Spicy Black Bean Soup

Spicy Black Bean Soup that’s brimming with delicious flavor. Top it with some cotija and cilantro for the perfect finishing touch!

I wasn’t planning on making black bean soup but I made a batch of my crockpot chipotle chicken and ended up with so much extra liquid from that I just couldn’t throw away. Sounds weird I know but there’s just SO much flavor in that liquid and I knew I could turn it into something else. Black bean soup seemed to fit the bill perfectly and it sure did. However I realize a recipe that calls for crockpot chipotle chicken drippings is a little annoying so I did my best to recreate the version I made with the chicken drippings and I have succeeded! This black bean soup is smoky and a little spicy with earthiness from bay and oregano, brightness from lime and savory vibes from chicken stock, garlic and onions. It’s so satisfying and so flavorful.

Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you decide to purchase any of the items linked in this post, I should earn a small commission. This creates no additional cost to you and helps support the work that goes into running The Fig Jar. Thank you! -Becky 

Ingredients

Spicy Black Bean Soup

• Onion
• Bell pepper
• Bay leaves
• Dried oregano
• Garlic
• Agave
• Chipotle peppers in adobo
• Canned diced fire-roasted tomatoes with green chiles
• Black beans
• Limes
• Chicken stock (sub vegetable stock to make it vegan)
• Oil
• Cotija cheese, fresh cilantro for topping (optional but recommended!)

How to make

The process for making this soup is pretty much like all soups. Start by sautéing veggies. Add seasonings, main ingredients and broth. Bring to a boil, then simmer and adjust seasonings.

The only special thing about this black bean soup is using an immersion blender (affiliate link) to partially blend the soup at the end. This is how we get that sorta creamy texture that is typical of black bean soup. But you can also accomplish this by removing a portion of the soup and pulsing in a blender or food processor.

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This black bean soup is smoky and a little spicy with earthiness from bay and oregano, brightness from lime and savory vibes from chicken stock, garlic and onions. It's so satisfying and so flavorful.

• Author: Becky Schmieg
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 25 minutes
• Total Time: 40 minutes
• Yield: 4 1x
• Category: Soup

Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 tbsp oil
• 1/2 cup white onion (diced)
• 1 large bell pepper (chopped (about 1 cup))
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 cloves garlic (minced)
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 2 tsp agave nectar or 1 tsp sugar
• 1–2 tbsp chopped chipotle pepper in adobo *see note
• 3/4 cup canned diced fire roasted tomatoes with green chiles
• 2 15 oz cans black beans (rinsed and drained)
• 2 tbsp lime juice, plus lime wedges for serving
• 2 cups chicken stock
• salt and pepper
• cotija (optional for serving)
• cilantro (optional for serving)

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Instructions

1. Heat oil in a large stock pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and bell pepper, bay and cook until peppers and onions are soft, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle with 1/4 tsp salt.
2. Add garlic, dried oregano, agave, chipotle in adobo, diced fire roasted tomatoes, black beans, lime juice and chicken stock. Turn up the heat slightly and bring to a boil.
3. Use an immersion blender to partially blend the soup to desired thickness. See notes for using a blender.
4. Serve topped with cotija, cilantro and extra lime wedges if desired.

Notes

Blending – if you don’t have an immersion blender. Remove 2 cups of the soup and add to a blender. Pulse until relatively smooth and then add back to soup pot. Note: only do this with hot soup if your blender lid has a removable plug in the lid. Remove the plug and place a folded dish towel over the lid while blending. 

Chipotle peppers – canned chipotle peppers in adobo can be very spicy. For less spice start with just 1 tbsp.

Stock – you can substitute vegetable stock to make this vegan