kate! I’ll let you know how it goes. :)
Karen Kc
I soak my dried beans for just a few hours, then cook in a pressure cooker for 30 min. Works beautifully every time.
Courtney
If using dried beans, what amount should I soak to be equivalent to the four cans of black beans? I read 1.5 cups per can. Does that sound correct?
Kate
That sounds about right!
Amy
I always make this bean soup with brown/red beans and as you noted, the color of the black beans put me off making it with black beans. I am going to give it a try this weekend by reducing the quantity of the recipe … 1 can of beans rather than 4. If I like it, I can then make more. Like you, I usually freeze my red/brown bean soup for ease of use, and I garnish with sweet baked squash or ripe sweet plantain.
Kate
Thank you, Amy for sharing.
Angela Z
We adore this soup at our house! Kids and adults! My hubby is a big time carnivore, so I cook some chorizo separately for him to add to his. I also add some chopped fresh jalapeño to the veggies while they sauté if I have them on hand. So easy and so delicious!
Kate
I’m glad it can be enjoyed by the whole family!
Iain
You asked for comments on how it turned out in a slow cooker.
Since I planned to use a slow cooker, I used dried beans, soaked overnight, and guessed at 5 cups (soaked) as the equivalent of 4 cans of beans + liquid. Other than that, I followed the recipe precisely, up to the point of simmering, then dumped everything into the slow cooker on low and left it for about 10 hours. I finished it the same way, pureeing the soup and returning it with the slow cooker on high.
I can’t compare it to the stove top version, but it was wonderful. The beans hadn’t turned to mush, and the flavor was perfect. This was the fourth or fifth recipe I’ve tried from your blog, and every one has been excellent. It’s time to buy the book.
Kate
Thank you for sharing how you did it in the slow cooker!