Black Bean Soup

Published February 25, 2024

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The tastiest Black Bean Soup! It’s a hearty, nutritious soup made with plenty of black beans, a fair amount of veggies, plus bacon for a boost of flavor, and lots of satisfying toppings. This soup is an easy, delicious way to upgrade those otherwise boring and plain canned black beans.

Serving of homemade black bean soup topped with tomatoes, avocado and cilantro.

Easy Black Bean Soup

This black bean soup is a must try soup recipe! Sure it may sound meh if you’ve never had it but trust me, if you flavor it right it can become a crave-worthy soup.

Here we add rich bacon, vibrant bell pepper or poblano peppers, fire roasted tomatoes, earthy seasonings including cumin and ancho chili powder and it takes basic bland black beans to an exciting new level.

And let’s not forget to mention those highlighting finishes. Bright fresh lime juice, herby cilantro, creamy avocados and sour cream, and always cheese (cheddar, queso fresco or feta are great).

This may just become a new favorite black bean recipe for you!

Ladle full of black bean soup.

Ingredients needed to make black bean soup.

Black Bean Soup Recipe Ingredients and Substitutes

  • Canned black beans: Pinto beans could be a tasty alternative.
  • Bacon: Chorizo would be a nice meaty substitute for bacon.
  • Yellow onion: Red or white onion can be use here as well.
  • Pepper: Bell pepper, poblano pepper or even a few jalapenos for a spicy soup will work here.
  • Garlic: I recommend fresh garlic for the most flavor but in a pinch 1 tsp dried can be used.
  • Low-sodium chicken broth: If you have homemade stock that will make the soup even better. Vegetable broth can be substituted.
  • Canned fire roasted tomatoes: Fresh roasted roma tomatoes are another option.
  • Ground cumin and chili powder: Ground coriander and ancho chili powder will work too.
  • Fresh lime: Lemon would be very similar.
  • Cilantro: Parsley can be used if you have an aversion to cilantro.
  • Salt and black pepper

What are the Best Toppings for Black Bean Soup?

  • Crush tortilla chips or tortilla strips
  • Sour cream or Mexican crema
  • Cheese (cheddar, Monterey jack, queso fresco, feta)
  • Avocado or guacamole
  • Tomatoes
  • Mexican hot sauce

Black beans in a food processor. Pureed black beans in a food processor.

How to Make Black Bean Soup

  • 1. Place 1 1/2 cans of drained black beans in a food processor along with 1/2 cup of the chicken broth and pulse until well pureed.
  • 2. Rinse remaining 2 1/2 cans of black beans in a colander. Set all black beans aside.

Chopped bacon in a pot before cooking.

Bacon after cooking in pot.

  • 3. Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add bacon and cook until crisp, tossing occasionally. Transfer bacon to a paper towel lined plate leaving rendered bacon fat in pot.
  • 4. Add in onions and bell pepper or poblano pepper to pot and saute 3 minutes then add garlic, chili powder and cumin and saute 1 minute longer.

Vegetables in pot sautéing. Cooked chopped peppers and onions with spices in a pot.

  • 5. Pour in remaining chicken broth (3 cups) black beans, black bean puree mixture, fire roasted tomatoes, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
  • 6. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • 7. Stir cooked bacon, lime juice and cilantro and serve warm with desired toppings.

Black bean soup ingredients before being stirred together. Black bean soup simmering.

Storage

  • Black bean soup will keep in the fridge for 4 to 5 days.
  • Store it in an airtight container once cooled slightly.
  • It can also be frozen for up to 3 months.

What to Serve with Black Bean Soup

Can It be Made Vegan?

  • If you want to make this vegan omit the bacon, replace with soy chorizo (use oil to cook it).
  • Omit dairy toppings and replace with vegan alternatives (vegan cheese, vegan sour cream).
  • Use vegetable broth in place of chicken broth.

Soup with black beans, bell pepper, tomatoes, bacon, spices and cilantro in pot.

More Delicious Black Bean Recipes to Try

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Serving of homemade black bean soup topped with tomatoes, avocado and cilantro.
4.91 from 11 votes

Black Bean Soup

A hearty, nutritious, protein rich black bean soup with lots of delicious flavor! Plus it's brimming with toppings for extra layers of goodness and satisfying textures.
Servings: 6
Prep5 minutes
Cook20 minutes
Ready in: 25 minutes

Ingredients

Toppings for serving (optional)

  • Sour cream , cheese (shredded Mexican or cheddar cheese), diced avocado, diced roma tomatoes, chopped cilantro, tortilla chips

Instructions

  • Place 1 1/2 cans of drained black beans in a food processor along with 1/2 cup of the chicken broth and pulse until well pureed. Rinse remaining 2 1/2 cans of black beans in a colander. Set all black beans aside.
  • Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add bacon and cook until crisp, tossing occasionally. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate leaving rendered bacon fat in pot.
  • Add in onions and bell pepper or poblano pepper to pot and saute 3 minutes then add garlic, chili powder and cumin and saute 1 minute longer. Stir in remaining chicken broth (3 cups).
  • Pour in remaining chicken broth (3 cups) black beans, black bean puree mixture, fire roasted tomatoes, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
  • Bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Stir cooked bacon, lime juice and cilantro and serve warm with desired toppings.
Nutrition Facts
Black Bean Soup
Amount Per Serving
Calories 452 Calories from Fat 135
% Daily Value*
Fat 15g23%
Saturated Fat 5g31%
Trans Fat 0.04g
Polyunsaturated Fat 3g
Monounsaturated Fat 6g
Cholesterol 22mg7%
Sodium 1433mg62%
Potassium 1213mg35%
Carbohydrates 57g19%
Fiber 21g88%
Sugar 4g4%
Protein 25g50%
Vitamin A 2067IU41%
Vitamin C 48mg58%
Calcium 150mg15%
Iron 7mg39%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition values are estimates only. See full disclaimer here.
This post was sponsored by USAPulses & PulseCanada

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48 Comments

  • Aly

    This recipe is awesome. I sometimes add another can of beans to it to make it thicker.

  • Mandi

    Another great recipe, couldn’t find a poblano pepper so I used about 2 tbsps. of diced jalapenos and added an extra half can of black beans. It’s fantastic! Thank you!

  • Pamela

    Tried this tonight and it is very good. The only thing I omitted was the cilantro. Will absolutely make this again! I served it with cheese, a dollop of sour cream and served cornbread on the side.

  • Jody

    Came out delicious! I used two cubes of Knorr Chicken Broth in 4 cups of hot water in place of the canned broth. I also used a half of yellow and half of a red bell pepper in place of the poblano pepper.

  • Liz

    LOVED this recipe! Only tweaked a few things to fit my preferences and it was so easy, cheap, delicious, and satisfying!

    • Angie Vernon

      It shows 460 calories per serving. What amount of soup makes a serving. 1 cup, 2 cups? Thank you.

      • Jaclyn

        Jaclyn Bell

        Sorry I forgot to measure final volume. It would be 1/6th if the total yield.

  • B W NORRIS

    Love black bean soup. And you can’t make a mistake here. I love looking at all recipes and combine them… I do however use dried beans. Soaked overnight….. sometimes I add curry. Sometimes tomatoes sometimes jalapenos and red roasted peppers…but always carrots onions celery… a little vinegar at the end. …. cook to your taste…. I always eat mine with rice…..enjoy be creative. And love the recipe. Make it yours thanks for the ideas

  • Alison

    This has become a staple recipe in our house; my husband absolutely loves it! We sub out the bacon for a half pound of strip steak; I make a dry rub of salt, pepper, smoked paprika, chili powder, and garlic salt, and sear it in the pot for about 4 minutes. We dice it up while the onions & peppers are sautéing and toss it back in before adding the stock. I also like to throw in a bit of fresh corn to my bowl along with pico, avocado, and a bit of cheese, and serve with tortilla chips. Great as leftovers too!