Slow Cooker Black Bean Soup

My slow cooker black bean soup is hearty, flavor-packed, and basically cooks itself. A few ingredients, a couple of minutes of prep, and the slow cooker does the rest. It’s the perfect cozy, hands-off meal that'll keep you warm all winter long!

📝 Ingredients

• 1 pound dried black beans
• 5 cups vegetable broth, (plus more if desired)
• 1 medium onion, (diced)
• 2 medium carrots, (sliced)
• 2 medium celery stalks, (chopped)
• 3 garlic cloves, (minced)
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 Bay leaf
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 1 teaspoon salt, (or to taste)
• Black pepper, (to taste)

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1Place the dried beans into a large bowl and cover them with water. You want the water level to be at least three times as high as the beans — they'll soak up a lot of it! Let them soak overnight, 8 to 12 hours.
2. 2The following day, drain and rinse the beans. Add them to a 3-quart or larger slow cooker, along with the broth, onion, carrots, celery, garlic, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, and bay leaf. Stir everything well, cover, and cook for 3 1/2 to 4 hours on high, or 6 to 7 hours on low, until the beans are very tender.
3. 3Uncover the pot. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Optionally, blend about half of the soup either using an immersion blender or by transferring it to a blender, then returning it to the slow cooker. Always use caution when blending hot liquids.
4. 4If you'd like the soup to be a bit thinner, stir in some additional broth or hot water. Stir in the lime juice, then season the soup with salt and pepper to taste.
5. 5Ladle into bowls and serve.