Spicy Black Bean Soup
This Spicy Black Bean Soup is simple to prepare and loaded with plant-based protein for a healthy and filling lunch idea.
I wasn’t always a fan of beans. In fact, when I was a kid I used to hate them. I thought they were weird and mushy and the texture drove me crazy. We only really ate them a couple of ways in our house; either in a big pot of chili or a cold bean salad my mom used to make in batches during the summer. I don’t think it was until I moved out and lived alone that I realized how much food actually costs, and how much of a penny saver a can of beans could be, that I actually started eating them regularly. At first, the only thing I knew to do with them was to eat them straight out of the can, but the more I started to cook with them, and experiment with different varieties, the more I realized how versatile they can be.
In a perfect world, the best way to cook with beans is actually by soaking them and cooking them from scratch. This process helps to makes them more easily digested (so they are less of a musical fruit), as it helps to remove the phytic acid and anti-nutrients naturally present in dried beans. Although this is the ideal way to prepare them, I do think there is a time and a place for canned beans, and I frequently use them myself, so I always encourage people to use them too. Using canned beans can help to save on time so you can whip up a delicious and healthy meal in a pinch, without breaking the bank.
This Spicy Black Bean Soup is such a simple and filling meal, and I truly think that it is a great make-ahead meal or meal prep idea. In fact, the longer this soups sits in the fridge the better it tastes, as flavours really come together, so it really tastes best on day 2 or 3. Make this Spicy Black Bean Soup on a Sunday afternoon for a delicious week’s worth of plant-based protein filled lunches.
Spicy Black Bean Soup
I made this recipe with canned beans for simplicity, but if you have dried beans you could certainly use those too; simply use 1.5 cups dried black beans. I find this soup needs a little extra salt to bring out the flavours, depending on the brand of canned beans you use, so be sure to add extra seasoning at the end to taste.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Soups & Stews
- Cuisine: Vegetarian, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free
Ingredients
- 2 cans (15oz) black beans, strained and rinsed
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 2 green onions, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, cored and chopped
- 1 yellow bell pepper, cored and chopped
- 1 carrot, peeled and diced
- 2 ribs celery, roughly chopped
- 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 tsp. ground cumin
- 1 tsp. chili powder
- 1/2 tsp. ground chillies
- 1/2 tsp. oregano
- 1/2 tsp. sea salt
- 1/8 tsp. ground pepper
- 2 tsp. red wine vinegar
- To Serve: avocado, cilantro, green onion, corn chips
Instructions
- In a large pot, heat olive oil on a medium heat and add chopped onion, green onion, bell peppers, carrots and celery.
- Heat on medium for 5-7 minutes until vegetables are cooked through.
- Add garlic, cumin, chilli powder, oregano and crushed chillies, and cook for about 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Season with a pinch of sea salt and black pepper.
- Add in the strained black beans, stir quickly to coat with spice mixture and cover with broth.
- Add in bay leaf and red wine vinegar, stir to combine.
- Bring to a simmer, cover and allow to cook for 30 minutes.
- Once to soup has cooked, the broth is flavourful and beans are tender, remove from the heat and using an immersion blender or in batches using a bar blender, puree until smooth. For a chunkier soup, remove 1 cup of the soup mixture before blending and add it back in at the end.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve with sliced avocado, scallion, fresh cilantro and/or corn chips.
- Enjoy!
Find it online: https://kaynutrition.com/2017/09/spicy-black-bean-soup/
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I’ve got this soup simmering right now, and it smells incredible! The only thing is, you’ve listed oregano in the ingredients, but it’s not clear to me where to add it based on your instructions. I just tossed it in during the simmer phase. Hopefully it all works out!
Oops, sorry about that! Yes, that’s exactly correct, I’ll update the instructions now. Thanks for letting me know!
Tossing the oregano in at the simmer phase worked like a charm. This soup is fantastic and will become part of our regular lunch rotation. Thanks for posting it.
Wonderful, so happy to hear you enjoyed it! Thanks for sharing Arun!