Easy Black Bean Soup
This easy black bean soup is made with mostly pantry ingredients and is ready to eat in less than an hour! It’s a small-batch soup recipe that can easily be doubled if you want more. It’s hearty and cozy – the best black bean soup when you need a warm-up.
Simple Black Bean Soup Recipe
I’m never without a can or two of black beans in the pantry because, in a pinch, there are a bunch of easy dishes you can make with them. One is this easy black bean soup. It’s a small-batch soup recipe made with mostly pantry ingredients that’s ready in less than an hour – I never get tired of it.
It’s a great recipe if you’re craving a hearty soup but don’t want a bunch of leftovers. It makes two generous cups, but you can easily double it if you like leftovers or want to serve more people.
How to Make It
It’s also versatile and can be adapted a few different ways, so you can switch it up every time you make it. Make it spicy, smoky, not-so-spicy, or change the garnishes – whatever your heart desires. Make it yours, friends, it’s the best part about cooking.
More Black Bean Recipes
Baked Black Beans | Black Bean Enchilada Pie | Black Bean Hummus | Black Bean Corn Salad
PrintEasy Black Bean Soup
This easy black bean soup for two uses mostly pantry ingredients and is ready to go in less than an hour!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings 1x
- Category: Soups & Stews
- Method: Simmer
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
For the Soup
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (see note)
- 1/2 cup chopped red onion
- 3 large cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon taco seasoning or chili seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 1/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth (see note)
- 1 (14-oz) can low-sodium black beans, drained
- Salt, to taste (see note)
For the Garnishes
- Juice of 1/2 a lime
- 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
- 1 green onion, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a 3.5-quart saucepan. Add the onion and garlic and cook them in the oil until the onion starts to soften. Add the chili seasoning, oregano, salt, and pepper and stir to combine.
- Add the chicken broth and adjust the heat to medium-high. Once the soup is simmering add the black beans. Simmer the soup for 15 minutes.
- Using a potato masher, mash some of the beans in the soup. You want to keep some of them whole, so just mash a few times. The mashed beans will help thicken the soup. Simmer the soup for another 10 to 15 minutes. Once it’s thickened up it’s ready to serve.
- Before serving, add the lime juice to the soup and stir. Garnish each serving with the cilantro, green onion, and feta cheese.
Notes
Oil: I like to use pantry ingredients for this recipe, but if you have some bacon, you can substitute two slices for the olive oil. Slice the bacon into small pieces and cook it in the pan until it’s rendered its fat. At that point, continue with the recipe. The bacon will give your soup a smoky, rich flavor.
Salt: I use low-sodium black beans and chicken broth, so the soup has plenty of salt without adding any. Depending on your tastes, you may want to add up to a 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt. Make the soup and, before serving it, give it a taste and add salt to your taste.
Broth: You can use the same amount of vegetable broth instead of chicken broth if you’d like it meat-free.
Heat: If you want some spice, add some hot sauce, cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, or use spicy chili seasoning. For a smoky, spicy taste, add a chopped chipotle pepper in adobo sauce. Diced jalapeno added to the onions would be great, too.
Other garnishes: You can add other garnishes like diced avocado, crushed tortilla chips, or crispy tortilla strips. A spoonful of sour cream would also be good.
Nutrition
- Calories: 326
- Sugar: 3.3g
- Sodium: 1058.4mg
- Fat: 2.6g
- Saturated Fat: 2.6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6.7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 43.2g
- Fiber: 15.8g
- Protein: 18.7g
- Cholesterol: 8.3mg
The nutrition is an estimate only. It was calculated using Nutrifox, an online nutrition calculator.
Storage Tips
Refrigerator: Store the cooled soup in an airtight container. It will keep in the fridge for three to four days.
Freezer: I like to portion the soup into 16-ounce freezer containers. Store them in the freezer and the soup will keep well for three months. I like to thaw it in the fridge before reheating it.
It’s hearty, cozy, and delicious – I hope you give this easy black bean soup a try soon!
Happy soup-making,
More Easy Soup Recipes with Beans
Recipe, photos, and post updated from the archives. First published in September 2015.
Yes, let’s talk black bean soup..this black bean soup! Love all the color and spice! Delicious!
Thanks, Annie!
Oh my goodness, the colours in this soup are beautiful!
It looks so good I just want to reach for a spoon.
I love those little piquante peppers. They don’t last long in our house as someone (no idea who 😉 ) eats them from the jar with a fork…….
I might have snacked on few right from the jar, too. They’re so addictive!
wow. I’ll try this at home.
This is delicious! I made some modifications…added mild green Chilies (sp?) and a can of fire roasted tomatoes. It was spectacular. Thanks formposting
Love the additions you made!