This easy Black Bean Soup recipe is a vegan black bean soup that’s loaded with onion, garlic, carrots, celery, red pepper and tomatoes simmered in a richly flavored broth and seasoned with classic Mexican flavors.

This Black Bean Soup is loaded with onion, garlic, carrots, celery, red pepper and tomatoes in a richly flavored broth

 This richly flavored vegan black bean soup makes a delicious and nutritious meal on its own.  I like to garnish it generously with corn and pico de gallo and serve with Spanish rice and warm flour tortillas. 

This Black Bean Soup is loaded with onion, garlic, carrots, celery, red pepper and tomatoes in a richly flavored broth

As the weather turns cooler, it’s time to break out the soup recipes!  This hearty vegan black bean soup recipe is one of my favorites.  

Black Bean Soup Recipe

  • Extra-virgin olive oil
  • Yellow onion, peeled and chopped
  • Carrot, peeled and chopped
  • Celery stalks, peeled and chopped (include the leafy green parts)
  • Garlic cloves, minced
  • Small red pepper, chopped
  • Jalapeno, minced (optional)
  • Ground cumin
  • Dried oregano
  • Bay leaf
  • Canned black beans, rinsed and drained
  • Canned diced tomatoes, undrained
  • Low-sodium vegetable broth or chicken broth

How to Make Black Bean Soup 

Easy directions for making stovetop black bean soup from canned black beans.

  1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.
  2. Saute the onion, carrot and celery for about 5 minutes or until they soften.
  3. Add the jalapeno (if using), garlic, red pepper and cook for another minute. 
  4. Stir in the cumin, oregano and bay leaf.
  5. Pour in the beans, tomatoes and chicken stock.  Bring to a boil then reduce heat and cover.
  6. Simmer for 30 to 45 minutes or until the soup thickens.

Black Bean Soup Crock Pot

Here’s easy directors for making slow cooker black bean soup from dried beans.

  1. Combine the onion, carrot, celery, garlic, jalapeno, red pepper, cumin, oregano and bay leaf, beans and vegetable broth in a 5-7 quart slow cooker.
  2. Stir well
  3. Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on high for 6-8 hours.

Black Bean Soup from Dried Beans

We use canned black beans for this recipe, but you can also make this soup using dried black beans. When cooking dried black beans, the beans will need to be soaked in water for at least 8 hours (overnight is best). For every 2 cups dried black beans you use, you’ll end up with about 5 cups of cooked black beans.

  1. Pick over black beans, removing any stones and twigs. Soak beans in bowl filled with water for at least 8 hours or overnight Drain the soaked beans
  2. In a large Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium high heat.
  3. Saute the onion, carrot and celery for about 5 minutes or until they soften.
  4. Add the jalapeno (if using), garlic, red pepper and cook for another minute.  Add the cumin, oregano and bay leaf.
  5. Pour in the soaked black beans, tomatoes and chicken stock.  Bring to a boil and let boil 15 minutes.
  6. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook partly covered for 1 to 2 hours or until beans are soft. 
  7. Add hot water or more broth as needed. 
  8. Stir occasionally and add hot water or more broth as needed.

Variations

  • Stir in 1/2 cup cooked long-grain rice or Spanish rice to the black bean soup after it has finished cooking if you want to make Black Bean and Rice Soup.  You may need to add a little more broth a bit if you do.
  • Toss in 1/2 cup corn (fresh or frozen) the last 5 minutes of cooking the soup if you want to make Black Bean and Corn Soup.
  • Add rice to the bowl before dishing it up if you don’t add rice to the soup
  • If you don’t add corn to the soup, then garnish with cooked corn and some tomato, red onion and cilantro.
  • Puree 1/4-1/2 of this soup if you want a creamier less brothy soup
  • Instead of adding jalapeno, you can add 1/2 teaspoon of canned adobo sauce

This Black Bean Soup is loaded with onion, garlic, carrots, celery, red pepper and tomatoes in a richly flavored broth

More Mexican Soup Recipes

Want more ideas? Check out all my healthy soup recipes.

More Black Bean Recipes

This Black Bean Soup is loaded with onion, garlic, carrots, celery, red pepper and tomatoes in a richly flavored broth
Yield: 4 servings

Black Bean Soup

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes

This easy Black Bean Soup recipe is a vegetarian black bean soup that's loaded with onion, garlic, carrots, celery, red pepper and tomatoes simmered in a richly flavored broth and seasoned with classic Mexican flavors.

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 onion, peeled and chopped
  • 1 cup carrot, peeled and chopped
  • 2 celery stalks, peeled and chopped (include the leafy green parts)
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 small red pepper, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon fresh jalapeno, minced (optional)
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 19 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 2 fresh corn cobs, grilled
  • 14 ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
  • 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth or chicken broth

Instructions

  1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.
  2. Saute the onion, carrot and celery for about 5 minutes or until they soften.
  3. Add the jalapeno (if using), garlic, red pepper and cook for another minute.  Add the cumin, oregano and bay leaf.
  4. Add the beans, tomatoes and chicken stock.  Bring to a boil then reduce heat and cover.
  5. Simmer for 30 to 45 minutes or until the soup thickens.

Notes

Garnish with fresh grilled corn kernels, chopped tomato, red onion and cilantro.  Serve with lime wedges.