Rich Creamy Black Bean Soup (Printable)

Rich black bean soup with warming spices, perfect comfort food ready in under an hour for cozy meals.

# What You'll Need:

→ Beans & Vegetables

01 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
02 - 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
03 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 1 medium carrot, diced
05 - 1 celery stalk, diced
06 - 2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
07 - 1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes with juices
08 - 4 cups vegetable broth

→ Spices & Seasoning

09 - 1 teaspoon ground cumin
10 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
11 - 1 teaspoon chili powder
12 - 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
13 - 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
14 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
15 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
16 - Pinch of cayenne pepper, optional

→ Garnishes

17 - Chopped fresh cilantro
18 - Sour cream or vegan yogurt
19 - Sliced avocado
20 - Lime wedges
21 - Diced red onion

# How To Make It:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, and celery. Sauté for 5 minutes until vegetables soften.
02 - Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Stir in ground cumin, smoked paprika, chili powder, dried oregano, ground coriander, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper if using. Cook for 1 minute to release aromatic oils.
04 - Add drained black beans, diced tomatoes with juices, and vegetable broth. Stir until well combined.
05 - Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
06 - Use an immersion blender to partially blend the soup for a creamy consistency while leaving some beans and vegetables intact. Alternatively, transfer half the soup to a standard blender, purée until smooth, and return to the pot.
07 - Taste soup and adjust seasoning as needed with additional salt and pepper.
08 - Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with cilantro, sour cream, avocado, lime wedges, or red onion as desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It comes together faster than you'd expect for something this deeply flavored and satisfying.
  • The spice blend tastes like you spent hours building flavor, but you're really just toasting them for a minute.
  • One pot means less cleanup, and the soup gets even better the next day as the flavors settle and deepen.
02 -
  • Don't skip rinsing the canned beans or your broth will look cloudy instead of clear and inviting.
  • The immersion blender is your friend here—partial blending gives you that creamy texture without turning it into pure puree, which changes the whole eating experience.
03 -
  • Toast your spices in the oil for that full minute even though it feels like nothing is happening—you're waking them up and that minute changes everything.
  • If your soup tastes flat after cooking, it's usually because it needs more salt or a squeeze of lime juice, not more spices.
Go Back