Vegan Black Bean Soup

5 from 3 votes

This show-stopping vegan black bean soup with a creamy texture and bold flavor is sure to satisfy even the most die-hard meat-lovers in your life. It's also super easy to make, healthy and economical!

The recipe yields 4 servings (1 cup each).

Prep Time10

Cook Time25

Total Time35

Course: Soup

Cuisine: vegan

Keyword: vegan black bean soup

Servings:

Calories: 320kcal

Author: Katia

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil or extra virgin olive oil
1 medium-sized onion, diced
1 large carrot, diced
1 celery rib, diced
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
3 cans (14oz/400 grams each) black beans
2 cups (480 ml) low-sodium vegetable broth, use more if you prefer a thinner consistency
1 ½ teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
¾ teaspoon dried oregano
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper or chili flakes, plus more if to taste
salt & pepper, to taste

To serve

1 lime, cut into 4 wedges
2 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped

Instructions

Drain 2 cans of black beans and set aside. Then, pour 1 can of black beans with their liquid into a blender or food processor and puree until smooth (if it's too thick, add a touch of water). Alternatively, you can puree beans and liquid in a bowl with an immersion blender. Set aside.
Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large pot or Dutch oven on the stovetop. Add the onion, carrot, celery, and sauté over medium heat for about 5-7 minutes, or until the onions are soft and translucent.
Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 60 seconds.
Add the drained beans and pureed beans to the pot, pour in the broth, and add the cumin, oregano, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, a little bit of salt, and pepper (I added scant ¾ tsp of fine salt and ⅛ tsp of black pepper, but it's a good idea to add less salt at the beginning and to adjust the seasoning at the end).
Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer, cover with lid and cook for 20 minutes stirring occasionally.
Turn the heat off and taste to make sure you're happy with the seasoning and consistency. You might want to add more salt, cayenne pepper, or a touch of broth to make it thinner.
You can stir in the chopped cilantro and lime or lemon juice to taste, or you can ladle the soup into 4 bowls, top each bowl with some chopped cilantro, and serve with a lime wedge. Enjoy with tortillas, crispy bread, or diced avocado. Yum.

Notes

Seasoning: Adding salt at the beginning of cooking can result in over-salted soup, so if you use a vegetable broth that tastes quite salty on its own, it’s important to adjust the seasoning at the end and not at the beginning, as you never really know how strong the salt from the broth is.
Leftover: this vegan black bean soup keeps well in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. It’s also freezable: divide into airtight containers (leaving 1-inch space at the top) and freeze for up to 1 month.
Texture: this soup can get thick, especially after some rest. If you prefer a thinner consistency, add more broth and reheat it.
Nutrition facts: the nutrition values are for one portion and are based on an online nutrition calculator. It’s an estimate only and should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. Please see my disclosure policies.

Nutrition