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This easy single serving black bean soup is smooth, hearty, and full of Tex-Mex flavor. Made with canned black beans, vegetables, and salsa, it’s a vegetarian soup that cooks in about 30 minutes.
Featured Comment
“This soup is delicious! It was really easy to make and very hearty! I love ODK recipes … no hard-to-find ingredients and always easy to follow recipes!”
– Sharon
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Quick & Easy: This black bean soup comes together in about 30 minutes using simple pantry ingredients.
- Smooth and Creamy: Blended black beans create a thick, satisfying texture without the need for cream.
- Vegetarian-Friendly: Made with vegetable broth and beans, it’s a hearty meatless soup that doesn’t feel lacking.
- Customizable Heat: Adjust the spice level by choosing mild, medium, or hot salsa, or add jalapeños for more heat.
- Easily Doubles: Double the ingredients to make a larger batch with no changes to the method.
The first spoonful is always my favorite. This black bean soup is thick and smooth, with deep flavor from the cumin and salsa in every bite. I love how a few simple ingredients turn into a soup that feels filling and satisfying, without needing anything extra. It’s one of those recipes I make when I want something warm, reliable, and nourishing that comes together easily and always hits the spot.
Looking for more single serving soup recipes? Try our Curried Butternut Squash Soup For One, French Onion Soup For One, Potato Soup For One, Clam Chowder For One, and Zuppa Toscana For One.
Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this southwestern black bean soup recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder.
- Black Beans: This easy black bean soup uses one 15-ounce can of black beans. Rinse and drain them well to remove excess sodium and improve flavor. Canned black beans make this a quick, single serving soup. If you have leftover black beans, use them in baked black bean tacos, a small guacamole salad, or ground turkey chili.
- Olive Oil: Extra virgin olive oil is used to sauté the vegetables and build flavor. Light olive oil or another neutral oil can be used if needed.
- Vegetables: Chopped onion, garlic, one celery stalk, and one carrot form the flavor base of the soup. These build flavor in the broth, so don’t skip them. For added heat, a small amount of chopped jalapeño or red bell pepper can be added. Use any extra vegetables you may have in a slow cooker pot roast, single serving split pea soup, or single serving chicken stew.
- Seasonings: Ground cumin and salt season the soup and give it classic black bean soup flavor. Add a pinch of cayenne pepper if you like extra heat.
- Salsa: Salsa adds seasoning, acidity, and depth in one ingredient. Use mild, medium, or hot salsa based on your preference.
- Broth: Vegetable broth keeps this soup vegetarian while adding richness. Chicken or beef broth can be used if preferred. Use leftover broth in creamy vegetable soup or chickpea curry.
How To Make Black Bean Soup
These step-by-step photos walk you through the process. Ingredient amounts and full details are in the recipe card below.
- Cook the vegetables: Heat the oil in a 1-quart saucepan over medium heat for about 30 seconds. Add the onions, celery, carrots, and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft, about 8 minutes.
- Add garlic and cumin: Stir in the garlic and cumin and cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly, until fragrant.
- Simmer the soup: Add the black beans, broth, and salsa. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer for 20 minutes, or until the beans are very tender.
- Blend until smooth: Carefully transfer the soup to a blender and blend until smooth, or use an immersion blender directly in the pot.
- Taste and serve: Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed. Serve hot.
Slow Cooker Option
This black bean soup can be made in a 1.5- or 2-quart slow cooker. Add all ingredients to the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 6–7 hours or on HIGH for 3–4 hours, until the vegetables are tender. Blend the soup after cooking to reach your desired consistency.
Expert Tips
- Rinse the beans: Always drain and rinse canned black beans to reduce excess sodium and improve flavor.
- Control the thickness: For a thinner soup, add more broth a little at a time until it reaches your preferred consistency.
- Simmer for flavor: Let the soup simmer until the beans are very tender. This helps the flavors fully develop and makes blending easier.
- Blend safely: If using a countertop blender, leave the center cap off and cover with a towel so steam can escape.
- Season at the end: Taste the soup after blending and adjust the salt or spices as needed.
What To Serve With Black Bean Soup
Serve this black bean soup with simple sides that add texture and contrast without overpowering the soup.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. This recipe is made with canned black beans, which are rinsed and drained before using.
No. A blender creates a smooth soup, but an immersion blender works just as well. You can also leave it partially blended if you prefer texture.
Yes. Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave.
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder or you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
If you’ve tried this easy black bean soup recipe or any recipe on One Dish Kitchen please let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and telling me about it in the comment section below.
If you take a picture please tag us on Instagram (@onedishkitchen) we’d love to see it!
Black Bean Soup For One
Equipment
- Blender or Immersion blender
Ingredients
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ cup chopped onions
- 1 medium celery stalk -chopped
- 1 medium carrot -chopped
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 clove garlic -minced
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 (15-ounce) can black beans -rinsed and drained
- 2 tablespoons salsa
- 1 cup vegetable broth
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a 1-quart saucepan over medium heat for about 30 seconds. Add the onions, celery, carrots, and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft, about 8 minutes.
- Stir in the garlic and cumin and cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
- Add the black beans, broth, and salsa. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer for 20 minutes, or until the beans are very tender.
- Carefully transfer the soup to a blender and blend until smooth, or use an immersion blender directly in the pot.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed. Serve hot.
Notes
- Rinse the beans: Always drain and rinse canned black beans to reduce excess sodium and improve flavor.
- Control the thickness: For a thinner soup, add more broth a little at a time until it reaches your preferred consistency.
- Simmer for flavor: Let the soup simmer until the beans are very tender. This helps the flavors fully develop and makes blending easier.
- Blend safely: If using a countertop blender, leave the center cap off and cover with a towel so steam can escape.
- Season at the end: Taste the soup after blending and adjust the salt or spices as needed.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
What a great recipe, Joanie! Great flavor and if you’re trying to add fiber to your diet…THIS is the recipe! 29g per serving?? YES!! It’s creamy without cream and a great way to hide veggies for non-veggie eaters! I melted a little cheese on top and ate with tortilla chips. Delish!
I’m so happy you enjoyed it!
This black bean soup was delicious. I am so glad I found this. I hate making a 6-8 quart pot of bean soup. This made two small servings. I love not having tons of left overs. Win. Win.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the soup and that the portion worked well for you. Not having a big pot of leftovers really is a win. Thanks so much for sharing.
I omitted the celery, added red peppers and a small amount of jalapeño peppers. Really good and fairly simple to make.
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Joanie I will be trying this Black Bean soup soon. It looks delicious. Love all of your recipes and especially enjoy the extra ideas for substitutions. Please keep them coming and thanks for the simplicity of all these recipes.
Thank you so much, Mary!
This is good. I also tried it with cubed butternut squash instead of carrots, and equally as good.
Great flavor!
This is a delicious and hearty batch of soup (for me it was 2 servings when paired with a side salad and small hunk of bread). I’m looking forward to trying more recipes from here! Thank you for putting together these recipes and this site!!
This soup is delicious! It was really easy to make and very hearty! I love ODK recipes … no hard-to-find ingredients and always easy to follow recipes!
Made this today and it’s great. I didn’t have celery so I diced a small potato instead. It makes more than I can eat at one time. I’ll get three servings the way I eat but I don’t mind that. Good stuff!