I hope you guys don’t get sick of all my soup recipes, because I pretty much live off of soup this time of year! This Smoky Black Bean Soup is definitely going to be one of my new fav’s because it’s so fast, super thick and hearty, and leaves the door open for tons of fun toppings. Kind of like tacos, in soup form! I think you’re going to love this smoky, rich, just-happens-to-be-vegan soup!
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Load it Up with Toppings!
I’ve only provided the price breakdown for the soup itself below because there are just so many options for fun toppings. Not only is adding toppings to soup like this fun, but it’s a great way to use up leftovers in your refrigerator. Here are some toppings that I’ve added to my Smoky Black Bean Soup this week:
- Cornbread
- Cheddar
- Sour Cream
- Green Onion
- Jalapeño
- Avocado
- Pickled red onions
- Crushed tortilla chips
- Pico de gallo
Smoky Black Bean Soup is a Great Flexitarian Dinner
If you have a family with different dietary needs, this easy soup is a great place to start. This black bean soup in its base form is vegan and gluten-free, but you can add several things to accommodate other dietary preferences. You can add shredded rotisserie chicken or quickly sautéed shrimp to feed those who want a little meat, stir in a dollop of sour cream or cheddar cheese for those who like dairy, or add any of the toppings listed above.
Want more flexitarian dishes? Check out my round up of 30+ Flexible Recipes for Vegetarians and Omnivores.
Is This Soup Spicy?
This soup can be as spicy or as mild as you like. The spicy ingredients in this soup are the jalapeño and chipotle powder. If you prefer a mild soup, skip the jalapeño and use smoked paprika in place of chipotle powder. Or you can do any combination of those ingredients to adjust the heat to your liking. :)
Can you Freeze Smoky Black Bean Soup?
Yes! While this is a fairly small batch recipe, you absolutely can freeze the leftovers. As with freezing all other food, I suggest dividing the soup into single servings just after cooking, then refrigerating until completely cooled before transferring to the freezer for long term storage. The soup can be kept in the the freezer for about three months.
To reheat, either use the defrost function on your microwave, transfer to the refrigerator the day before you plan to reheat, or reheat straight from the freezer in a sauce pot, with a lid, over low heat, stirring often.
30-Minute Smoky Black Bean Soup
Servings 4 about 1.5 cups eachIngredients
- 1 yellow onion ($0.32)
- 2 cloves garlic ($0.16)
- 1 jalapeño (optional) ($0.15)
- 2 Tbsp olive oil ($0.32)
- 3 15oz. cans black beans ($2.07)
- 1 15oz. can fire roasted diced tomatoes ($1.00)
- 1 tsp ground cumin ($0.10)
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano ($0.05)
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika or chipotle powder* ($0.05)
- salt to taste ($0.02)
Instructions
- Dice the onion and mince the garlic. Remove the stem and seeds from the jalapeño, then dice the remaining jalapeño flesh. Add the onion, garlic, jalapeño, and olive oil to a soup pot and sauté over medium heat for about 5 minutes, or until the onions are soft and translucent.
- While the onion, garlic, and jalapeño are sautèing, use a blender to purée two of the three cans of black beans (with liquid from the can). If the beans are too thick to purée, add just enough water to make them blend.
- Add all three cans of black beans to the soup pot (one can of whole beans with liquid, two puréed), along with the can of fire roasted diced tomatoes (with juices), the cumin, oregano, and smoked paprika. Stir to combine.
- Place a lid on the pot and allow the soup to come up to a simmer. Allow the soup to simmer, stirring often, for about 15 minutes. After simmering for 15 minutes, taste and add salt to taste (I added 1/2 tsp). Serve hot with your choice of toppings.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Notes
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!Scroll down for the step by step photos!
How to Make Smoky Black Bean Soup – Step by Step Photos
Dice one yellow onion and mince two cloves of garlic. Remove the stem and seeds from a jalapeño, then finely dice the pepper. Add the diced onion, jalapeño, minced garlic, and 2 Tbsp olive oil to a soup pot. Sauté over medium heat for about five minutes, or until the onions are soft and translucent.
While the onion, garlic, and jalapeño are sautéing, purée two 15 oz. cans of black beans (with liquid) in a blender. If the beans are too thick to blend, add a small amount of water (about 1/4 cup). Leave the third can of black beans whole.
Add one 15 oz. can of whole black beans (undrained) and the two cans of puréed black beans to the soup pot.
Add one 15 oz. can of fire-roasted tomatoes (with juices) to the soup pot.
Finally, add 1 tsp cumin, ½ tsp dried oregano, and ½ tsp of either smoked paprika or chipotle powder to the soup. Stir to combine.
Place a lid on the soup pot and let it come up to a simmer. Simmer the soup, stirring often, for about 15 minutes.
After simmering for 15 minutes, taste the soup and add salt as needed (I added ½ tsp). Serve hot with your choice of toppings!
Yummmmm!
I made this last night and was so surprised at how flavorful a simple recipe can turn out! I followed the recipe to the letter and made a side of white rice. I will definitely make this again!
This is so great! maybe TMI but sometimes I need extra fiber if you know what I mean.. to get things moving.. and good lord does this soup do the job
It was a little sweet for me but it might have been the salsa I used. I added like a teaspoon of vinegar, more of the spices, and salt, and that made the soup the right amount of savory again! Love this recipe.
Hi! I love this recipe! To make it even more budget friendly, do you have any recommendations on how I could make it using home cooked black beans? I’m concerned about the lack of liquid from the cans. Thanks!
Beautifully adaptable and easy. Had two cans of black beans and one pinto, worked out great. Ended up just pureeing them all together at the start, leaving some whole, with an immersion blender. Added a touch of broth to thin it out. Spices really bring it all together. Thanks for sharing!
This is really good but I don’t think the calorie count is correct. It seems too low. 3 15-oz cans of black beans has over 1000 calories, so it’s not really possible that this makes 4 portions under 200 calories. It would be good to correct that.
Thanks for catching that, Katie. I recalculated the nutrition using our current nutrition calculator and it looks a lot more accurate. :)
Wow! What a wonderful, quick recipe that full of flavor and easy to make! I did, however, substitute the jalapeño for poblano, and added about a teaspoon of chili powder and chipotle powder to the onions as they cooked down, but followed everything else to the letter. This soup is definitely going into dinner rotation! Tasted great even on a hot, summer night!
I just tried this recipe when I had a lot of cooked black beans left over after making chili. It’s a terrific recipe! I was feeling lazy and didn’t want to bother chopping onions and garlic, so I just eyeballed the right amount of dried onions and dried minced garlic. I prefer recipes only mildly spicy, so I used 1/4 tsp cayenne for just a touch of heat. This is a real keeper that will be in my regular rotation.
I also added diced sweet potatoes and celery right after the onions. The first time, I served it with garlic rolls, and the second time, I served it over leftover rice. It’s a new family favorite.
Even my fussy 13 year old son loved this, and took the time later in the night to say, “Mom, that soup tonight was so good! Would you make that again?” I honestly can’t think of a better endorsement.
I make homemade black beans from scratch in a massive pot and then freeze them in portions so that I can easily add them to any meal. Super cheap and healthy! Also, I took the smoked paprika option and have no regrets.
Absolutely delicious. I left out the jalapeño due to my weak spice tolerance, but added some more paprika & cumin. I topped it off with crumbled honey cornbread, sour cream, & cheddar cheese. My partner loved it. This will definitely be a repeat recipe!
I tend not to like tomatoes in soup and chili. Can the tomatoes be omitted?
You can sub the tomatoes for an equal amount of broth (chicken or veggie), but it will change the mouth feel and consistency of the soup. XOXO -Monti
I don’t like them either (it’s a texture thing, not a flavor thing) so I just threw the can of tomatoes into the blender with the beans. Got the flavor without the icky (to me) tomato texture.
Delicious! I mixed in a cornbread muffin and some shredded cheese to serve and it was awesome!
I’m gonna make this as I’m sure it’s great. But it just seems like it might need a little broth
How much water should I add if I used beans that I had previously cooked from dry?
Hi Danielle! Once a 15 ounce can of beans is drained, it contains about 1.5 cups of beans. So use 3 cups of your drained pre-cooked beans for the puree and add a cup of water to the mix, before pureeing. Add more water, quarter cup by quarter cup, to thin out the puree if it is too thick. When you add the 1.5 cups of whole beans to the soup, add a full cup of water, and stir, If you want the soup a little thinner, add more water, quarter cup by quarter cup, until it reaches your preferred consistency. XOXO -Monti
Made this for dinner yesterday. I doubled the spices and it was PERFECT. A boxed cornbread mix and jalapeños were both on sale so I added the jalapeños to the batter as well. Such a cheap and delicious meal. Thank you!
Made this today for dinner. So quick & easy, I made it during my lunch break! I did feel it was a tad black as written, so I doubled the cumin and added seasoned salt and Tony Chachere’s. Made homemade to tortilla chips and served it with fried smoked sausage and salad. Will definitely make it again.
Very good and filling. Pleased 2 teenagers. Made it with 3 slices bacon chopped fine and browned with onions. next time might up the smoked paprika
So for personal reasons I need more fiber in my diet (black beans have a lot of fiber) so I chose this recipe. My mom and I were ready for an average meal to get the job done but I couldn’t put the spoon down!! So good. The fire roasted tomatoes are such a nice little treat when you come across them. I am sick and lazy so I got jiffy cornbread and added honey and cheddar cheese and frozen corn. HIT THE SPOT
this is really one of my favorite recipes from this site! so easy and yet delicious (especially with a few adaptations). i like cooking the onions a little longer, upping the garlic by a lot, and going heavy on the spices with this – a touch of chili powder, a dash of fish sauce, lots of cumin, and i puree 1.5 cans of beans and leave the other half whole. so so good with cornbread! any topping is great on this but it’s also pretty fantastic on its own. next time i might try starting by crisping some bacon, sautéing the onions in bacon fat and topping the soup with the crispy bacon bites.
I had a can of black beans in my cabinet for almost 2 months. I used it for this recipe, and it was spectacular and spicy. I substituted jalapenos for habaneros (just a quarter of a large pepper), added in carrots and celery (for my veggie fix), and used a little stock to add extra flavour to the soup. Finally, I mixed in a tablespoon of nutritional yeast (which had a BBQ flavour with a dash of smoke), and I topped it with some cream and parsley. It was absolutely delicious, but I had to slow down as my eyes were watering from the spice and how good it tasted.
Are the macros correct? I feel like they are too low.
Love this! So good. I only had a small can of tomatoes so I added about 1/2 c veggie broth to thin it out
I made this soup tonight as one of the options on the vegetarian meal plan version 2. It was surprisingly delicious! I added about a tsp of jarred chipotles in adobo with the garlic and spices, otherwise I followed the recipe as written. We used sliced fresh jalapenos and green onions for garnish. Super good, I am so looking forward to leftovers tomorrow!
This looks amazing…and if you make a big batch and freeze…make less spicy…and when you need it take it out and you can add in so many fixings to spice it up..or use hickory liquid smoke to make it smoky…and all the different toppings…avacado,sour cream, different cheeses, crumbled bacon on top, or ham added …you can take this so many ways…keep a box of jiffy corn bread or a loaf of nice grainy bread and wow meal in a jiffy…I like things that you can freeze…and then thaw for a second meal and use it completely different…Try roasting l inch pieces of sweet potatoes or squash and sprinkle with pumpkin pie spice and drizzle with oil and roast, or flavored with chipolte or smoked paprika and add in…or serve over rice…I do not like my bean soup too pureed…so probably puree one can and just mash the other two with a potato masher some what…this is a great recipe…for meatless Mondays…but can add in meat…ham,bacon or sausage..Kielibasa would be great…cut in slices and sautéed with the onion..garlic mix…Budget Bites is one of my favorite sites!!!
This is an absolutely delicious and very quick soup. I didn’t have a jalapeño, but instead of Chipotle powder I used a couple teaspoons of diced Chipotles in adobo, and that gave it a really nice spice and smoky flavor. The fire roasted tomatoes really do the trick. I really don’t like pulling out the blender but it does make the soup so creamy and rich, it’s worth it. Altogether this came together in about half an hour and the ingredients are all very cheap. Thank you so much for this recipe!
Mine tasted AMAZING but didn’t come out as thick as yours😭 I followed the instructions and everything. Do you know why this may have been?
Hmm, I can’t think of why it wouldn’t be thick if you puréed the beans. I’m stumped! Did you add some sort of other liquid?
Delicious and appetizing! I tried this recipe with even more of my favorite toppings and it still tasted great, especially when paired with bread.
Made exactly as written, because I had all the ingredients on hand! I added some splashes of Cholula hot sauce at the end instead of extra salt to taste – it adds a bit of vinegar and salty spice. I found the canned beans had enough salt for my taste. Excellent and easy. Topped with green onion, chihuahua cheese, and a dollop of sour cream and served with fresh baked pita chips. Thanks for the easy recipe! Will freeze the left overs for chilly days ahead.
This is the best black bean soup I have ever had! Made it for the first time last night and had two full bowls. I’m already planning on making it on a regular basis! Couldn’t find S&W beans but made it with two cans of other organic beans and a can of seasoned black beans. I didn’t have a fresh jalapeno but used pickled jalapenos which I added with the beans.
Really good and filling meal when accompanied with a bread. It has good flavor!
So nice to eat on a rainy evening! Highly recommend using the S&W organic black beans because they are the best canned beans out there!! I added avocado, Tapatío hot sauce, and made cheese toast to dip in the soup! Yummy!!
This was so easy to make after a long day of work! It was really flavorful and went great with cornbread! Thanks for a great vegan recipe!
I was worried this might not have enough flavor or else be the same as any other bean chili, but it was distinct and satisfying. I didn’t have a third can of black beans so I used a tri-color kidney bean can for my third. Also, I served it on top of diced, roasted sweet potatoes, topped with lightly steamed, cut up green beans for crunch. I found this combination to round out the meal’s overall nutritional value and provided a good mouth-feel and flavor mix. Definitely going to make again.
I love this recipe and I’ve made it several times now. I sub chipotle in adobo for the paprika/chopotle powder. Sometimes just a spoonful of the adobo sauce is enough. I also add the spices, minced garlic and jalepeno earlier on to let them “bloom” while I cook the onions.
Easy to make and definitely okay to substitute things! I had a can of red chili beans, a can of black beans, and a can of red beans! It still turned out great, and I also added a half a can of chipotle peppers in adobe sauce. Can’t go wrong!
This is one of my favorite recipes to make on a regular basis. It is so flavorful, versatile and easy to assemble. It freezes so well that I always make a larger batch and freeze several portions. In addition to a soup I use it as a filling for a quesadilla, in tacos or with eggs! It’s also something that my toddler loves too so it’s great to have on hand for a quick meal. Sometimes I’ll cook a couple slices of bacon to add and cook the onions and garlic in it which adds even more smoky flavor.
We’ve been trying to add in more veggie meals and this is delicious!! SO much flavor! I add sour cream, cheese, and avocado and serve with cornbread. Amazing and easy/quick!
Beth, this recipe is amazing! I was out of jalapeños, so I subbed a whole chipotle pepper in adobo sauce. I just blended it up with the beans. It turned out a little spicier than intended, but my little kids still enjoyed it! Next time I will try just half a chipotle pepper and see if that’s the right amount of spice. I’ve been following you for about 5 years and my family loves your recipes! Love that you’ve been doing more vegetarian options lately :)
We made this last night and it’s going to be a staple from now on! We followed your recipe exactly except we added in a can of southwest corn with the liquid half drained out and it was perfect! The corn added a nice textural change with a bit of crunch! We spoiled ourselves a little and had the soup with store bought frozen beef and cheese taquitos and the combo was great!
Oh that’s great adding the corn! I like that idea. Thanks for sharing Ash!
I only have plain diced tomatoes. To make up for it, what can I add? We plan to use chipotles in adobo instead of jalaoeno. Is that enough?
Yes, I think the smokiness of the chipotles will be plenty to make up for the lost smokiness of the fire-roasted diced tomatoes. :P
Would cooking up a batch of dried black beans (instead of canned) work the same?
Dried black beans come out great in the Instant Pot.
I haven’t tried it to know how subtle the difference would be, but I would assume it would work as long as you retain the cooking liquid (aquafaba) to purée with the beans.
With canned beans, isn’t there a lot of sodium that comes with keeping the liquid from the can in the recipe? Could you rinse off the beans, and refill with water in order to make the puree? Would this take away from the flavor of the dish?
Using water instead of the aquafaba will yield a thinner soup, but it is an option. A better option would be to buy low sodium canned beans, so you still get the starchy liquid to help thicken the soup. :)
So good! I use an immersion blender in the simmering pot and pulsed it a few times (but not so much as to purée the whole soup – plenty of good chunks remained); I found it worked really well. Great recipe – especially when topped with pepper jack cheese!
Oh great idea Genevieve!
Delicious!! Even my meat loving husband enjoyed this recipe!
Hooray!
Loved this! Had to make my “UK version” with regular diced tomatoes but still wonderful. Doubled the amount of smoked paprika in an attempt to compensate for the tomatoes and I think it helped but either way, really enjoyed this. Finished it off last night and couldn’t resist making it again tonight for another few days of it. Big thanks, as always!
Thanks for letting us know Kalyn!
Thanks for sharing such delicious soup
You’re welcome!
Wow, this recipe is packed with flavor. So easy! Definitely a go-to, weeknight recipe.
Thank you Dylan!
Lovely and easy to make soup. Serve with your sweet potato biscuits. Toppings were Monterey Jack, sour cream, diced avocado, diced tomato an lime wedges. We had an ice storm yesterday and it’s really cold today, so this hit the spot. Thanks for a wonderful recipe!
I’m coming for lunch! Thanks for sharing Vivian.
Easy and delicious! I only had 2 cans of black beans, so I worked with what I had and just blended 1 and didn’t blend the other. I’m sure 3 cans of beans would have been heartier but 2 worked for me in a pinch! Topped it off with crushed tortillas and cheese!
Hey great way to use what you have on hand! I think if it turned out you’re just fine! Great work Caitlin.
Unbelievably simple, tasty, and filling! This is definitely getting put in my regular rotation.
Happy to hear it Courtney!
This is looking so yummy and can’t wait to have it. i would love to make it at home. As you mentioned my parents are vegan and i want to make it for them.
Thanks for sharing and keep sharing.
Can’t wait to hear what you think!
Hello,
I would like just to say that I miss the Pinterest button. I used Pinterest as an easy way to make shopping lists and tracking which recipes I have already tried.
Hi Tatiana! It’s still there! Look just above the recipe and you’ll see the black squares for social sharing :)
Indeed there they are, I just had to fiddle with the settings in my browser. Thanks!
Oh good! Thanks for letting me know Monika!
I know it’s probably integral to the recipe but are there any alternatives to the fire-roasted tomatoes? I live in the UK and we, very unfortunately, don’t have those here.
While they do give the recipe that little bit of extra smoke, you could just substitute with regular canned diced tomatoes.
Hey :) Just a heads up – Looks like the video on posted for this one is of a different recipe. Maybe intentional but in it’s not! Thanks for all the yummy recipes x
in case it’s not*
Hi Jess! Yes that’s just a rotating video we have on some of our most popular posts :)
As I was reading through this recipe, I immediately thought — this would be really good over yellow rice. Yum!
Oh that sounds delicious!
Just made this and it’s delicious. Will definitely add into the winter rotation. Used smoked paprika and subbed a Thai red bird chili for the jalapeño. A bit spicy!
Oh yum!!
Would I be able to add Kale or spinach to this towards the end?
I don’t see why not! Sounds great!
I always get tummy trouble from black beans. Do you think this would be good with pintos instead?
You could certainly make a similar soup with pinto beans. It would taste different, more along the lines of a refried bean soup, but that sounds kind of delish IMHO! :D
So easy & delicious! I used some as a filling for a quesadilla the next day!
Oooh that sounds great Annie! Thank you for sharing.
Nutritional information?
Thanks for the request! We do get that request a lot, but unfortunately we don’t have a reliable source for the nutrition information. The calculators and databases that most bloggers and websites use to calculate the info can be extremely inaccurate, and for something that can so severely impact the health of people with health conditions, we just don’t feel comfortable publishing unreliable numbers. We prefer to leave it up to the reader to use the database or calculator they trust. I’m sorry and I wish accuracy were easier than shipping the food off to a lab for analysis!
I’ve only got an immersion blender at home. Would it be best to use that to purée the beans in another container first or could I add all the beans together and just use the immersion blender in the soup pot?
Hi Mallory! I’d suggest blending them in a separate container together with your immersion blender and then adding them to the pot.
I make a very similar version of this. Instead of Pureeing the black beans i simply buy the blue runner creole cream style black beans.
Oh that sounds interesting! I may have to try those. Thanks for sharing Tommy.
I never tire of soup this time of year! I like how you puree some of the ingredients to get a thicker texture. My son, who doesn’t like soupy soup, might even like it
Let us know what he thinks Keith!
Thinking of making this, but I have regular paprika in the cupboard that I’m trying to use up before I spring for smoked paprika. Any guesses on how weird it might be to make that substitution?
It won’t be weird, the soup will just be less smoky in flavor. :)
Not all of the best tasting food looks pretty! :) It’s delicious!
It’s black bean soup… Black. Bean.