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5.0 from 3 votes

Easy Black Bean Soup Recipe

This hearty and filling Black Bean Soup whips together in a single pot and is full of aromatic flavor! Naturally vegetarian and topped with a creamy Mexican street corn mixture, this soup is sure to become a favorite.

Prep Time
1 hr
Cook Time
2 hrs
Total Time
3 hrs
Servings: 6
Calories: 628 kcal
Course: Main Course , Soup , Dinner
Cuisine: South American , Mexican , Cuban , International

Ingredients

Black Bean Soup
  • 1 lb dried black beans
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 cups sweet yellow onion diced
  • 1 large red bell pepper seeded and diced
  • 1 cup poblano pepper seeded and diced
  • 1 ½ tablespoons fresh garlic minced
  • 2 teaspoons cumin
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon dried epazote
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 6 cups vegetable broth
Creamy Mexican Street Corn Garnish
  • 1 pint cherry tomatoes halved
  • ½ cup fresh cilantro roughly chopped
  • 1 cup queso fresco
  • 1 large lime
  • sea salt to taste
  • black pepper to taste
  • 1 large red onion sliced thin
  • 6 cups fresh corn
  • ¼ cup mayo
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Quick-soak the beans: place rinsed black beans in a large dutch oven and add water until it covers the beans by an inch or so. Bring to a boil for 2-3 minutes, then turn off the heat, cover, and let sit for 1 hour. Transfer the beans, and enough liquid to just reach the top of the beans, to a bowl and set aside. Clean out the pot and return it to the stove.
  2. Add the olive oil to the pot and heat to medium-high. Once hot, add the onion, bell pepper, and poblano pepper and cook until softened, about 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute longer. Stir in the seasonings and cook for 30 seconds.
  3. Carefully pour in the vegetable broth, followed by the beans and their cooking liquid. Stir well, then bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and let simmer, covered, for 2 hours, or until the beans are soft and can be mashed against the side of the pot easily with the back of a spoon.
  4. Before serving, in a medium-sized bowl add the tomatoes, cilantro, ½ of the queso fresco, and the juice from ½ lime. Toss together then season with salt and pepper and set aside. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add 2 teaspoons of olive oil. Once hot, add the red onion and corn and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft and corn is beginning to brown, around 10 minutes. Remove pan from heat and stir in mayo, remaining queso fresco, chili powder, the juice from ½ lime, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper as desired. Scoop heaping portions of creamy street corn onto each bowl of soup and garnish with the tomato salad mixture.

Notes

  • I prefer using epazote in black bean soup, but if you can't find any locally, you can easily substitute it with bay leaf, just be sure to remove the bay leaf before eating.
  • Since we're using dried beans, I recommend doing a quick-soak, the flavor you get using quick-soaked beans is far superior to overnight-soaked, or no-soaked beans.
  • You can make this soup a bit creamier by blending part of it after it has cooked, either by transferring a few cups to a blender and whizzing it up, or using an immersion blender to blend some of it right inside the pot.
  • Simmer the soup on low, without the lid on. It will really deepen the flavor as the liquid reduces, but if you have the heat too high, you'll lose too much liquid.
  • If you lose too much liquid, bring a separate pot of water to a boil before adding it into the bean pot.
  • Make this soup vegan by skipping the creamy Mexican street corn topping and using pico de gallo and non-dairy yogurt

Nutrition Information

Calories 628kcal (31%) Carbohydrates 93g (31%) Protein 27g (54%) Fat 20g (31%) Saturated Fat 5g (25%) Cholesterol 18mg (6%) Sodium 1411mg (59%) Potassium 1982mg (57%) Fiber 18g (72%) Sugar 21g (42%) Vitamin A 2986IU (60%) Vitamin C 91mg (101%) Calcium 267mg (27%) Iron 7mg (39%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 6Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 628

% Daily Value*

Calories 628kcal 31%
Carbohydrates 93g 31%
Protein 27g 54%
Fat 20g 31%
Saturated Fat 5g 25%
Cholesterol 18mg 6%
Sodium 1411mg 59%
Potassium 1982mg 42%
Fiber 18g 72%
Sugar 21g 42%
Vitamin A 2986IU 60%
Vitamin C 91mg 101%
Calcium 267mg 27%
Iron 7mg 39%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.