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!
Is this something that would freeze well, or alternatively could be a crockpot freezer meal (i.e. throw all ingredients in a bag, freeze, and then make)?
Yes most definitely!
I halved this recipe and the beans absorbed all the liquid, so it was just mushy beans. The taste is great, but I really wanted soup. Thoughts on how to avoid this next time?
You can just add some extra broth and that should thin it out to more of a soup for you. :)
I learned from a seller at my local farmers market that acid will keep beans from cooking, so I added the salsa in the last hour the second time I made this soup. The beans cooked much better and were soft when done. I suggest trying this if you find the beans are not cooking thoroughly in the time listed.
Made this today– delicious and absolutely the easiest soup recipe ever!
This recipe sounds delicious.
I’d love to make it but I can only find black ‘turtle’ beans, can you tell me whether these are the right beans? They look the same but Google assures me there are different black beans which have different flavours and textures and I’m hoping for a lovely soft smooth soup.
Thank you!
Yep, that’s the same thing! :)
This is the best soup I have ever made. Everyone raves about it when I take it to potlucks.
Hi Beth! My BF and I have been following your blog for years – starting back on the old server! ;) There was a similar slow cooker black bean recipe that involved dry black beans, a can of diced tomatoes, and some seasonings like garlic, onion, cumin, that I can’t properly remember. I thought for sure it was associated with your “kick the can” post about making your own beans from dry, instead of buying canned. But now that post points to this recipe. Any chance you remember what I’m talking about and are willing to re-share the recipe?
I found it! I’ll email it to you using the email that you registered the comment with. :)
You are amazingly awesome! Thanks so much!!!
I remember that recipe!
Made it and loved it. I love the chilli flavour in the soup. I will make this again, especially for a cold wintery night meal.
Made this soup over the weekend and it’s delicious! I didn’t have any garlic, so I used some garlic powder, and instead of salsa I used a couple of tablespoons of sofrito. My one mistake was adding a bit too much salt once it was done cooking, but I just added more water to help even it out (I’ll only use one tsp. next time). I now have lunch for the rest of the week and even some to freeze!
How many cans of already cooked canned beans would you use in place of the dry uncooked ones? Thank you so much! :)
About 3 15oz. cans, but you’ll need to adjust the rest of the recipe to compensate for the fact that the canned beans won’t be absorbing any liquid. But when you reduce the liquid (vegetable broth), you’ll also be losing some flavor.
Nutrition information on this delicious soup please
I made this today and it’s roughly 200 calories per serving, without any toppings.
Can you use an instant pot instead?
I haven’t tried it, but I imagine it would work well. :)
I have made this several times for my family, for guests, and for events and potlucks. It is always a big hit! I make it according to the recipe with one exception: I add a little green chili powder (a New Mexico staple) and it gives it a little extra kick. We love adding lots of fun toppings like vegan sour cream, vegan cheese, tortilla strips, and crunchy fried onions! Thank you for sharing what has become one of our favorite recipes!
Made it this weekend – whole family ate it – and the baby had 3 bowls!!! Definitely on my “make again” list
Everything is in the pot, we’ll find out in 51/2. hrs. I can’t wait!!!! I love Black Bean Soup!!!
Let you know.