I love black bean soup like I love chili. It’s great on its own, but it’s also fun to get creative with toppings and turn it into a bowl full of fun (okay, maybe I get too excited about food). This awesomely flavorful and easy slow cooker black bean soup practically makes itself, which is perfect for hot summer days like this when you don’t want a pot of soup boiling away on the stove making your whole kitchen extra steamy.
What else is awesome about this soup? Wellll…. It’s vegan, super filling, low cal, high fiber, high protein, full of veggies, and costs next to nothing. Need I say more?
And about those awesome fun toppings? I ate mine with a dollop of sour cream, but you could do crispy tortilla strips, green onions, cilantro, pepitas, cheddar or pepper jack cheese, or even a scoop of cooked rice. Actually, just about anything that goes good in a taco would probably go awesome on top of this soup. Go wild!
Slow Cooker Black Bean Soup
Servings 6 1.5 cups eachIngredients
- 2 cloves garlic ($0.16)
- 1 yellow onion ($0.41)
- 2 ribs celery ($0.33)
- 2 carrots ($0.28)
- 1 lb. black beans (uncooked) ($1.75)
- 1 cup salsa ($0.85)
- 1 Tbsp chili powder* ($0.30)
- 1/2 Tbsp ground cumin ($0.15)
- 1 tsp dried oregano ($0.05)
- 4 cups vegetable broth ($0.53)
- 2 cups water ($0.00)
Instructions
- Mince the garlic, dice the onion and celery, and grate the carrots on a large holed cheese grater. Rinse the black beans in a colander under cool running water and pick out any stones or debris.
- Combine the garlic, onion, celery, carrots, black beans, salsa, chili powder, cumin, oregano, vegetable broth, and water in a 5-7 quart slow cooker. Stir well.
- Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on high for 6-8 hours (you want the beans to get VERY soft). Once the beans are very soft, use an immersion blender** to blend the soup until it is thick and creamy (leave some beans whole if desired). Taste the soup and add salt if needed (this will depend on the brand of vegetable broth used).
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Notes
Nutrition
How to Make Slow Cooker Black Bean Soup – Step by Step Photos
Rinse the dry beans under cool water to remove any dust and dirt. If there are any pebbles or other debris, pick them out.
Add the beans to a 5-7 quart slow cooker along with 2 cloves of minced garlic, one onion (diced), 2 stalks celery (diced), 2 carrots (grated on a large holed cheese grater), 1 cup salsa, 1 Tbsp chili powder, 1/2 Tbsp cumin, and 1 tsp oregano. Add to that 4 cups of vegetable broth and 2 cups of water. Stir well, place the lid on top, and let it cook on high for 6-8 hours (the goal is VERY soft beans).
After 6 hours on high (it can go 8 hours if needed), the beans will be soft and floating around in a bunch of liquid. You want this to be a thick soup, so you’ll need to purée some of the beans (or all if you want it to be a super smooth soup). The easiest way is to use an immersion blender, but if you don’t have one, it can be done with a regular blender. If using a regular blender, let the soup cool until it’s no longer hot (warm is okay). blend about half of the soup in batches for a slightly chunky soup, or all of the soup for a smooth soup. When blending warm liquids it’s always a good idea to throw a towel over the top of the closed blender to catch any spray if it does build pressure and burst out the top. Never, NEVER, blend hot liquids. (speaking from experience).
I blended about half of my soup and left some beans whole for texture. Blending the beans also thickens up the soup considerably. Once it’s blended, give it a taste and see if you need to add salt. I used Better Than Bouillon soup base for my vegetable broth, which tends to be on the salty side, so I didn’t need to add any. If you’re using a low sodium broth, you’ll probably need to add a pinch to make the flavors pop.
And then go crazy with toppings! Woot!
I made this last night, and it’s definitely the best soup I’ve made in a slow cooker. Heavenly with a little sour cream and cheddar cheese.
I love everything about black bean soup – the thicker the better! And the fact that it’s a great vegan staple is a HUGE plus! Thanks for the recipe!
I made this soup this past weekend and it was delicious.
Unfortunately for me, there was a lot of evaporation of the liquids. I had to add more broth at the end. Did I do something wrong? Any suggestions what I can do next time I make the soup?
It might just be due to variations in slow cookers. Perhaps yours allows more evaporation than mine? And that’s how cooking goes, you always have to tweak a little for your own situation. :)
Did you use dry beans? And if so, did you pre-soak them over night?
Yes, they were dry, uncooked black beans and no, I did not soak. That’s the beauty of using a slow cooker to cook beans. :)
Awesome, thank you! I’m super excited to try it!
This looks great! Do you think it would freeze well?
Yep, it freezes very well. :) Just make sure to stir it as it reheats incase any water separates out.
Tried it today, and it turned out delicious!
I just made this and it was delicious! I also added some rice, cheddar cheese, and sour cream to the soup, but I like the suggestion of adding avocado, cilantro, and lime. I’ll have to try that next time.
We eat a lot of soups, a lot of beans, and I use my slow cooker often, but I have never made black bean soup. I have no idea why. Thanks so much for the recipe. Pinning it now!
OHHHH my goodness. this sounds amazing. I’ve been slacking on using my crockpot lately, I might need to bust it out for this! :)
So, I just finished slow cooking a pound of black beans. Do you think it would be OK to just boil all of these ingredients together on the stove top with the pre-cooked black beans?
Yep, but you’ll need much less liquid. I’d start with maybe 3 or 4 cups broth.
This looks great and I bet it freezes pretty well. How long do you think it would take to cook on the low setting? I’m gone for 10 hours during the day so I don’t know if it’s better to do 10 hours on low and have the beans be slightly less tender.
Yeah, I think I’d do ten hours on low and then if they aren’t soft when you get home, you can crank it up to high for an hour or two.
This looks DELICIOUS! I’ve been looking for a black bean soup recipe, you totally read my mind! Definitely on my to-try list :)
Looks great! I love black bean soup, especially with topped with avocado, cilantro, and lime juice! Going to put this on the meal plan for next week!
Oh this looks so good! I love it. I’m always looking for new vegetarian recipes and we’ve been on a black bean burger kick lately (like 4 different ones in the last week) and while my husband could eat them every day I’m a bit burned out. Maybe I’ll see if I can sneak this in.
I totally agree about the toppings – completely transforms the dish! This looks incredible!!