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.
Turned out excellent and my family simply loved it! Made it just as the recipe states.
This is wonderful! I added some chorizo and threw in some spinach at the end. I’ve been looking for a good black bean soup…this will be a staple!
I am not one to usually leave reviews on websites but I am have come back to this recipe so many times that I thought I would recommend to others. This is HANDS DOWN one of my favorite soups. It is delicious and even appeases my non-vegan (he is meat and cheese crazy!) husband. I typically make a big batch on Sundays and have it for lunches/keep in the freezer. I highly recommend it! Delicious!
Thank you, Bailey! I’m excited you love it so much. I appreciate your review.
I was a bit nervous making this recipe as I have never made Black Bean soup before. This beautiful soup is absolutely delicious! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe with us :D I made a few changes: I soaked the dried black beans in water for 12 hours, drained them and then cooked them in homemade vegetable stock in the IP on high pressure (8 qt Ultra) for 25 minutes with a natural release and then partially pureed the beans. I sauteed the vegetables separately then added them with the spices. So delicious and so healthy This recipe will be a regular at our vegetarian home! <3
I’m happy you tried it anyway! Thanks for your review, Tricia!
Was searching for a vegan dish this afternoon and was craving a soup as fall is starting here. This was absolutely delish! Topped with avocado and extra cilantro!
Hey, this was great! Your recipes have become super reliable for me as easy to make and delicious – thanks!
Somehow i made this too salty so I added a cup of rice in the mix. I used my immersion blender to blend it about halfway.
Your recipes are helping my partner and I eat more (delicious) vegetarian and vegan meals :) :)
Thank you, Alex! I’m really glad you have enjoyed my recipes. Sorry this one was a little salty for you!
Oh, it was not the OG recipe that made it too salty, it was me overdoing it on the boullion I added! Oops!
Great recipe :) :)
This is a favorite of mine and now many of my friends and family! I make it in my instant pot and it makes the beans sooo tender
I know this is a great recipe because I’ve made it many times. Today I made some silly errors and I think it would be useful for your readers to know what NOT to do.
I only had 3 cans of beans. The end product was runny and much less creamy than it usually is.
I mistakenly added the cilantro when I added the beans and broth. Do do this. The cilantro took over – basically, cilantro soup.
I tried to “fix” my mistakes by adding a bit more sherry vinegar. If you use it, stick to 2 teaspoons.
Lesson learned.
Thank you for sharing your lessons, David!
So good, it’s a perfect fall soup for WW. Made exactly as written. Next time, I will double the recipe!
Kate – I made this soup last night and it was divine!! It’s chilly and rainy where we live and it was just what I needed. So delicious, warm and comforting…the only thing I did differently was make my black beans from scratch in a pressure cooker and then continued the recipe as written from there. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! Love your cookbook too!
A great soup for a chilly day! I love that you made your black beans in your pressure cooker. Thanks for sharing, Karen!
Hi Karen, Can you tell me what the equivalent measure of dried beans is. Thanks, Emma :)
Hi Emma! Gosh, that’s a great question. Unfortunately I don’t have a clear cut answer….I cook about a pound of dried black beans in my Insta pot and freeze them. When I have a recipe that calls for a can of black beans, I’ll just measure out about 1 1/2 to 2 cups of the frozen beans and toss them in. So for this recipe I added approximately six cups of black beans. I hope that’s helpful!
I love this soup. I used half as much cumin (just personal preference) and added some chili powder and a little bit of curry powder and ate with a little cheese and tortilla chips. So good! Thanks for the recipe.
You’re welcome! Thank you for sharing how you adjusted this for your taste.
I halved the recipe and I added a jar of Stonewall Kitchen Tequila Lime Cocktail Sauce as I was out of limes and vinegar. It adds considerable spicy-sweet warmth!
I usually purchase dry beans and would like to follow a recipe with using that. Can you write an alternative recipe with using dry beans also please? I an bew the the vegetarian world and I absolutely love using your recipes. They’ve made the transition a delightful one. Thank you soooo much.
Hi Dionne! You could make up the beans and add to this recipe. I hope that helps!
My favorite black bean soup! I love to freeze half for when I need a last minute lunch to take to work. Thanks Kate!
Excellent! LOVE, love, love it – bumped up the heat a bit more cause I love super-spicy (1/8 tsp Cayenne Pepper). Plus a splash of red-cooking wine cause I had it on hand. Thank you for sharing your recipe, was craving really good, spicy black bean soup & this is the ticket!
That does sound spicy, and delicious! Thank you for your review, Kelli.
Great recipe! I’ve made it so many times. Guests and family love it! The toppings make it fun and personalized.
Glad you love this soup, Christina!
Great recipe, thank you!
I made this recipe today with a few of changes, soaked 2 c. dried black beans overnight (equivalent to maybe 3 cans), and also added half a jalapeno with seeds. Used lime juice at end since I didn’t have sherry vinegar and also i LOVE lime anything. I also chopped all veggies smaller, personal pref. Overall, very good and next time will up the heat factor. Thank you!
So good! The whole family loved it. Don’t skip the lime juice! I’ll be making this again & again. I <3 America's Test Kitchen.
Thank you for sharing.
I agree!! Thank you, Heather.
I halved this recipe since it was my first time making it and threw it in the slow cooker. I cooked on low for 6 hours (re: Erin’s rec above about 6 hours) but it was not nearly done (perhaps she meant high for 6 hrs??) so I turned crockpot back on for 2 hours on high. Near the end (~1/2 hour left), I took out 1 cup, pureed and added back. I also mashed some of the black beans with a fork.
In the end I got a rich, creamy texture that was delicious. We topped with red onion, cilantro & a bit of shredded manchego cheese which definitely upped the richness. My boyfriend & I both loved it and wish I had made the full recipe. Next time will try slow cooker for 4 hours on high.
One note- 1/2 recipe was definitely just 3 servings, not particularly large either – definitely not enough for 4 servings in our house.
Thank you for sharing!
My entire family loved it from 4 years old to 54. I will make it again, for sure!
Wonderful, Rosita!
Oh my goodness, this soup is so easy to make and SO delicious! My hubby and I are addicted…thanks again for all these wonderful recipes :-)
Thanks for sharing, Rita!
I have made this soup recipe twice now, and we love it. I use chicken broth instead of vegetable broth. Top it with fresh cilantro, a dollop of sour cream, and chopped red onion and jalapenos. We have dipped tortilla chips in it like a bean dip. So yummy! Avocado would definitely be amazing with it as well.
Thank you for sharing! Yes, avocado is delicious with this soup.
I made this soup with the lime juice rather than the sherry vinegar and severed it to company. We agreed it was delicious! I will definitely make it again. TMD
My family loved this soup. It has been added to my dinner rotation. Thank you so much!
Absolutely delicious! I happened to have all the ingredients on hand so I gave it a shot and I am so glad I did! Definitely a recipe that is going into regular rotation
Do you think I could substitute apple cider vinegar for the sherry vinegar?
It will be slightly different, but should still help with the final flavors at the end.
I made the soup with a couple of changes, but the basic flavoring is the same. I only used one onion, and it was fairly large. And because we like soupy soup, I used three cans of beans and did not process in a blender or with an immersion blender. This left a good flavored broth with the beans and vegetables. I used quite a bit of lime juice. It will now be one of several soups I will make often.
I haven’t had this much Cumin in me since my first child was conceived.
I’m sorry you didn’t love this one.
How much dried cilantro should be used in place of fresh cilantro?
Hi Jodie! The general rule of thumb is to use a third of the amount of dried as you would fresh herbs. But, this can vary based on the herb and taste preference.
This is delicious. I started with dried beans, cooked in a pressure cooker til soft, with 1 bay leaf and a shake of dried powdered chipotle. I also made vegetable stock and used 2-3 cups of it, with no added water except what was in the undrained cooked beans. I added 1/2 t. dried Mexican oregano with the cumin, and a 15 oz can fire roasted tomatoes with jalapeno. I added a small bunch chopped cilantro and juice of 1 lime at the end and blended it all with an immersion blender. Next time I am going to use a crockpot (still with home cooked beans though) without sauteing the aromatics, and water instead of stock, to see the difference. I’ll report back to you! I love your website and always check your recipes for anything I want to cook.
Made this in the slow cooker (Instant Pot) and turned out wonderful! I reduced the cumin slightly, added paprika and threw in a few Thai chilis instead of the red pepper flakes.
Thank you for sharing, Jess!
This is one of my go-to soups for when it starts to cool off in the fall. The flavors are delicious and it’s pretty easy to make. I usually eat it with some tortilla chips to add some extra crunch. So good!
Thank you for sharing, Miri!
Love this recipe. And the cumin, cilantro gives it such a great taste. Thank you for this one!
You’re welcome, Juan!
So delicious! We added avocado, Pickled jalapeños, cilantro and some tortilla chips to serve. It’s a keeper. Thank you
That all sounds like a great idea, Tina! Thank you for your review.
Seriously delicious! Used Korean Gochujang paste (all time favourite) instead of red pepper flakes plus added a few chilli flakes to heat it up. Will be a new regular recipe. So easy, and took me back to Havana!
I absolutely loved this recipe! Gorgeous flavours – used Gochujang paste for the pepper/chilli hit! Took me straight back to Havana. So easy and will be a new staple. Thank you!
This recipe is delicious and so easy! I was a bit worried it tasted a bit “one-note” while it was cooking but once I added the lime juice and cilantro it just took it to another level. I think the recipe is perfect as is!
I would recommend adding jalapeno or another pepper to it for those who prefer more heat but it’s good to me as is.
Thank you so much. I’m looking forward to having this for lunch all week
Great to hear, Mia! Thanks for sharing your experience.
The recipe was simple and easy to follow. I used dried black beans instead of canned and added 2 cups chicken stock because the soup looked a little think. All other instructions were followed. This was, without a doubt, the best black bean soup my husband and I have ever eaten! Thanks so much for this recipe!
I was a bit skeptical about this recipe while it was cooking. I was worried it would lack flavor, but it becomes soooo delicious and flavorful after ~30 minutes of simmering. I added paprika based on some recommendations left below and it was delicious. Topping the servings with some lime juice really brought it together. Definitely recommend this recipe! Yum!
Love this! We made it in the crock pot after sautéing the veggies and spices and so delicious!
Thanks for your review, Jenn!
My whole family enjoyed this recipe. I made it in the instapot and used 2 pounds of dried black beans, it was delicious!
Gayle
Thank you for sharing, Gayle!
This sounds amazing! I have a cumin sensitivity. Any suggestions for a substitution?
You can omit and use another spice (like chili powder) to give it some kick. Let me know what you think!
Fabulously delicious and amazingly easy! Thanks for another great, go-to recipe.
Loved the soup although I did found it time consuming chopping up all the vegetables. Used an immersion blender for the entire pot of soup since I like a creamier consistency. Will definitely make again.
I love anything with black beans and this recipe was Easy and delicious – thank you very much!
Only comment I have is it would be nice to have some instructions on how to make it with dry beans, as it does require quite a few cans, especially if you’re cooking a larger batch.
Thanks again!
Hi Shirly! I’m glad you liked it. You could prepare your beans ahead of time and add per directions. I know other readers who used it that way with success- you could take a look at the other comments if that helps. I appreciate your feedback!
Wow, so delicious! I used an immersion blender so super easy. I served with quesadillas, avocado, and Greek yogurt with pico pica hot sauce. Thank you for your amazing recipes!!
I’m happy to hear the immersion blender worked well for you! I appreciate your review, Lindsay.
Love this soup. So easy and quick to put together. I halved the recipe due to my pantry, but will make the full recipe again. I was surprised at the amount of cumin, but trusted you as I’ve made many of your recipes. Delicious! Thank you.
Made your spicy black bean soup. It was awesome. Love it.
This soup was delicious! I omitted the celery (strong dislike) and added another carrot and went with a bit more pepper flakes (I like spice). Had it with guacamole and a bit of sour cream.
I made half the recipe and it lasted me for 3 meals. I only had dried black beans but thankfully, someone in the comments pointed out a conversion. All in all, a worthy first recipe to make in my new Dutch oven. :)
I’m glad you were able to make it work for your tastes, Jon! Thanks for your comment and review.