Thick, hearty, and healthy black bean soup – Goes great with toppings like grated cheese, Greek yogurt, guacamole, and corn chips.
Despite the warm weather here in Tucson, I’m sharing a soup recipe today!
I’ve grown to love living in Arizona, but oh, how the hot days of summer do linger. The stores are hauling out Halloween paraphernalia, and we’re still lounging about in our swimsuits.
Last week, however, we had a day or two when I really felt the first signs of Fall.
The wind kicked up, there were a few scattered gray clouds in the sky, and the temperature dropped a good 5-10 degrees. It happens every year around the same time, I’ve noticed.
The change is just enough push to get me thinking of the upcoming holidays, not the least of which is Halloween!
It also starts a cascade of thoughts all surrounding my favorite subject: Food!
I’ve been trying out various muffins, soups, and pastas, as I feel a stronger need for comforting meals.
This soup recipe is one I’ve been playing with for a while, but I feel it’s finally at its best!
The spices lend a smoky flavor, while the apple cider vinegar adds a nice tang that pairs especially well with black beans.
It makes a great base for toppings, including cheese, Greek yogurt, scallions, and tortilla chips.
However you top it, I hope you enjoy this thick and delicious black bean soup!
Healthy Black Bean Soup
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup yellow onion chopped
- ¼ cup green bell pepper
- ¾ cup celery chopped
- ½ cup carrot chopped
- 2 Tbsp garlic minced
- 2 tsp chili powder
- ½ tsp cumin
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- dash cayenne as desired
- 1-2 tsp sea salt
- 6 cups cooked black beans
- 4 cups water
- 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 3 Tbsp cilantro chopped
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large pot.
- Add in the veggies (onion, bell pepper, celery, carrot, garlic), along with one teaspoon of sea salt.
- Saute for 8-10 minutes until softened.
- Add in the spices, beans, and water.
- Bring everything to a low boil and lower the heat to a simmer.
- Cook 20 minutes.
- Stir in the vinegar and cilantro.
- Puree half of the soup (I just use an immersion blender until it looks how I like).
- Season to taste and serve with toppings of your choice.
Notes
Nutrition
Notes:
Something to keep in mind if you’re using canned beans: A typical 15-ounce can claims to have 1 3/4 cups of beans. However, that measurement can end up looking a lot like this:
In case you can’t tell, that’s only 1 1/4 cups, a full 1/2 cup LESS than what the label claims!
For this reason, be sure to measure out six cups of cooked beans for this recipe.
For the soup puree, you can either add 1/2 of the finished soup to a blender, blend, and add it back OR do like I do and just stick an immersion blender into the pot, pureeing until your desired consistency is reached.
Toppings ideas!
Guacamole
Grated cheese
Greek yogurt (a good sour cream substitute!)
Chopped scallions
Tortilla chips
These two enjoy it very much!
Delicious! This is a great recipe. Do you know if it freezes well?
Thanks Josephine! I’ve not tried freezing it myself, but this link says it works well! https://www.thekitchn.com/the-5-best-types-of-soups-to-freeze-tips-from-the-kitchn-214854
Thank you! That was really helpful!