Description
This easy black bean soup recipe is a hearty, flavorful dish combining fire-roasted tomatoes, black beans, and smoky spices. Perfect for a quick weeknight meal or casual entertaining, it’s both comforting and nutritious with options for fresh toppings like avocado, sour cream, and cilantro.
Ingredients
Scale
Sauté Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
Main Soup Ingredients
- 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 (14 ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes with juices
- 3 (14 ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (4 ounce) can diced green chilies with juices
- 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- Salt and pepper to taste
Toppings (Optional)
- Chopped cilantro
- Sour cream
- Tortilla strips
- Avocado, sliced
Instructions
- Sauté Aromatics: Heat the olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook for 5-7 minutes until the onion is soft and translucent. Stir in the minced garlic and sauté for an additional 1-2 minutes, until fragrant.
- Add Main Ingredients: Pour in the chicken or vegetable broth, fire-roasted diced tomatoes with their juices, black beans, diced green chilies with juices, and chopped red bell pepper. Stir in the chili powder, smoked paprika, and ground cumin. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and let it simmer for 8-10 minutes to blend flavors.
- Blend Soup: Use an immersion blender to puree most of the soup directly in the pot, leaving some texture so the soup remains slightly chunky. If you don’t have an immersion blender, blend in batches in a regular blender, then return to the pot.
- Season and Finish: Stir in the lime juice, then season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for a couple more minutes to warm through.
- Serve: Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with your choice of chopped cilantro, sour cream, tortilla strips, and avocado slices. Enjoy warm.
Notes
- Use vegetable broth to keep the soup vegetarian or vegan; otherwise, chicken broth adds a richer flavor.
- For a spicier kick, add extra diced green chilies or a pinch of cayenne pepper.
- The soup can be made ahead and reheated, flavors often improve after resting overnight.
- Freeze leftovers in airtight containers for up to 3 months.
- To make the soup gluten-free, ensure broth and toppings like tortilla strips are certified gluten-free.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Sautéing, Simmering, Blending
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 220
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 480mg
- Fat: 5g
- Saturated Fat: 0.7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3.3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 35g
- Fiber: 10g
- Protein: 12g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
Keywords: black bean soup, easy soup recipe, vegetarian soup, healthy black bean soup, quick dinner, hearty soup
