Black Bean Soup

Deeply comforting, subtly smoky, and hands-down delicious, this black bean soup tastes like it simmered all day, yet it’s ready in mere minutes. Made with humble canned black beans along with everyday veggies and elevated with bold pantry spices, this soup recipe delivers deeply satisfying depth of flavor with a touch of restaurant-worthy swagger.

📝 Ingredients

• 2 TBS Olive Oil
• 2 medium Bell Peppers (– stemmed, seeded, and finely diced (any color) (about 2 cups))
• 1 large White Onion (– peeled and small dice (about 2 heaping cups))
• 1 large Jalapeno Pepper (– stemmed, seeded, and finely diced (about scant 1/3 cup))
• 1 1/2 tsp Ground Cumin
• 1 tsp Dried Mexican Oregano
• 3/4 tsp EACH: Ground Coriander and Smoked Paprika
• 3-6 cloves Garlic (- peeled and minced)
• 1 whole Chipotle Chili in Adobo (- PLUS 1 tablespoon adobo sauce; chili minced)
• 3 Cups Low-Sodium Chicken Stock or Broth (– sub: 3 bouillon cubes dissolved in hot water)
• 3 (15 ounce) cans Black Beans (– don’t drain or rinse)
• 2 whole Dried Bay Leaves
• To taste Kosher Salt and Ground Black Pepper
• Optional Finish Soup: Lime Juice and Light Brown Sugar
• Optional Garnishes: Pico de Gallo, Chopped Cilantro, Sour Cream, Diced Avocado

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1Sauté Veggies and Aromatics: Heat the oil in a large pot, saucepan, or Dutch oven over medium to medium-high heat until shimmering. Once simmering, add the bell peppers, onion, and jalapeno. Season with the cumin, oregano, coriander, paprika, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and scant ½ teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until the veggies are just softened, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
2. 2Add Chilis and Stock: Add the minced chipotle chile, the adobo sauce, and then, stir to combine. Next, pour the stock into the pot.
3. 3Add Black Beans and Bay Leaves: Add Canned Black Beans and Bay Leaves: Dump the cans of beans along with their liquid into the pot and then drop in the two bay leaves. Grab a spoon and give everything a good stir to combine.
4. 4Simmer Soup: Increase the heat to high and let the contents come to a slow boil, stirring occasionally. Once boiling, immediately reduce the heat to maintain a very low simmer. Then cover the pot and let the black beans gently simmer for 10 minutes. Next, uncover and let simmer, stirring occasionally, for 3-5 minutes, or until the veggies and black beans are tender.
5. 5Puree Some of the Beans: Use tongs to remove and discard the bay leaves. Then, turn off the heat under the pot. Using an immersion blender or transferring about 1 cup of the beans to a stand blender, puree some of the beans until the soup is thickened to your liking. (Note: Alternatively, you can use a potato masher to mash some of the beans, however the texture will be more rustic, but still delicious!)
6. 6Taste and Adjust: Grab a spoon a give the black bean soup a taste, then adjust the flavors to suit your tastes, adding lime juice and brown sugar, or simply more salt and pepper to taste. (Note: 1 add 1 tablespoon of each: lime juice and light brown sugar.)
7. 7Serve Black Bean Soup: Ladle the soup into warm soup bowls and garnish with cilantro leaves, Pico de Gallo, diced or sliced avocado, and a dollop of sour cream. Enjoy immediately.