This Black Bean Soup is an ideal weeknight dinner this time of year: comforting, nutrient-dense, and delicious! In my variation, I don’t hold back with the spices, as I want each bite to be bursting with flavor. For added texture, I love throwing in some fire-roasted corn and chunks of carrots. Once the soup is thick and creamy, I love to serve it with fluffy coconut rice and fresh toppings like avocado, cilantro, and toasted pumpkin seeds. Lastly, a dollop of thick coconut yogurt takes it over the top! What I love most about this recipe is once you get the black beans going, you’ll have plenty of time to prep all of the vegetables and spices, as well as toast the pumpkin seeds. In the end, this black bean soup is a perfect weeknight meal that’s just as fresh and vibrant as it is warm and comforting.
MY FAVORITE BLACK BEAN SOUP MEMORY
When I was at college in Charleston, SC, there was a little coffee shop near my dorm called Kudu. I vividly remember walking in one fall day and seeing that their soup du jour was a black bean soup. The air was cool, crisp and dry, and a cup of hot soup seemed like a fantastic idea. After ordering some and enjoying each bite, I noticed how much it hit the spot. So much so that I still think about it to this day! This recipe is a tribute to that moment and I must admit, taking one bite of this soup propels me back to that exact memory. Ultimately, I am so very thankful to have eaten that little cup of black bean soup. If I hadn’t, I don’t believe that I’d be sharing this very recipe with you today!
LET’S TALK ABOUT BEANS
This recipe began with a batch of perfectly cooked beans, so it includes some of my favorite tips for cooking dried beans. Dried beans are almost always cheaper than canned, and because they’re easier (and more environmentally friendly) to ship, you often have a wider variety from which to choose. I love companies like Rancho Gordo for their wide array of unique, heirloom beans. For this black bean soup, obviously I start with black beans, and the first step is soaking them. This process makes the nutrients in beans more bioavailable so you can fully enjoy their many health benefits. It also drastically reduces the cooking time and makes them easier to digest. Win win!
CANNED BEAN SHORTCUT
All that being said, you could use canned beans if you were really in a pinch. Just watch the cooking time. You can season them and bring them to a boil, but the simmering time will be much shorter as they’re pre-cooked. Taste them after 5-10 minutes instead of 30. Once they’re soft enough to blend, you can continue with the recipe as written!
BEAN COOKING 101
If you’re using dried beans for this black bean soup, I have some tips! Soak the beans overnight, then drain and rinse them (you can use this water for plants!), and you’re ready to cook. Throw them in a pot with a few key ingredients and bring to a boil. Kombu adds a beautiful depth of savoriness and bay leaves are a personal favorite of mine for their almost tea-like, herbaceous flavor. Once they’ve infused into the broth, remove them along with any foam that’s appeared. Then you add olive oil, tamari, and rice vinegar for a backbone of flavor. After that, you let them simmer for 30-40 minutes, giving you plenty of time to chop your vegetables and get a head start on the other steps!
A LITTLE EXTRA TLC
This recipe asks you to toast pumpkin seeds and char corn. Both of those steps are optional if you need black bean soup ASAP, but boy do they take this soup to the next level! I like to start by toasting the pumpkin seeds in a bit of olive oil until beautifully crisp. You’ll need a skillet to cook the vegetables for the soup anyway, so you might as well do it! The next step is charring the corn. I love using whole cobs, charred over the flame of a gas stovetop, cooked on the grill, or put under the broiler for a few minutes. (This is perfect if you already have leftover grilled corn.) You can also purchase frozen, fire-roasted corn at Trader Joe’s or use the same skillet to toast some regular frozen sweetcorn. Either way, make sure to set some charred corn aside for garnish.
SAUTÉING AND SEASONING THE VEGETABLES
Now let’s discuss the vegetables! Toasting the pumpkin seeds and charring the corn shouldn’t take more than 10-15 minutes, so you’ll still have plenty of time to chop all the vegetables and get them cooking while the beans simmer. Once everything is chopped, you’ll give the onions, carrots, and corn a head start. Sauté them until the onions are translucent and then you can add the more delicate tomatoes, garlic, and chilies along with a blend of delicious, warm spices. I use cumin, chili powder, coriander, garlic powder, nutritional yeast, smoked paprika, and cinnamon to create a dynamic flavor profile that’s inspired by traditional Central American black bean soup: savory, spicy, and vibrant.
BLENDING THE BEANS
Once the beans have softened, remove 2 cups of beans and blend the rest. I use an immersion blender, which makes blending hot liquids like this much easier and safer. If you want to try this technique but don’t own an immersion blender, maybe this is your sign to invest in one! (They’re also perfect for whipping together emulsified sauces and aiolis.) If you don’t have one, you could also transfer the soup to a blender and blend in batches before returning to the pot. Just don’t fill the blender more than halfway, and remove the center cap from the lid. When blending, cover the hole in the lid with a folded dishcloth. The creamy, hearty texture you achieve from blending some of the beans is such a treat, so if you can do that safely, go for it!
FINISH THE BLACK BEAN SOUP
On to the final step! Combine the blended soup, reserved beans, and seasoned vegetables and let the flavors marry! I like to do this by bringing everything to a boil, then allowing it to simmer for at least 20 more minutes. At that point, I like to add one more boost of freshness in the form of fresh, chopped cilantro. Then cook the soup for a few more minutes, and give it a taste. It’s a forgiving recipe, so follow your tastebuds! Feel free to adjust the salt and spice levels, and make sure the beans and vegetables are cooked to your liking. Tasting and adjusting like this is a great way to hone your palette. If you’re happy with everything, you’re ready to garnish!
GARNISH THE BLACK BEAN SOUP
Hopefully at this point, you have a perfectly seasoned soup bubbling away and maybe a pot of coconut rice staying warm and fluffy, too. Time to dish up big bowls of soup and get to topping! I start with a scoop of coconut rice, then add luscious chunks of avocado and a big dollop of creamy coconut yogurt (neutral/plain flavored of course). My favorites are Cocojune or Culina. Then I add a generous sprinkling of those lovely, toasted pumpkin seeds for an unexpected crunch.
Next up is any combination of chopped cilantro, tomatoes, and charred corn you’ve reserved. Then a fresh squeeze of lime juice to brighten everything up. If you aren’t serving this with rice, a big handful of tortilla chips is also a fun addition! Pile them up on the side for dipping or crush them right over the soup. You can’t go wrong and you can use whatever you like.
ENJOY THIS BLACK BEAN SOUP!
I am so happy to share this recipe with all of you. It’s a wholesome, comforting meal that’s perfect on a chilly day. I also love the idea of this soup as a delicious and low-stress meal for entertaining guests. You can do everything in advance and let the soup simmer as long as you need. Then, just set out all the toppings for everyone to make their own bowls exactly how they’d like! I look forward to hearing what you think and how you enjoy this soup! If you do try this recipe, please leave a comment and rating below. It greatly helps the health of my site and makes me oh so happy to read. Thank you for being here and happy cooking, y’all.
-Timothy
IF YOU LIKED THIS BLACK BEAN SOUP, CHECK OUT THESE OTHER RECIPES:
Zuppa Toscana
Gumbo
Cheesy Rice & Beans
Black Beans 1 lb of dried black beans, sorted and soaked Pumpkin Seeds 1 tablespoon olive oil Vegetables 3 ears of corn or 1 ½ cups frozen kernels Additional Toppings Coconut Rice (optional) Soak the beans: Sort through the dried beans and give them a rinse. Cover with a few inches of fresh water and soak overnight. Start boiling the beans: When ready to cook, drain the soaked black beans and rinse them thoroughly. Add them to a large pot along with the water, kombu, bay leaves, and salt. Mix well, cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, remove the kombu and bay leaves, and scoop off any foam. Then add the ⅓ cup of olive oil along with the tamari and rice vinegar, and mix well. Boil for 5 additional minutes, uncovered, then reduce the heat to just below medium. Simmer, uncovered, for 30-40 minutes, stirring every so often. (While the beans cook, you can cut your vegetables and proceed with the next few steps.) Toast the pumpkin seeds: Place a large skillet over medium high heat and add the olive oil. Once hot, add the pumpkin seeds and a big pinch of sea salt. Toast for about 5 minutes, or until golden and fragrant, stirring or shaking often to prevent burning. Once toasted, set aside. Char the corn: If using full ears of corn, you can char them on a gas stovetop, under the broiler in the oven, or on a grill. (This is also a great use for leftover grilled corn!) If you’re using frozen corn kernels, you can char them in the skillet you used to toast the pumpkin seeds. Place it over medium-high heat and add a drizzle of olive oil. Once hot, add the corn kernels and cook, undisturbed, until deeply golden brown on the bottom, about 5 minutes. Give them a toss and let them cook for another minute or two, until deeply browned all over. Set aside, reserving about ½ cup to garnish. (If using whole ears of charred corn, set one cob aside to garnish and shave the kernels off the remaining two cobs to sauté in the next step.) Sauté the vegetables: Bring the same skillet over medium-high heat, and add the final 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Once hot, add the onions, carrots, charred corn, and a big pinch of salt. Sauté for 8 minutes, or until the onions are translucent. At this point, add the tomatoes (leaving some to garnish), along with the garlic, jalapeno or chilies, cumin, chili powder, coriander, garlic powder, nutritional yeast, smoked paprika, cinnamon, black pepper, and the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt. Stir to evenly distribute the spices and cook for an additional 2 minutes, until fragrant. Set aside. Blend the beans: After the beans have been simmering for at least 30 minutes, taste them to see if they’re tender. (Note: They will continue to cook for at least another 20 minutes, so they don’t have to be fully soft. They just have to be able to be blended.) Once the beans have reached this point, remove 2 cups of beans and set aside. Use an immersion blender to blend the remaining beans in the pot until creamy. It doesn’t have to be perfectly smooth! The goal is to create a thick, gravy-like consistency as the soup continues to reduce. (Once blended, it may appear quite foamy, but this layer of foam dissipates as the soup reduces.) Finish the soup: Once blended, add back the reserved beans and sautéed vegetables, using a thin spatula to get any browned tidbits from the bottom of the pan. Stir to combine and bring to a boil. Let boil for 5 minutes, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer the soup for 20 minutes, or until the desired texture is achieved. For a final fresh boost of flavor, add most of the chopped cilantro, leaving some to garnish. Cook for an additional 5 minutes, uncovered, and give it a taste. Add more salt and pepper to your liking. Serve: Ladle the soup into bowls and add a scoop of the coconut rice (if using). Top with any variation of chopped avocado, coconut yogurt, the reserved chopped tomato and charred corn, the toasted pumpkin seeds, fresh cilantro, and lime juice. If not served with rice, this is lovely with a side of tortilla chips! If you don’t have a jalapeño or any small chilies, you can use ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes instead.
Ingredients
10 cups water (1.9 L)
1 strip kombu (the size of a sticky note / about .2 oz or 6 g)
3-4 bay leaves, fresh or dried
1 tablespoon sea salt
⅓ cup olive oil (66 g)
2 tablespoons tamari
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 cup shelled pumpkin seeds
Big pinch sea salt
Drizzle olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons
1 medium onion, diced
3-4 carrots (about ½ lb or 227 g), cut into bite-size chunks
Big pinch sea salt, plus 1 teaspoon
1 cup tomatoes, chopped (any variety)
8 fat garlic cloves, chopped
1 large jalapeno or 3 small, hot chilies (optional)
2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 ½ tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
1 bunch cilantro, roughly chopped
2 large avocados, chopped
Thick, plain, unsweetened coconut yogurt (optional)
Squeeze of lime juice
Tortilla chipsInstructions
notes
Like most soups, I find that this one tastes much better after a good chill in the fridge, allowing the flavors to develop and marry.
If it’s tomato season, any ripe tomato will do. If I’m not making this during summertime, I like to use cherry tomatoes. In a pinch, you could use canned, diced tomatoes in the soup and omit them as a garnish.
You can also make this recipe with canned beans for a quicker, shortcut version! Use 3-4 cans of drained and rinsed black beans and follow the recipe as directed. The beans will only need to simmer for about 10 minutes before becoming tender enough to blend, as opposed to 30-40.
Food styling, photography, and recipe by Timothy Pakron
Text by Hannah Kearing and Timothy Pakron
8 comments
Hi, love your recipes. I shared your website on Bluesky just now. Very nice group of vegans on Bluesky.
Oh, lovely! Thank you! I am on there but just haven’t posted yet.
This recipe is yet another big for me!! My Thanksgiving dinner and it was phenomenal. I cooked black beans for 30 minutes and let ‘em sit. I much prefer some texture so I went on with recipe. Not enough cooking time as beans did not thicken when I used my immersion blender. Note to self to cook for a bit longer—I’ll choose 40 minutes next time as recipe recommended. No additions needed as flavors married perfectly. I have come to expect perfection from Tim and I’m never disappointed. Love this recipe so much!! Thank you!!!
Hey you! Thank you so much for this lovely comment. I am so happy to hear that you liked it! Happy holidays!
This is the best black bean recipe I have ever made. Robust flavors. More like a vegan tortilla soup with all of the toppings. Absolutely loved the crunch of the pepitas. So glad I found your website. Looking forward to making more recipes.
Samantha! Thank you so much for this lovely comment. It made my night! Thrilled to hear that you liked it. Happy holidays!
Delicious, my new favorite black bean soup! I served over the coconut rice and enjoyed every bite, thank you!
This makes me so happy to read!! Thank you for letting me know!