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This easy black bean soup is done in under an hour but tastes like it’s simmered all day. Olive oil infused with garlic is the first layer of flavor followed by jalapeño, bell pepper, cumin, and cilantro. This vegetarian soup comes together with just 10 ingredients and is deeply satisfying, especially when paired with tortilla chips or a good biscuit.
Over the past decade, I’ve developed more soup recipes that I can count. But I was looking at my Souper Simple Cookbook and my extensive index of soup recipes, and I realized I didn’t have a good black bean soup.
What a gaping hole!
I believe every home cook should have four go-to soup recipes in their repertoire: a really great tomato soup, a go-to chicken noodle soup, a reliable chili, and a damn good black bean soup. So here we are, rounding out that last soup recipe!
A Really Good Black Bean Soup
I wanted to title this recipe “a really good black bean soup.”
But what does “really good” mean? In regards to this soup it means:
- slightly spicy, but not overwhelmingly so
- savory and satisfying but doesn’t rely on meat to make it so
- easy to whip up thanks to canned black beans
- versatile! Change up the toppings you serve with it, and this soup will never get boring.
This Is How Easy It Is To Make
- Fry up the sliced garlic—the crispy garlic chips will become the topping and the olive oil is now infused with flavor and ready for cooking the soup.
- Cook the onion, bell pepper, and jalapeño in the infused oil until they start to soften.
- Add the minced garlic (yes, more garlic!), cumin and oregano and let everything cook for a couple of minutes to cook out the raw flavor.
TIP: I use Italian dried oregano because it’s easiest to find in more American grocery stores. If you have Mexican oregano, use that!
- Add the beans and broth and simmer for 10 minutes (that’s all you need).
TIP: to keep this vegetarian (and vegan), I use vegetable broth. If you don’t need it to be vegetarian, you can use chicken broth.
- To finish the soup, you’ll partially blend it. But to ensure most of the beans stay intact, you’ll measure out 1 cup of solids and 1 cup of broth and transfer to a blender. Blend until smooth then add back to the soup.
- Transfer 1 cup solids and 1 cup broth to a blender; blend until smooth then add back to pot and stir in cilantro and vinegar; season to taste with salt. Serve with fried garlic chips, Greek yogurt, and fresh cilantro.
- Finish with fresh cilantro and vinegar then serve with preferred toppings (I think all you need is some Greek yogurt and the fried garlic chips).
Make It A Meal
For being vegetarian, this soup is very filling, especially when topped with Greek yogurt (avocado is also a great topping).
I often serve it with tortilla chips and call it dinner. But if I’m hosting, I’ll make my flaky cheese biscuits made with feta and cumin—the perfect pairing!
Mexican Black Bean Soup with Jalapeño and Garlic
Description
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Ingredients
- 7 cloves garlic, divided
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup diced red onion
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 1 jalapeño, chopped
- Kosher salt
- 1½ teaspoons ground cumin
- 1½ teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 (14-ounce) cans black beans, drained
- 4 cups vegetable broth*
- ½ cup chopped cilantro leaves and tender stems + more for serving
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- Greek yogurt, for serving, optional
Instructions
- Thinly slice 4 large cloves garlic. Mince remaining 3 cloves garlic; set aside.
- Heat oil in a large dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add sliced garlic and cook until just starting to brown, about 2 minutes. Turn off heat and, using a slotted spoon, transfer fried garlic to a bowl; set aside.
- Add 1 cup diced onion, 1 diced bell pepper, 1 chopped jalapeño, and ½ teaspoon salt; cook over medium heat until starting to soften, about 5 minutes. Add minced garlic, 1½ teaspoons cumin, and 1½ teaspoons oregano; cook 2 minutes. Add 2 cans drained beans and 4 cups broth, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook 10 minutes.
- Transfer 1 cup solids and 1 cup broth to a blender; blend until smooth then add back to pot and stir in ½ cup chopped cilantro and 1 tablespoon vinegar; season to taste with salt. Serve with fried garlic chips, Greek yogurt, and fresh cilantro.
