Spicy Black Bean Soup
This healthy black bean soup recipe is easy to make with canned beans. It's absolutely delicious and naturally vegan, vegetarian and gluten free!
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on July 10, 2024
Meet my favorite black bean soup! It takes advantage of canned black beans and comes together quickly. Yet the soup tastes remarkably fresh thanks to the carrots, celery and garlic.
Cumin and a little bit of sherry vinegar (or lime juice) add a Cuban flair that takes it over the top. This lightly creamy black bean soup is packed with flavor.
This homemade soup is a million times better than the store-bought variety. Read the comments if you don’t believe me just yet!
How to Make The Best Black Bean Soup
A few notes and tips before you get started:
You don’t need a long list of ingredients for complex flavor. Basic, fresh aromatics like onion, carrots and celery make all the difference. Just cook them until they’re nice and tender.
Briefly sauté the cumin, garlic and red pepper flakes to enhance their flavor. Then, add the remaining ingredients and gently simmer until the beans are tender and the flavors have melded.
To achieve the perfect soup texture, purée a portion of the soup in the blender until it’s super creamy. Then stir it back into the pot. Ta da! Now you have black bean soup with tender beans and a lightly creamy consistency, no cream required.
Black Bean Soup Storage Tips
I should mention that this recipe makes quite a lot of soup. Leftovers will keep well for four to five days, so it’s perfect for weekday lunches.
You can also freeze this soup. I always freeze my soup in pint-sized mason jars, leaving room for expansion at the top and waiting to screw on the lids until the soup has fully frozen. Then I just defrost it later.
Slow Cooker Black Bean Soup
Rumor has it that this black bean soup turns out well in a slow cooker (Erin said she “basically just put it all in the crock at the same time and slow cooked it for about 6 hours”). If you give that a try, will you please let me know how it turns out?
Please let me know how this soup turns out for you in the comments! I’m always so eager for your feedback and hope my recipes turn out wonderfully for you.
Craving more hearty vegetarian soups? Don’t miss the following soup recipes on Cookie and Kate:
- Vegetarian Chili
- Butternut Squash Chipotle Chili
- Pinto Posole
- Mexican Quinoa Stew
- Best Lentil Soup
- Plus my cookbook has eight of my favorite soup recipes!
Watch How to Make Black Bean Soup
Spicy Black Bean Soup
This healthy black bean soup recipe is easy to make with canned beans. Thanks to some basic aromatics and Cuban spices, it’s incredibly flavorful and delicious. This soup is naturally vegan, vegetarian and gluten free. The recipe yields quite a bit of soup (6 to 8 servings)—it is easily halved, or you can freeze the leftovers.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 medium yellow onions, chopped
- 3 celery ribs, finely chopped
- 1 large carrot, peeled and sliced into thin rounds
- 6 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
- 4 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (use ¼ teaspoon if you’re sensitive to spice)
- 4 cans (15 ounces each) black beans, rinsed and drained
- 4 cups (32 ounces) low-sodium vegetable broth
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
- 1 to 2 teaspoons sherry vinegar, to taste, or 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Optional garnishes: diced avocado, extra cilantro, thinly sliced radishes, tortilla chips…
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onions, celery and carrot and a light sprinkle of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetable are soft, about 10 to 15 minutes.
- Stir in the garlic, cumin and red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Pour in the beans and broth and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cook, reducing heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer, until the broth is flavorful and the beans are very tender, about 30 minutes.
- Transfer about 4 cups of the soup to a stand blender, securely fasten the lid, and blend until smooth (never fill your blender past the maximum fill line, and beware the steam that escapes from the top of the blender, it’s very hot). Or, use an immersion blender to blend a portion of the soup.
- Return the pureed soup to the pot, stir in the cilantro, vinegar/lime juice and salt and pepper, to taste. Serve.
Notes
Recipe adapted from The America’s Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook.
Suggested sides: Chunky avocado salsa, a little green salad, quesadillas or a grilled cheese sandwich.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
Excellent recipe, I have made it multiple times now. A weeknight favourite!
This recipe is fantastic, except: It would be much better without the olive oil and the salt. The oil more than doubles the calories and fat content, and is not needed for the flavor. Even extra-virgin olive oil is not good for your cardiovascular system compared to no oil. And there are plenty of other seasonings that can be used other than salt. Most people get way too much salt and would be better off without it. See how great this recipe is without the oil and salt.
I’m sorry you didn’t love it as is. I’m glad you have found a way you can enjoy it.
Fantastic! For an extra protein push I served this over plain cooked quinoa, for my fit and happy fuel burning husband!
Great to hear, Tonya!
I added 1/2 can of Rotel tomatoes. It added some flavor and a kick.
I made this dish last night. I had two cans of black beans and the recipe halfed well. I tossed in 1/2 of a red pepper (because it was there).
Great to hear, Tony! Thank you for your review.
I made this soup today as part of our menu for our monthly lunch group. I was pleasantly surprised that a recipe that is not complicated and doesn’t take hours of work can be so delicious. I did add the sherry vinegar which gives the soup quite the pleasant touch of acidity. I garnished the soup with some corn chips, chopped sweet onions, and radishes. I did alter the spices a bit. Instead of 4.5 tsp of cumin, I added 4 tsp of cumin and maybe 3/4 tsp of oregano. I like the combination of those two spices. Wonderful recipe! Thank you.
I’m glad it was a hit!
This soup was delicious! I ended up adding some corn I found in the back of the freezer as well as a can of fire-roasted diced tomatoes, but otherwise made it as is. I will definitely make it again. Thanks!
I’ve got this on the hob as I type. It’s in my regular rotation now and I’m being careful not to have it too often for fear I get bored of it
When I take it to work I proudly announce I’m having my ugly soup today (cause quite frankly it is) but it smells and tastes divine. Definitely my flavour profile.
Thank you for this recipe!!
This is one of my favorites soups of all time! It is so yummy and easy to make. The toppings really make this soup be extra delicious!
Great to hear, Melissa!
I love this soup. I use 2 or 3 more carrots. The comment above about adding some tomato sauce sounds yummy – I’m going to try that next time!
This was really great. Loads of flavor and fairly easy to put together. I really enjoyed it.
Thank you for your review, J!
This was the best black bean soup I have ever had. I eat black bean soup often and can’t say enough how good this recipe is. We did add a red & yellow bell pepper and 2 fresh jalapeño’s. Did use the optional cilantro and 2 fresh limes instead of the sherry vinegar since we did have not have the sherry vinegar. Absolutely Delicious ! Glad we made a double batch and froze them.
Great to hear, Silvia! Appreciate your review.
After trying another black bean soup recipe and being disappointed, I found this recipe easy, more efficient, and tasted way better… thank you for sharing! I used the immersion blender to puree part of the soup. Perfection!
Thank you for sharing, Dave! I’m happy you enjoyed this bean soup recipe.
We have made this soup several times for various guests and it is always very popular. The recipe has been distributed to quite a few guests, at their request. Love that it is inexpensive, easy and can be made ahead. Thanks!
You’re welcome, Hilary!
Made the soup tonight. Since it was only me, had to cut it down some. Didn’t have carrots, sherry vinegar or lime at hand, but it still turned out great. Instead of Red Pepper Flakes, I used Aleppo Pepper (which to me is a tad milder). The Black Beans were low in sodium and with all the seasonings in this, I didn’t need to add any additional salt or pepper. Thank you so very much for a great recipe. Really enjoyed it.
Thank you for sharing how you made it, CO!
Best black bean soup ever! Great taste and texture. The real lime juice put it over the top. The next time I make it I’ll only dip out 2 cups for immersion blender so there’s more whole beans in soup.
Hooray! I’m happy you agree, Linda.
I just made this soup. Followed the recipe exactly so I would have a baseline in case I wanted to change anything. WOW!
It’s so good! My plan had been to put it in the fridge to enhance flavors overnight, because I had one serving left of my previous soup. That was going to be lunch. Then I decided to just have a taste in case I wanted to season it a bit differently. Oh my word. Then I had to have a small bowl, then another small bowl! What great medicine!
Excellent recipe. Thank you. (the other soup will have to be supper. :0)
Great to hear, Liz! I appreciate your review.
Make this on a regular basis during soup season and add some fresh chopped tomatoes and potatoes to make it hardier. Always delicious!
I love to hear that, Sally! Thank you for your review.
This is so good, really delicious. I added a can of refried black beans to thicken. I love your recipes. Thank you.
I’m literally obsessed, just made my second batch as its perfect for freezing and makes a super filling lunch. I added peppers and extra corriander, but I love soup and make and eat a lot of it and this is my favourite ever recipe.
Wonderful to hear! Thank you for sharing, Miss Lauren.
Love love love this soup! It’s been in my rotation for a while now, always a success! My husband is usually not a big fan soups but this one he can’t get enough of. I also love how quick it’s to put it together. The recipe is absolutely great as it is but since I always try to sneak in as many vegetables as I can into my meals, I usually also throw in a potato or two, maybe a leek, sometimes a red bell pepper, sometimes a couple of tomatoes, and it also ends up just delicious!
Thank you for your review, Rita!
Absolutely the best black bean soup I have ever made and loved by everyone.
Great to hear, Jo!
It is a chilly morning, and I wanted to make soup with ingredients I already had. I made your spicy black bean soup, and I wish I had room in my belly for more! It is absolutely delicious. I made it with a bit extra garlic, and I added a shallot because I had one, and I used the last of my parsley growing outside because the cilantro went to seed. I also used a potato masher to mash some of the soup to create a creamier texture. Absolutely fabulous. Thank you so much!
You’re welcome, Lisa!
This was super flavourful, thanks in no small part, to your fantastic recipe for cooking black beans. I will not look for any other recipes of black beans soup, and i will not buy canned black beans again any time soon.
The soup was delicious, but there seemed to be a missing ingredients to tie up all the flavours. I added a few drops of maple syrup, not enough too be detectable, but this brought the umami I was missing. Next time, I’ll try adding orange juice at the end. Thank you. All your recipes are fantastic and a number of them have become staples in my house.
I am not a vegan/vegetarian but I like to visit vegan/vegetarian recipe sites to get ideas for different flavor profiles. I found this recipe and it was excellent. The only change I made was to add some chipotle peppers in adobo sauce in place of the red pepper flakes for some smokey heat. I also used dry and not canned beans.
This one is going in my recipe file. Thank You!
You’re welcome, Jeff!
I recently bought a Dutch oven and an immersion blender and was looking for a soup recipe to make. This was so easy and tasty- perfect for a chilly, fall weekend. I will definitely be making it again!
Great to hear, Adiam!
Absolutely love this soup! Simple and so tasty. I have made this several times and thought it was time I said thank you. My family enjoys it too which is a huge win.
Great to hear, TM!
Going to give this a go, sounds yummy
Such a low-maintenance, delicious, and simple recipe. I topped it off with some mild cheddar and Mi Nina Spicy Chipotle Lime chips. I will be making this so much this winter!
Great to hear, Alexis!
Absolutely loved this recipe! I’m a big fan of cilantro and lime, so I added 2-3 times the amount called for of each. Would highly recommend this soup!
Great to hear, Katy!
Have made this MULTIPLE times! And every time is very good. It’s a huge hit for my in-laws vegan taste, and for my family as well. I have learned over time to add a few ingredients like chili powder and cayenne pepper to give an extra spice among my spice loving family. But just as is explained above is great too!!!! Favorite meal, probably make it at least once a month!!!
That’s great to hear, Ashley! Thank you for your review.
So flavorful! Made a double batch. Cooked soaked dried beans in broth instead of using canned. Tossed in a bay leaf. Thanks for this recipe!
You’re welcome, Marie!
Gr8 Recipe!!! 4th time making it. I do add a bit more broth. Healthy soup for high cholesterol too, Win Win!!!
I love to hear that! Thank you for sharing, Kelly.
I love this recipe, but never remember if you leave the pot covered or uncovered when simmering the beans?!
No need to cover. I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Delicious! I made this with an insta pot and started with dry black beans. I cooked the beans first, then removed them from the pot and sauteed the veggies with spices. Returned the beans with the broth and cooked on high for 8 mins/natural release. This recipe is a keeper!
Hooray! Great to hear, Laura.
I prefer to use dried beans. Can you please tell me how many cups of black beans I will need to soak for this recipe? I love black bean soup.
Typically one can of beans is 1.5 cups.
Wow, this soup was wonderful!!! I only sprinkled the red pepper flakes and it was spicy!!! Great with a couple of slices of whole wheat bread and vegan butter!! Wow what a great tasting soup!
I’ve been looking for a black bean soup that was so close to a cafe I loved but closed. This is it! I just added some chili powder. I’m so happy with this recipe, thank you!
Made this soup, loved it as I do all your soups. Plus, I have noticed you have added to many too. Still hoping for Mushroom soup one day! Thanks Kate fir all your great recipes!
You’re welcome, Cheryl!
How many cooked beans (from dry) would you use? Would you weigh out 60 ounces?
I haven’t tried it so I can’ say for sure. One can is typically 1.5 cups.
One of my fav breakfasts is a bowl of fresh spinach with a 1/2 cup scoop of your SPICY BLACK BEAN soup, two poached eggs and some fresh pico de gallo. Yummmmmm!
Great to hear, Lani!
I like to can my soups.
when I do I put up nine pints and like to have a quart or so to eat right away. in all o want to make 5 1/2 or six quarts. what is the yield of this recipe? ie how many multiples do I need to make?
I’m not sure as this recipe isn’t meant for canning. Sorry!
This soup is sooo delicious!
Topped it with avocado and cilantro.
Can’t wait for leftovers tomorrow!
Delicious! I toned down the spice a little for my house’s palettes but this was still delicious. And enough for multiple meals!
What a simple & flavorful soup, will make often. Thank you!!
Do I have to use vinegar? What could I use to replace vinegar?
You don’t have to use vinegar, you can try lime juice or omit.
Loved the lime and avocado added to each serving! However, I found that adding cooked brown rice gave it some much needed texture.
Yet another 5 star recipe from cookie & kate. This soup is the best!