Easy Black Bean Soup Recipe - Isabel Eats (2024)

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Author:

Isabel

Published:

March 19, 2019

This post contains affiliate links. See disclosure policy.

This easy black bean soup recipe is made with canned black beans, tomatoes, onions, garlic, and a blend of simple spices. It’s a healthy vegetarian and vegan meal that will satisfy everyone!

Easy Black Bean Soup Recipe - Isabel Eats (1)

This easy black bean soup recipe is one of the healthiest, tastiest, and most inexpensive meals I’ve ever made!

Naturally gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan, this soup is made with 3 cans of black beans, diced tomatoes, onions, garlic, and a simple blend of spices that everyone has in their kitchen.

From start to finish, this recipe takes only 40 minutes to make, including prep time. It makes about 6 dinner servings or 8-10 side servings, making this an excellent option for healthy weeknight meals!

My husband and I eat beans about 3 times a week; this recipe is always at the top of our list. I know you’re going to love it!

Love beans, too? Try these 25 bean recipes using dried or canned beans.

Easy Black Bean Soup Recipe - Isabel Eats (2)

Tips for making Black Bean Soup

Sauté the onions, garlic and tomatoes until the onions have softened and are translucent. This will really help to bring out some of the creamy, rich flavors of the onions while infusing everything with that delicious garlic taste.

Stir in the spices and seasonings and saute them with the onion mixture for about 4 minutes. This will lightly toast some of the spices, which will help intensify and deepen those flavors.

Adjust the amount of red pepper flakes to your liking. If you are sensitive to spicy foods, you can leave out the red pepper flakes completely. If you want this to be a really spicy black bean soup, I recommend doubling the amount!

Use an immersion blender for easy and safe blending. Blending hot soups can be a little tricky. If you can, I recommend using an immersion blender to blend the soup directly in the pot. But if you only have a stand blender, carefullytransfer some of the soup into a large blender using a ladle and blend until smooth. Then return the pureed soup to the pot and stir. Make sure not to fill your stand blender past the max fill line, or you may have a soup explosion.

If you only add one additional topping, I recommend squeezing in some fresh lime juice. It adds a punch of brightness and acidity that compliments the creamy and savory black beans so well!

Easy Black Bean Soup Recipe - Isabel Eats (3)

Storing and Freezing

This soup can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days in an air-tight container.

To freeze, cool the soup completely in the fridge. Once chilled, scoop into freezer-safe zip-top bags or containers and freeze. When ready to eat, let frozen container thaw completely in the fridge or defrost in the microwave. Reheat on the stove or in the microwave until completely warm.

More Recipes to Try

Enfrijoladas
Charro Beans
Refried Beans
Quinoa Black Bean Chili
Bean and Cheese Burritos

4.82 from 59 votes

Easy Black Bean Soup

servings: 6 servings

Print Pin Review Save

Prep: 10 minutes minutes

Cook: 30 minutes minutes

Total: 40 minutes minutes

This Easy Black Bean Soup recipe is made with canned black beans, tomatoes, onions, garlic and a simple blend of flavorful spices. Healthy and filling!

Video

Ingredients

▢ 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
▢ 1 large onion, diced
▢ 2 large plum tomatoes, chopped (about 1.5 cups)
▢ 2 teaspoons minced garlic (about 4 cloves)
▢ 2 teaspoons dried oregano
▢ 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
▢ 1 teaspoon dried thyme
▢ 1 teaspoon ground cumin
▢ 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, plus more if you prefer it extra spicy
▢ 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
▢ 3 15-ounce cans black beans, drained and rinsed*
▢ 2 1/2 cups vegetable broth (or chicken broth)
▢ optional toppings: diced avocados, queso fresco, chopped cilantro, fresh lime juice, sour cream

Instructions

Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven or pot over medium-high heat until shimmering.
Add the onions, tomatoes and garlic. Cook until onions soften and become translucent, about 5 minutes.
Add oregano, salt, thyme, cumin, red pepper flakes and black pepper. Stir and cook for another 4 minutes until very fragrant.
Add black beans, broth and stir to mix. Cover and cook for 15 minutes. The soup will be boiling by the end.
Uncover and carefully blend the soup with ahand held immersion blenderuntil it reaches your desired consistency. If you don’t have an immersion blender, carefully transfer some of the soup into a large blender using a ladle and blend until smooth. Then return the pureed soup to the pot and stir.
Cook uncovered for another 5-10 minutes, until the soup reaches your preferred thickness. If you cook it too long and want to thin it out, add in more broth.
Season with more salt to taste and serve with optional toppings like diced avocados, queso fresco, chopped cilantro and sour cream..

Notes

To make using dried beans, you’ll need 1 1/2 cups dried beans (or 3/4 lb), about 4 1/2 cups cooked. Cook them according to package instructions or visit this post for further instructions.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 250kcal (13%), Carbohydrates: 37g (12%), Protein: 11g (22%), Fat: 4g (6%), Saturated Fat: 0g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Trans Fat: 0g, Cholesterol: 0mg, Sodium: 468mg (20%), Potassium: 845mg (24%), Fiber: 8g (32%), Sugar: 6g (7%), Vitamin A: 200IU (4%), Vitamin C: 23.1mg (28%), Calcium: 60mg (6%), Iron: 2.7mg (15%)

Author: Isabel Orozco-Moore

Category: Mexican

Chris
February 29, 2024

Awesome! Thank You
Reply
Tara
January 31, 2024

Excellent!
Reply
Lea
January 20, 2024
I eat alot of soup & never thought to make black bean soup.
This is delicious & has gone into my recipe book!
For dessert I served Black Bean Brownies with ice cream.
What a wonderful dessert!! THANK YOU for these two winning recepies.
Reply
Nancy
January 6, 2024

Best black bean soup by far! The flavor is amazing! I did substitute a 15oz can of diced tomatoes for the plum tomatoes and only used 1/2 an onion.
Also added diced carrots and celery when cooking the onions.
Reply
Liz
December 17, 2023
This is my all time favorite vegetarian soup! I make it once a week. My family loves it! Thanks for such a yummy recipe
Reply
Liz
September 21, 2023

This is my go to recipe when I need a quick delicious dinner! Love this recipe exactly how it’s written.
Reply
Laurie
July 9, 2023

Another home run! Incredibly flavorful! When I told my hubby that we were having black bean soup for dinner, he was underwhelmed. When he tasted it, it blew his mind. We both had seconds! Soooo good! We garnished with avocado, lime and cilantro. Top notch! Thanks again for another perfect recipe!
Reply
See Also
Our 20 Most Popular Soup Recipes of All Time
1. Ana @ Isabel Eats
  July 10, 2023
  Thank you Laurie!
  Reply
Taylor Gussman
June 27, 2023

Holy freaking yum city! Made this by the recipe but added some garbanzo beans and cream of chicken soup, and a can of fire roasted diced tomatoes. Even my very picky eaters gobbled this up and were asking for more immediately. Thank you for sharing!
Reply
1. Ana @ Isabel Eats
  June 27, 2023
  That sounds delicious! Thanks for sharing!
  Reply
J
June 4, 2023
This is a wonderful recipe for black bean soup. I am making it again. My husband and our friends thought it was fabulous. I puréed it for a friend who had a lot of dental work done and cannot eat solid food. He loved the high protein meal. Be careful and don’t add salt until you taste first. Ours came out too salty because I used Goya black beans and chicken broth that were heavily salted.
Reply
Elizabeth
May 21, 2023

I make this recipe for a week of lunches. I have been making it for years. Love it!!
Reply
Lori
April 6, 2023

Loved it! My husband is not usually a fan of meals without meat but he was pleasantly surprised. He even said if I purée all of it and make it a little thicker it will make a great dip. May be trying that next. 😃
Reply
Alex
March 22, 2023
Fantastic soup-great flavor! Made this for dinner and the family loved it. Probably blended 3/4 of the soup, leaving enough beans and tomatoes to get it great texture. Definitely going in the meal rotation. Thank you!
Reply
Nancy S. Wacker
March 16, 2023

Really tasty. I loved it. Will definitely be making this again. I didn’t have any tomatoes so I used a can of fire roasted tomatoes.
Reply
1. Alex
  March 22, 2023
  I also did not have fresh tom’s so sub a can of fire roasted. Added even more flavor.
  Reply
Kathy P.
February 27, 2023

Yum! Easy, quick and delicious! Not a hot pepper fan so cut it back some.
Reply
Christine
November 1, 2022

Wow! I was pleasantly surprised with the bold flavors of this soup even with such few ingredients. Absolutely delicious and just the right amount of kick! I’ll be making this again. Thank you. 😊
Reply
Carol Mirto
February 26, 2022

Very much enjoyed the Black Bean Soup. Did not use the red pepper flakes, everything else as written. All the recipes I have tried have been added to my “do again” collection. Thank you !!
Reply
Rick
February 26, 2022

I’ve made many bean soups from recipes on the internet, this’d one is the only one I saved #@isabeleats
Reply
1. Ana @ Isabel Eats
  February 28, 2022
  Thank you Rick!
  Reply
Lea Ahaesy
January 17, 2022

I like it but I changed it a bit only because my husband is a little fussy so Instead of puree I add kale and garbanzo beans to the black beans too. It is yummy. Thank you for your recipe.
Reply

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FAQs

What is the closest bean to black beans? ›

Kidney beans have a similar texture to black beans and provide a creaminess to dishes. Their flavor is slightly different, but they make for a great substitute. Where to find it: You can get them canned or dried at. nearly any grocery store or find kidney beans on Amazon.

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Can I replace kidney beans with black beans? ›

Kidney Beans

They hold their shape and don't break down as easily. They are mild in flavor and taste different than black beans but will work well as an alternative! Red kidney beans are a wonderful alternative to black beans when making recipes such as chili, stew, and even bean salads.

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How do you thicken 10 bean soup? ›

To thicken the broth in bean soup, you can try the following methods:

Mashing a Portion of Beans: Gently mash a portion of the cooked beans against the side of the pot. ...
Addition of Cornstarch or Flour: Create a slurry by mixing equal parts cornstarch or flour with water. ...
Use of Potato Flakes or Mash.

Apr 15, 2016

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Beans are an excellent source of nutrients and offer numerous health benefits. They're a great of plant-based protein, fiber, iron and antioxidants. Eating beans on a regular basis can help in maintaining a healthy weight, reducing the risk of chronic diseases and supporting your gut health.

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Both black beans and kidney beans are excellent sources of fiber and protein, but each are distinct from one another in appearance, taste, Black beans are rich in folate, magnesium, and iron, while kidney beans excel in potassium, calcium, and phosphorus content.

What's a good substitute for black beans? ›

Kidney beans are a great choice to replace black beans in many recipes. Rich in calcium, iron, magnesium, and potassium, just like black beans, they are also similar in flavor and texture. While kidney beans are slightly milder and softer than black beans, they are still the best substitute for black beans.

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Are black beans better for you than pinto? ›

Nutritional Value in Pinto and Black Beans

Pinto and black beans are extremely similar in their nutritional values. They both offer protein, fiber, calories, iron, vitamin B1 and more. However, pinto beans have slightly more calories, carbs, fiber and fat content.

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Why are black beans healthier than other beans? ›

The fiber, potassium, folate, vitamin B6, and phytonutrient content of black beans, coupled with its lack of cholesterol, all support heart health. This fiber helps lower the total amount of cholesterol in the blood and decrease the risk of heart disease.

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Are black beans good for you? ›

Are Black Beans Good for You? The nutrition profile of black beans is impressive. Black beans are naturally gluten-free and vegan, and high in both protein and fiber. They are loaded with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, and have been linked to reductions in disease risk, according to a 2022 review in Nutrients.

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What is the healthiest soup thickener? ›

Add a starchy vegetable like squash, pumpkin, sweet potato or white potato to your soup and let it simmer. The most straightforward way to thicken soup is to puree these vegetables using an immersion blender. But you do not have to do anything to them. Simply add and the starch will cook down to thicken your soup.

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Why is my bean soup so watery? ›

Sometimes soup just needs to simmer longer to reach the perfect consistency. Check to see if the vegetables are tender, and then taste the broth. If the soup tastes a bit watery, give it more time.

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Heavy cream

Use heavy cream as a keto-friendly thickening option for your soups and broths. Heavy cream has more fat than regular whole milk, so you can add it to your soup recipes without worrying about it curdling.

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Why does my bean soup have no flavor? ›

Not Adding Acid

If a soup is tasting bland in the bowl, consider adding acid rather than salt. A squeeze of lemon or lime, or a dash of yogurt or sour cream can add brightness to the bowl.

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Can you eat bean soup everyday? ›

In conclusion, beans are a versatile and incredibly nutritious food that can benefit both your body and mind. Regular consumption of beans has been linked to a reduced risk of obesity, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer, while also aiding in controlling blood sugar levels and promoting digestive health.

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What kind of beans are black beans? ›

Black beans are classified as legumes. Also known as turtle beans because of their hard, shell-like appearance, black beans are, in fact, the edible seeds of the plant.

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Are pinto beans the same as black beans? ›

While both beans are delicious and nutritional, there are some key differences between the two. Pinto beans are larger, softer and creamier than black beans. Pinto beans are usually light brown with spots; in fact, “pinto” is Spanish for “painted,” as this bean has a painted appearance.

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Are black beans the same as cannellini beans? ›

If a recipe calls for white beans, you can use Great Northern beans, navy beans, or white kidney beans (also called cannellini beans). Black Beans are medium-size, oval-shaped beans with matte black skin. Black beans are sweet-tasting with a soft texture.

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Do black beans and pinto beans taste the same? ›

Black beans are described as having a sweet and slightly earthy or mushroom flavor that cook well with chilis, garlic, cumin, and onion. Pinto beans, on the other hand, are described as having a nuttier, subtler flavor that takes on more of the flavor of whatever it's paired with.