There's something so irresistible about a piping hot bowl of Black Bean Soup - it's familiar and filling, and is often an agreeable answer to the age-old question, what should I eat for dinner? Fortunately for you, if the clock is ticking, this soup uses canned beans so it can be had at the ready in just 45 minutes from start to finish.
Plus, this soup rates highly on what I call the garnish-ability scale, which is a scale from 1 to 10 (where half points are allowed!) where 1 means a soup is perfect as-is, no garnishes required/a garnish would detract from the soup, and where 10 means a soup is so basic in flavor profile that you could damn near garnish it with anything (and probably should!).
I give this Black Bean Soup a solid 7 on the garnish-ability scale. The obvious direction here for garnishes is to take it a Mexican/Tex-Mex route with dollops of sour cream, dashes of hot sauce, and crunchy tortilla strips. But black beans are also a great canvas to support grilled chicken or pair with fluffy rice.
For more context on garnish-ability, I would rate this 4-Ingredient Potato Soup as a 10 - it's a tasty but extremely simple soup that you absolutely should doctor up! On the other hand, this Turkey Lentil Soup is like a 2. It contains many delicious ingredients that tend to limit garnish-ability, but even I can't resist crumbling Saltines into this soup on occasion.
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Why You'll Love This Black Bean Soup Recipe
- Cheap eats! I picked up the canned black beans in this recipe for $1.69 a can (you'll need 3), and the Rotel for around $1.39 a can (you only need 1!). The recipe also calls for onion, garlic, and bone broth - all easier on the wallet ingredients, especially if you make homemade bone broth. A few basic seasonings round out the flavor. I estimate the overall cost investment to be around $15 for 11 cups of soup.
- Simple ingredients. Super simple ingredients - black beans, Rotel diced tomatoes, bone broth - and everyday seasonings - cumin, oregano, chile powder - make this soup approachable and easy to make.
- High garnish-ability! This soup is just begging to be topped with sliced avocado, salty crumbly cheese, and crisp tortilla strips or chips. I give it a solid 7, because you can also topped it with grilled proteins and vegetables and make it a whole delicious bowl situation.
Ingredients
- Alliums - Finely diced white onion and minced garlic are my go-tos. You could also substitute a mix of leeks, scallions, shallots, or chives. You could also substitute in garlic or onion powders and skip the dicing and mincing. I'd recommend starting with ½ teaspoon onion powder and ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, then making adjustments towards the end of cook time. There's no perfect ratio here for substitution, as there are other considerations when using powdered onion instead of fresh.
- Black beans - You'll need 3 cans for this recipe. I don’t strain the beans in this soup as the liquid they come packed in tends to contain salt. I find that I often don't have to add salt later.
- Rotel - I love the roasted tomato flavor Rotel brings here.
- Chicken or beef broth - Broth brings flavor and should always be used instead of water here. Swap in vegetable broth if you'd like a vegetarian version.
- Seasonings - Mexican oregano or oregano, cumin, chili powder to keep it real simple. You could of course experiment with adding seasonings like basil, paprika to add freshness and smokiness. You could also add bay leaf or coriander to add complexity and warmth.
- 4-5 dashes of Tabasco sauce - I love this hit of spicy vinegar Tabasco brings, but you could also hit the finished soup with fresh lime juice.
A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below - keep scrolling!
For freshness and tang, top the soup with a fresh squeeze of lime juice and a dollop of sour cream, then add a handful of tortilla strips for crunch. I also sometimes like to sprinkle in a little Tajin for that salty tang.
Variations
You know I have a spicy variation or two for you to try 🙂
- Smoky and spicy black bean soup - Add in 2-3 blended chipotle en adobo peppers to the sauce. The results will be a sultry, smoky soup. A variation I often make!
- Roasted jalapeno black bean soup - If you have the time, roast 2 jalapenos as you're readying the ingredients for this soup. Then, blend the roasted jalapenos before adding - I recommend removing the seeds, but your call whether to include the pith or not. Roasted jalapeno permeates the soup nicely, heating things up without being overwhelming.
How to Make Black Beans Soup with Canned Beans - Directions
- Step 1: Melt butter in a Dutch oven or pot over medium-high heat. Add the diced onion and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions soften and become translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Step 2: Add the minced garlic, Mexican oregano, cumin, chili powder and cook for 30 seconds, stirring the entire time.
- Step 3: Add the black beans (liquid included, or rinse them first if you’re trying to reduce sodium), Rotel, chicken (or beef or vegetable) broth and stir.
- Step 4: Put a lid on it and simmer over medium heat for 15 minutes. Take a peek around 5-7 minutes and give it a good stir.
- Chunky and rustic: Hit the soup with a potato masher for a chunky black bean soup.
- Step 5: Creamy. Hit the soup with an immersion blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Or somewhere in between. You could also add the soup in batches to a blender and blend until creamy.
- Step 6: Assess the consistency of the soup at this stage. Want it thicker? Cook uncovered for a few more minutes. Want it thinner? Add in a little more stock, stirring after each addition. Add in a few dashes of Tabasco hot sauce.
- I like to cook for an additional 5-10 minutes, uncovered. But I keep an eye on it. Shut it off earlier than you think, it will thicken as it stands.
- Taste and add more salt if you like. Serve with toppings like sour cream, lime juice, diced avocado, tortilla strips, queso fresco, and chopped cilantro (if you're into that).
Top Tips for the BEST Black Bean Soup
Tip 1. Build a solid base. Starting with a base of sauteed onions and garlic and toasted spices adds the depth of flavor that this simple soup needs. Sautéing these ingredients before introducing the beans adds richness. Plus, some canned beans have a metallic-y taste and starting with a solid base helps alleviate the sin of convenience.
Tip 2. Leave the salt adjusting to the end. Canned beans can be salty, so it’s best to season at the end to avoid over-salting, especially since I recommend using the liquid they come in for this soup. The best time to taste for salt is at the end of cooking time. You might find you don't need to add anything. Keep in mind that garnishes like feta cheese and tortilla strips also introduce salt.
Tip 3. Sauce it up. If you like adding a drizzle of sauce to your soups, I highly recommend the acidic freshness of this homemade chimichurri sauce. This Chipotle Lime Sour Cream Sauce is also a perfect pair with soup.
Recipe FAQs
Store leftover soup in a lidded container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
Absolutely! You can sneak in celery, carrots, and bell pepper at the saute step to introduce more complementary vegetables to this soup! You could also add grilled pork or chicken (or sliced veggies) cooked separately as a hearty garnish on top.
It doesn't look the prettiest, but stirring corn in at the end of cooking time adds lovely sweet pops to the soup.
If you love corn in soup, you've gotta try this Roasted Cauliflower and Corn Chowder.
Other Soups
Looking for other recipes like this one? Try these soups:
If you tried this Black Bean Soup recipe (or any other recipe on Midwexican), please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it turned out in the 📝 comments below!
Black Bean Soup (with Canned Beans)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 large white onion diced
- 5 large cloves garlic minced
- ½ tablespoon Mexican oregano (or oregano)
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 3 15-ounce cans black beans (don’t strain)
- 1 10.5-ounce can Rotel
- 2 ½ cups chicken broth (or beef or vegetable broth)
- 4-5 dashes of Tabasco sauce optional, to taste
- salt optional, to taste
Instructions
- Melt butter in a Dutch oven or pot over medium-high heat.2 tablespoons butter
- Add the diced onion and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions soften and become translucent, about 5 minutes.1 large white onion
- Add the minced garlic, Mexican oregano, cumin, chili powder, and cook for 30 seconds, stirring the entire time.5 large cloves garlic, ½ tablespoon Mexican oregano, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon chili powder
- Add the black beans (liquid included, or rinse them first if you’re trying to reduce sodium), Rotel, chicken (or beef or vegetable) broth and stir to combine.3 15-ounce cans black beans, 1 10.5-ounce can Rotel, 2 ½ cups chicken broth
- Put a lid on it and simmer over medium heat for 15 minutes. Take a peek around 5-7 minutes and give it a good stir.
- Chunky and rustic: Hit the soup with a potato masher for a chunky black bean soup.
- Creamy. Hit the soup with an immersion blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Or somewhere in between. You could also add the soup in batches to a blender and blend until creamy, then return to the Dutch oven.
- Assess the consistency of the soup at this stage. Want it thicker? Cook uncovered for a few more minutes. Want it thinner? Add in a little more stock, stirring after each addition. I like to cook for an additional 5-10 minutes, uncovered. But I keep an eye on it. Shut it off earlier than you think, it will thicken as it stands. Add a few dashes of Tabasco sauce (optional).4-5 dashes of Tabasco sauce
- Taste and add more salt if you like. Serve with toppings like sour cream, lime juice, diced avocado, tortilla strips, queso fresco, chopped cilantro.salt
Christina Koncker
I love a good shortcut soup recipe, and canned black beans make a great base for a soup that's simply delicious. Don't forget the tortilla strips!