Black Bean Soup So Easy You Can Make It Now!

This smoky vegetarian black bean soup is so easy to make, you can enjoy it in about 30 minutes. It’s comforting and made with ingredients you probably have on hand. Plus, get ideas about what to serve it with.

Even I – someone who loves to cook – is dragged down with cooking fatigue.

Cooking fatigue. Pandemic fatigue. And fatigue from being fatigued.

I crave the ease of hopping in the car and heading to a restaurant for an angst-free evening out with my husband. Neat and tidy waitstaff to smile at me, serve me, and ask if I want fresh ground pepper with that. I do, thank you. But instead, we’re stuck at home. Again. And I stare in the refrigerator with a scrap of this and that in front of me. A single carrot, a bell pepper, a few packs of wasabi from last month’s supermarket sushi.

More angst bubbles up inside me as I realize how badly I don’t want to make dinner.

What I’m craving, but not what I’m feeling. / © Can Stock Photo / marilyna

Enter my healthy vegetarian black bean soup. It’s so simple, I first created it when I had no stove or running water in my kitchen. Since the major kitchen overhaul, I’ve recreated this smoky black bean soup recipe to cook on the stove instead of the microwave. Fast, delicious, little mental energy. Check, check, and check.

If you also crave simple in the kitchen – especially with a dwindling supply of groceries –  I’ve got you covered.

Why this smoky vegetarian black bean soup is so simple & fabulous

There’s lots to love about this smoky soup.

• It’s FAST.
• You probably have most of the ingredients right now.
• If you can’t get an ingredient, I’ll show you some simple substitutions.
• It’s warming and comforting. And a welcome and nourishing escape from daily stresses.
• Vegetarian black bean soup goes with LOTS of foods.
• Every member of your family can personalize it with their favorite toppings.
• It reheats beautifully. Hello lunch!
• No drama, no trauma (my mantra).

What to serve with black bean soup

Most recently, I served it for dinner with a salad and my favorite frozen pizza. Easy, simple, peaceful. I ate it the next day for lunch with fruit and veggies. But there are many things to serve with a healthy vegetarian black bean soup.

• Bread, salad and fruit
• Toasted cheese sandwich and sliced tomatoes
• Any favorite flatbread or pizza
• Vegetarian or other taco
• Pita bread stuffed with avocado, tomatoes, bell peppers, red onions and a sliced egg
• Tuna on tomato slices
• Whatever you have on hand

Easy ingredient swaps

• No red bell pepper? Chop up any color you do have. Or substitute a carrot.
• If you don’t have smoked paprika, grab a jar of chipotle pepper powder, but use much less because it’s way spicier. Or use 2 parts sweet paprika, 1 part cumin and a dash of cayenne.
• If you don’t have a lime or lime juice, use lemon. Or skip it altogether.

EASY Smoky Vegetarian Black Bean Soup

3.47 from 13 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Soup

Keyword: plant-based, pulses

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Servings: 4

Calories: 245kcal

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 1 large red bell pepper, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• ½ teaspoon cumin
• ⅛ - ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 (15.5-ounce) cans black beans, undrained
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• Toppings such as cilantro, scallions, red onions, avocado, plain Greek yogurt

Instructions

• Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add the olive oil and swirl to cover the pan. Add the chopped onion and bell pepper. Sauté about 5 minutes.
• Add the garlic, smoked paprika, cumin and cayenne pepper. Stir.
• Add the undrained beans and the vegetable broth. Bring the contents of the pot to a low boil, and heat about 15 minutes.
• Blend half of the soup. If you have an immersion blender, blend the soup while still in the pot about halfway. If you use a stand blender, carefully transfer about 3 cups of soup to the blender and process until smooth. Combine the blended and unblended soups. Add the lime juice and stir.
• Serve with Greek yogurt and toppings of your choice.

Notes

This soup is not for you, if you watch your sodium intake. Alternatively, you can drain and rinse the beans and use low-sodium vegetable broth. If you drain the beans, you'll need an additional cup or so of broth or water.

For my carb-counting folks with diabetes, round out this meal without the bread. Instead fill up on non-starchy vegetables like broccoli, zucchini and carrots. If you prefer a smaller portion, a 1-cup serving of soup provides 29 g carbohydrate, 9 g fiber, 9 g protein, and 162 calories.

Nutrition

Serving: 1.5cups | Calories: 245kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 0g | Trans Fat: 0g | Fiber: 14g

Next time I make this healthy vegetarian black bean soup – maybe tonight -I’ll have my husband ask if I want fresh ground pepper with that.