Southwest Black Bean Soup
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It only takes 30 minutes to make THE BEST Black Bean Soup recipe with tomatoes, coconut milk and delicious Southwest flavors! This soup is smoky, spicy and oh-so-delicious! It’s easy to make, gluten free, vegan, and most importantly, incredibly flavorful!
Table of contents
I never thought I’d say it, but this black bean soup recipe might just be one of my new favorite meals. Right off the bat, black bean soup might sound a little boring, but I can tell you that this soup recipe is anything but boring!
It’s bursting with flavors ranging from smoky and spicy, to zesty and creamy. This soup is packed with flavorful ingredients. When it comes to texture, this soup has it all, it’s both creamy and chunky, with a coconut milk broth base and tons of crunchy veggies.
Overall, this soup recipe is scrumptious, and naturally gluten free and vegan, a winning combination!
Ingredients
- Olive oil – or another neutral-flavored oil, used to cook the veggies.
- Onion – I like to use a yellow onion for it’s neutral flavor, but a red onion will add a little more “spice” and is also delicious in this recipe.
- Red bell pepper – a green, yellow or orange bell pepper will also work in this recipe. I simply prefer the red bell pepper, as it’s slightly sweeter than the other varieties.
- Celery – you’ll want to mince the celery and carrots for this recipe, so they’re the same size, or smaller, than the black beans, adding wonderful texture to the soup without overpowering it with large chunks of vegetables.
- Carrots
- Garlic – I recommend fresh minced cloves for the best flavor.
- Black beans – you’ll need four 15 ounce cans, or two 30 ounce cans of black beans for this recipe. Using canned beans helps this soup recipe come together in just 30 minutes.
- Southwest seasoning – this is the secret ingredient in this soup recipe that adds a ton of flavor to the dish! Click the link for my homemade spice blend that you can mix up in just 5 minutes with ingredients like chipotle powder, ground cumin and salt. It’s smoky, spicy and so flavorful! In a pinch, you could use homemade taco seasoning instead, or pick up premade southwest seasoning, or taco seasoning at the grocery store.
- Hot sauce – to spice up this soup, I added a tablespoon of Cholula. Feel free to use your favorite hot sauce brand. And if you want a soup with less spice, you can reduce or omit the hot sauce in this recipe.
- Coconut milk – I know it might sound crazy, but I took this tip from a recipe from Green Chef, and absolutely loved the slight sweetness and extra creaminess it adds to the soup, without adding any dairy. Definitely give it a try, and be surprised and delighted at the results!
- Vegetable broth – if you don’t care about making this recipe vegan, you can also use chicken broth, if that’s what you have on hand. I’ve made this soup with both, and it’s delicious either way!
- Tomato paste – this ingredient adds a wonderful umami flavor to the soup, helps thicken the broth and adds a hint of natural sweetness.
- Diced tomatoes – for this recipe, I used a can of petite diced tomatoes. Traditional diced tomatoes would also work, or you could use 2 fresh diced roma tomatoes.
- Lime juice – finishing this soup with this tangy acidity really balances out the spice and creaminess of the soup. Be sure to mix it in at the very end to get the most flavor from the fresh-squeezed lime juice.
Instructions
I’ve included step by step photos below to make this recipe super easy to follow at home. For the full detailed recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Cook the veggies. Heat olive oil in a large pot, or dutch oven, on the stove over medium-high heat. Add diced onions, bell pepper, celery and carrots, and cook for 5-6 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook for an additional minute.
- Add beans and season. Drain and rinse the canned black beans, then add them to the pot, along with the southwest seasoning and hot sauce.
- Add the liquid and tomatoes. Add an entire can of coconut milk to the pot, along with vegetable broth, tomato paste and diced tomatoes.
- Cook the soup. Stir to combine everything, then bring the soup to a simmer. Cover and reduce the heat on the stove to low, then let the soup cook for 15 minutes. Remove the lid and stir in the lime juice before serving.
What to serve with it
This black bean soup recipe is delicious served with a variety of toppings and side dishes. Try it with any of these ideas and recipes!
- Topping ideas
- Sliced avocado
- Lime wedges
- Fresh cilantro
- Sliced jalapenos
- Diced onions
- Pico de gallo
- Guacamole
- Toppings (if you’re not dairy-free or vegan)
- Shredded cheddar cheese or pepper jack cheese
- Dollop of sour cream
- Crumbled cotija cheese
- Side dish recipes and ideas
- Mexican Pickled Vegetables
- Tortilla chips
How to make it in a slow cooker
This recipe is also easy to make in a Crock Pot, or slow cooker. If you want to set it and forget it, try this method, instead of cooking the soup on the stove.
- Cook the veggies in a skillet on the stove, just like the recipe is written, then transfer the veggies to a slow cooker and turn off the heat on the stove.
- Add the black beans, southwest seasoning, hot sauce, coconut milk, vegetable broth, tomato paste and diced tomatoes to the slow cooker.
- Cook on low for 6-8 hours, or high for 3-4 hours. Right before serving, stir in the lime juice.
Pro tips
- Using the ingredients shown above, this recipe is naturally gluten free and dairy free, without any toppings. If you want to keep it dairy-free (and vegetarian), I recommend adding avocado on top for creaminess, instead of cheese or sour cream.
- This recipe has a medium-to-high spice level, depending on how sensitive you are to spice. To reduce the spice, reduce the hot sauce to one teaspoon, instead of one tablespoon. To omit almost all of the spice, do not add any hot sauce. The southwest seasoning will bring a mild spice level to the soup.
- If you want to thicken the broth of the soup, I recommend adding a cornstarch slurry at the end. Combine 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 1 tablespoon water, or chicken broth. Pour this mixture into the soup after the cooking time, along with the lime juice, and stir to combine.
- To double this recipe, simply click on the 2X button in the recipe card below. The ingredient amounts in the recipe card will automatically update. This is great for making a big batch of black bean soup for a party, or if you want to freeze a second batch for a future meal. I promise, future you will thank you!
Storage and reheating
Store leftover black bean soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 6 days.
The soup can be reheated in a pot on the stove over medium-high heat for 8-10 minutes, or until heated through. You can also add the soup to a slow cooker and reheat on low for 1 hour.
To reheat the soup in the microwave, place a single serving of black bean soup in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 2-3 minutes, or until heated throughout.
You can also freeze leftover black bean soup for up to 4 months. After the soup is cooked, let it cool before moving it to the freezer. To allow it to cool safely, place it in the refrigerator first.
Once cooled, transfer the soup to a freezer safe Ziplock bag. Flatten the soup in the freezer bag for quicker and easier defrosting. When it’s time to defrost the soup, I recommend placing it in the refrigerator for 8-10 hours to thaw.
After it’s thawed, place it in a slow cooker on low heat for 3-4 hours to reheat. You can also reheat the soup in a pot on the stove over medium heat for 20-30 minutes.
More soup recipes
Fill up your winter menu with all of these delicious and easy soup recipes!
Black Bean Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup onion, small dice
- 1 cup red bell pepper, small dice
- ½ cup celery, small dice
- ½ cup carrots, small dice
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 60 ounces black beans, 4 – 15 ounce cans, drained and rinsed
- 4 tablespoons southwest seasoning, click link for the recipe
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce, like cholula
- 15 ounce can coconut milk
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 6 ounces tomato paste
- 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons lime juice, fresh squeezed
Instructions
- Add the olive oil to a large pot on the stove over medium-high heat.
- Add the diced onion, bell pepper, celery and carrots.
- Cook for 5-6 minutes, add the minced garlic and cook for an additional minute.
- Add the drained and rinsed cans of black beans.
- Season with the southwest seasoning and hot sauce.
- Pour the coconut milk and vegetable broth into the pot, along with the tomato paste and diced tomatoes.
- Bring to a simmer, cover, reduce the heat to low and cook for 15 minutes.
- Remove the lid and stir in the fresh squeezed lime juice.
- Serve in bowls and top with the optional toppings of your choice, like fresh chopped cilantro, sliced avocado or shredded cheddar cheese.
Notes
- You’ll want to dice the onion, bell pepper, celery and carrots into a small dice for this recipe, so they’re the same size, or smaller, than the black beans, adding wonderful texture to the soup without overpowering it with large chunks of vegetables.
- To make this recipe in a slow cooker, refer to the blog post above for instructions.
- Using the ingredients listed above, this recipe is naturally gluten free and dairy free, without any toppings. If you want to keep it dairy-free (and vegetarian), I recommend adding avocado on top for creaminess, instead of cheese or sour cream.
- This recipe has a medium-to-high spice level, depending on how sensitive you are to spice. To reduce the spice, reduce the hot sauce to one teaspoon, instead of one tablespoon. To omit almost all of the spice, do not add any hot sauce. The southwest seasoning will bring a mild spice level to the soup.
- If you want to thicken the broth of the soup, I recommend adding a cornstarch slurry at the end. Combine 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 1 tablespoon water, or chicken broth. Pour this mixture into the soup after the cooking time, along with the lime juice, and stir to combine.
- To double this recipe, simply click on the 2X button above. The ingredient amounts will automatically update.
- Store leftover black bean soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 6 days.
- The soup can be reheated in a pot on the stove over medium-high heat for 8-10 minutes, or until heated through. You can also add the soup to a slow cooker and reheat on low for 1 hour. To reheat the soup in the microwave, place a single serving of black bean soup in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 2-3 minutes, or until heated throughout.
- You can also freeze leftover black bean soup for up to 4 months. After the soup is cooked, let it cool before moving it to the freezer. To allow it to cool safely, place it in the refrigerator first. Once cooled, transfer the soup to a freezer safe Ziplock bag. Flatten the soup in the freezer bag for quicker and easier defrosting. When it’s time to defrost the soup, I recommend placing it in the refrigerator for 8-10 hours to thaw. After it’s thawed, place it in a slow cooker on low heat for 3-4 hours to reheat. You can also reheat the soup in a pot on the stove over medium heat for 20-30 minutes.
Nutrition Facts
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