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Spicy Black Bean Soup

spicy black bean soup topped with cotija and cilantro

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5 from 1 review

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 Scale
  • 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
  • 12 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)

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