This spicy black bean soup requires NO blender! It’s easy, quick to prepare, and tastes great on a chilly winter’s night.
I’m sure you’ve noticed I have a serious affinity for beans, which is weird because I never really cared for them growing up. Tastes change, I guess! Typically, I love white beans, such as cannellini, navy, or butter beans but I decided to make an incredibly flavorful black bean soup and now there’s no going back. I’m addicted!
What I love about this black bean soup recipe is that there is NO blender required. Of course, if you like pureed black bean soup, have at it! But you may want to add an additional can of black beans as it may be a bit thin.
My secret ingredient in this black bean soup recipe is canned poblano peppers. They add an incredible smokiness to the soup! You can char and chop fresh poblano peppers, but the canned ones made a great addition to the recipe!
How to Make this Spicy Black Bean Soup:
It’s so easy to prepare, but prep will take awhile with all the dicing and chopping but it’s well worth it!
First, sauté small-diced onions and cook until beginning to brown, about 5-6 minutes. Next, add the small-diced bell peppers and cook them until they soften, about 3-5 minutes. Then, add the minced garlic and finely chopped poblano peppers and cook for about 1 minute until fragrant.
After that, you just need to add the stock, the beans, the spices and let it simmer for about 20-30 minutes. Finish the soup with a bit of greens and coconut milk (or heavy cream) and that’s all! I topped my soup with fresh avocado, lime juice, cilantro, and minced Serrano pepper for a bit of additional heat. Try this topped with crushed corn tortillas or cheese!
Looking for more vegetarian recipes? Check my archives!
If you made this recipe, please rate the recipe below and leave a comment to tell me how you liked it! If you take a picture of it, please tag me on Instagram so I can feature you in my feed!
Spicy Black Bean Soup
Equipment
- Soup pot
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons neutral cooking oil
- 1 yellow onion peeled and small-diced
- 2 red or orange bell peppers trimmed, seeded, and small-diced
- 1 jalapeño trimmed and diced, optional
- 6 cloves garlic peeled and minced
- 7 ounce can poblano peppers chopped into a paste
- 4 cups vegetable stock
- 15 ounce can black beans drained and rinsed
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon cayenne powder optional
- 4 ounces greens of choice such as spinach, arugula, kale, or dandelion greens
- Salt and pepper to taste
- ⅓ cup coconut milk or heavy cream
For Serving:
- 1 avocado peeled and diced
- 1 lime juiced
- ⅓ cup fresh cilantro roughly chopped
- 1 small Serrano pepper trimmed and minced, optional
- Flaky sea salt
Instructions
Cook the Onion:
- Heat the oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5-6 minutes until the onion softs and turns golden brown.
Cook the Peppers:
- Add the diced bell peppers and diced jalapeño (if using) to the pot and cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
Cook the Garlic:
- Add the garlic and chopped poblano to the pot and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
Simmer the Black Bean Soup:
- Pour in the stock and bring to a boil. Add the black beans. Season with chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, paprika, and cayenne powder and add a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
Finish the Soup:
- Stir in the greens and coconut milk. Taste and season according to your preferences. Simmer for 5 minutes more.
Prepare the Garnish:
- As the soup finishes simmering, combine the avocado, lime juice, cilantro, and minced pepper, if using, in a bowl. Season with flaky sea salt and toss to combine. Set aside.
To Serve:
- Ladle the black bean soup into bowls and pile the avocado garnish on top. Enjoy!
Can this be made in a crock pot?
Definitely! You could cook on low for 6–8 hours or on high for 3–4. I would use a quick-wilting green like spinach and simply stir it in to the hot soup during the last 5–10 minutes.
How do you think this would freeze? Has anyone frozen this soup, thawed, and eaten it? Was it good after freezing?
It was easy, hearty and delicious!
I’m so happy you enjoyed it!