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Hearty 30-Minute Black Bean Soup

A creamy, flavorful, and incredibly easy black bean soup that's ready in 30 minutes, budget-friendly, and packed with protein and fiber.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Course, Soup
Cuisine: American, Mexican-Inspired
Calories: 320

Ingredients
  

Soup Base
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 large yellow onion diced
  • 1 red bell pepper diced
  • 2 large carrots diced
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 0.5 tsp smoked paprika
  • 0.25 tsp cayenne pepper optional
  • 3 15-oz cans black beans rinsed and drained
  • 4 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 15-oz can diced tomatoes undrained
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • salt and black pepper to taste
Garnish
  • fresh cilantro chopped
  • lime wedges
  • diced avocado
  • sour cream optional
  • tortilla chips

Equipment

  • Large Pot or Dutch Oven
  • Chef’s knife
  • Cutting board
  • Blender or Immersion Blender

Method
 

  1. In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, and carrots. Sauté for 6-8 minutes, until softened.
  2. Add the garlic, cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, and cayenne. Stir constantly and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
  3. Add two cans of black beans, vegetable broth, diced tomatoes, bay leaf, and oregano. Stir to combine.
  4. Carefully ladle about 3 cups of the soup into a blender. Blend until smooth (see note about hot liquids). Pour the blended soup back into the pot.
  5. Add the remaining can of whole black beans. Bring the soup back to a simmer and cook for 10-15 minutes for flavors to meld.
  6. Remove the bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot with desired garnishes like cilantro, lime, avocado, and tortilla chips.

Notes

For safe blending of hot soup, remove the center cap from the blender lid and cover the hole with a kitchen towel to allow steam to escape. An immersion blender is a safer and easier alternative.