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Bowl of black bean soup topped with sour cream, diced red onion, and chopped scallions. A few tortilla chips are on the side of the soup.

Black Bean Soup

This flavorful black bean soup is quick to make and nicely filling. It’s perfect for a weeknight meal. From start to finish, it takes about an hour to prepare. Most of the work is hands-off, since the soup simmers for 30 minutes.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 3 medium carrots, peeled and diced (about 1 ½ cups diced)
  • 2 stalks celery, diced (about 1 cup diced)
  • 1 medium onion, diced (about 1 cup diced)
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced or put through a garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)
  • 2 teaspoons chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • ½ teaspoon salt, see note
  • 3 (15 ounce) cans no-salt added black beans, rinsed, see note
  • 1 (7 ounce) or 2 (4 ounce) cans diced green chiles, mild, medium, or hot
  • 6 cups water or chicken broth, plus more as needed
  • 2 teaspoons chicken base, Better than Bouillon recommended

Instructions

  1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add the carrots, celery, and onions. Cook until the onions begin to soften, about five minutes. Stir frequently while it cooks. Add the minced garlic, chili powder, cumin, and salt. Stir to combine and cook for an additional minute.

  2. Add the black beans, diced chiles, water, and chicken base. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil. When it reaches a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 30 minutes or until all the vegetables are soft. Stir the soup occasionally as it cooks.

  3. You can serve it right away or puree it.

    To puree with an immersion blender: Carefully place an immersion blender into the pot. Make sure the soup covers the base of the blender where the blade sits. Run it in short, 5-second bursts. Move the blender around the pot of soup until it's the consistency you like.

    To puree with a blender: To safely use a blender, ladle the hot soup into a blender until it's ⅓ to ½ full. Never fill a blender more than halfway with hot soup. Remove the center of the blender lid and cover with a towel. Run the blender until the soup is smooth. Repeat until all the soup is blended.

    If the soup is too thick, add an additional cup of water or broth.

  4. Store the leftover soup in the refrigerator for up to three days. Freeze the cooled soup for up to three months.

    This soup thickens when stored. When reheating, you might want to add a splash of water until it's the consistency you like. Reheat soup to 165℉

Recipe Notes

Salt: The salt is a suggested amount based on using no-salt added black beans and water. If you use canned beans that include salt and salted chicken broth, you might want to reduce the salt. Taste the soup once it simmers and then adjust the salt to taste.

Beans: I like to rinse my black beans before using them. This is optional. If you’re using canned beans with sodium, rinsing removes some of the salt.