Description
A hearty and flavorful Black Bean Soup made from scratch using dried black beans and fresh vegetables simmered to perfection and lightly blended for a thick, comforting texture. This recipe includes aromatic spices and optional toppings like sour cream and fresh herbs for a delicious, wholesome meal.
Ingredients
Scale
For the beans:
- 1 pound dry black beans
- 1 small red bell pepper (halved and seeded)
- 1 small onion (quartered)
- 2 cloves garlic (whole)
- 3 bay leaves
For the soup:
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large onion (diced)
- 1/2 cup parsley (chopped)
- 1 red bell pepper (diced)
- 2 medium carrots (diced)
- 5 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup white wine (2 ounces)
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 chicken bouillon cube (or vegetable bouillon cube)
- 3/4 tsp kosher salt
- Black pepper (to taste)
- Avocado, sour cream, red onions, scallions, chives and/or cilantro (for topping)
Instructions
- Soak the beans: Rinse the dry black beans thoroughly and place them in a large pot with about 8 cups of water. For best results, soak the beans overnight to soften. To speed up this process, you can boil the beans covered, remove from heat, and let them sit for 1 hour.
- Cook the beans: Drain the soaking water and add 9 cups of fresh cold water to the pot with the beans. Add 1 halved red bell pepper, 2 whole garlic cloves, the small quartered onion, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for about 1 hour and 30 minutes or until the beans are tender. Stir occasionally and add water if necessary. Once cooked, discard the vegetables used for flavoring.
- Sauté the vegetables: While the beans cook, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the diced onion, chopped parsley, diced red bell pepper, diced carrots, and minced garlic. Season with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and black pepper to taste. Sauté the vegetables for 5 to 6 minutes until softened.
- Add vegetables and seasonings to the soup: After the beans have simmered for about an hour, add the sautéed vegetables to the pot. Stir in 1/4 cup white wine, 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon oregano, and 1 chicken or vegetable bouillon cube. Adjust the water as needed to reach your desired soup consistency. Cover and continue to simmer on low for another 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Blend the soup: Remove the bay leaves and partially blend the soup using an immersion blender for about 10 seconds to thicken it. If you do not have an immersion blender, transfer about 3 cups of the soup to a blender, blend until smooth, and then return it to the pot.
- Final seasoning and serving: Taste the soup and adjust seasoning with 1/4 teaspoon salt, black pepper, and additional cumin if desired. Ladle about 1 1/4 cups of soup into each serving bowl. Top with optional ingredients like sour cream, chopped red onions, scallions, chives, cilantro, or avocado. Enjoy warm.
Notes
- To make this soup with canned beans, skip soaking and cooking the dry beans. Use 4 (15-ounce) cans of black beans instead. Start at step 3, adding the drained beans and 4 cups of water, then follow the rest of the instructions. This will make approximately 9 cups of soup.
- For a spicy kick, add 2 to 3 chipotles in adobo sauce or a dash of chili powder for smokiness.
- To reduce sodium, omit the bouillon cube and replace water with low-sodium broth.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup (about 250 ml)
- Calories: 210 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 450 mg
- Fat: 5 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3.5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 35 g
- Fiber: 12 g
- Protein: 13 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
