Easy Black Bean Soup brings onions, carrots, celery, tomatoes, green chiles, black beans, and cilantro together in a perfectly seasoned vegetable broth. The result is a hearty soup with tons of flavor and plenty of healthy nutrition, protein, and fiber.
This soup is a filling meal on its own, but for an over-the-top meal, I like to serve it with Mexican coleslaw and cornbread.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
See the complete list of ingredients on the recipe card below.
- Marjoram: It is a milder, sweeter, less intense relative of oregano. But you can substitute oregano if needed.
- Broth: To keep the soup vegetarian and vegan-friendly, stick with vegetable broth.
- Tomatoes: I really like the fire-roasted canned tomatoes because they have a unique smoky taste. But any canned diced tomatoes will work.
- Black beans: Several brands have low-sodium canned black beans; if they have them, take advantage of them, as the salt from the low-sodium beans and the fire-roasted tomatoes is plenty for this recipe.
How to make Black Bean Soup
This is a summary version; for the complete list of ingredients and instructions, please refer to the recipe card below.
- Start by heating a little oil in a Dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high heat. Then add the onions, carrots, and celery, cooking until tender.
- Reduce the heat to low and add the garlic, crushed red pepper, ground black pepper, marjoram, and cumin. Stir and cook for 1 minute.
- Stir in the vegetable broth, diced green chiles, and black beans. Bring the soup to a boil. Then reduce the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes.
- If desired, purée a little of the soup with an immersion blender. Garnish with cilantro or red pepper flakes, and a splash of fresh lime juice, and serve.
Preparation Tips
- To kick up the heat in this recipe, add chipotle chiles in adobo sauce or some ground cayenne pepper.
- If desired, purée a portion of the soup using an immersion blender. Blend as little or as much as you like to reach your desired consistency.
- You can also use a stand blender, but remove the fill cap lid for heat to escape. Top thicker soup with tortilla chips, fresh lemon juice, sliced avocado, sour cream, guacamole, or salsa.
Serving Suggestions
- Sandwiches: broiled tomato sandwich, chicken salad sandwich, or pork tenderloin sandwich
- Salads: Big Mac salad, broccoli cauliflower sandwich, or cucumber tomato salad
- Breads: easy cornbread or homemade dinner rolls
More Soup Recipes
Black Bean Soup Recipe
A quick and easy flavor-packed Black Bean Soup with onions, carrot, celery, garlic, tomatoes, green chiles, and black beans, all in a vegetable broth seasoned with cumin, marjoram, and cilantro.
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Servings: 6 bowls
Calories: 73kcal
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion chopped
- 2 carrots peeled and chopped
- 2 ribs celery chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon marjoram or oregano
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 4 cups vegetable broth or chicken broth
- 1 (15-ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- 1 (7-ounce) can diced green chiles
- 3 (15-ounce) cans low-sodium black beans drained and rinsed
- 1 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Heat oil in a Dutch oven or heavy stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the onions, carrots, and celery, cooking until the onions and celery are tender.
- Reduce the heat and add the garlic, red pepper flakes, ground black pepper, marjoram, and cumin. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
- Increase the heat to medium-high. Add the vegetable broth, fire-roasted tomatoes, diced green chiles, and black beans. Bring the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the carrots are tender.
- If desired, purée a little of the soup with an immersion blender. Garnish with cilantro or red pepper flakes and a splash of fresh lime juice, and serve.
Notes
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Freeze for up to 3 months by ladling fully cooled soup into quart freezer bags. Then lay on baking sheets in the freezer until fully frozen. This allows for easier storage in the freezer. Be sure to mark the contents and the date it was frozen on the bag.
Nutrition
Calories: 73kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Sodium: 655mg | Potassium: 148mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 3830IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 26mg | Iron: 1mg
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Tammy
What a comforting bowl for these bitter winter days. This was absolutely delicious. The whole family loved it!
Paula
This black bean soup hit the spot on this cold winter night! My whole family enjoyed this flavorful recipe. Next time I’m making a loaf of bread to go with it.
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Paula! I am so glad that you liked the soup!
Catalina
The beans softened nicely and the spices blended well. It was even better the next day.
Beth Pierce
Thank you, Catalina! I am so glad that you enjoyed it.
Ben
This was so good! The only thing I changed was leaving out the cilantro. Unfortunately, I’m one of those unlucky people who it tastes like soap, too.
Beth Pierce
My daughter is too!
Terri
I grew up in southern California, and I live in Texas currently. I was VERY impressed with the layers of Tex-Mex flavor in this soup!
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Terri! I am so glad that you loved it.
Kristin
I made this soup for Taco Tuesday to do something a little different. It was so good.
Beth Pierce
Thank you, Kristin!
Maria
This is SUCH a great recipe! I loved all the Tex-Mex flavors. I threw some chorizo in there for an extra kick. Yummy.
Abids
The black bean soup looks awesome and so delicious. Going to try it out!
Jennifer Prince
Yes, please! I am definitely making this in the crock pot this winter. So hearty and delicious. Love it!
Thena Franssen
Can’t wait to make this recipe! It’s one of my family favorite meals!