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This black bean soup is easy to make with canned beans combined with fresh ingredients. Ready in just 30 minutes, this vegetarian soup is healthy and so delicious!

black bean soup in a yellow bowl topped with avocado slices and salsa

This fresh-tasting Southwestern black bean soup is made with canned beans and with ingredients you may already have on hand. It comes together easily, and I think you’ll love adding this soup recipe to your weekly menu as I have.

Why This Recipe Works

  • This small batch of black bean soup is filled with flavor! It’s made with plenty of onions, garlic, carrots, and celery. You don’t have to worry about finely chopping the vegetables because they all get pureéd anyway.
  • The soup is mildly spiced and gets its spicy flavor from the salsa. Choose from mild, medium, or hot salsa to control the level of heat in your soup. If you’d like a spicier version of black bean soup, you can easily add in chopped jalapeños or a pinch of cayenne pepper with the rest of the vegetables.
  • You can enjoy this soup very simply, or add slices of avocado, chopped fresh cilantro, or grated cotija cheese to the top.
  • This Southwestern black bean soup is vegan and vegetarian, if vegetable broth is used.
  • Our recipe yields enough for one large bowl of soup, or you might like to enjoy a smaller bowl and serve it alongside beef fajitas or a vegetable casserole. Leftovers will keep well in the refrigerator for 4 days.

Ingredients

black beans, olive oil, vegetables, broth, and salsa on a wooden cutting board

Ingredient Notes

  • Black beans: For this Tex-Mex black bean soup recipe, I use 1 (15-ounce) can of black beans, rinsed and drained.
  • Olive oil:  I always use extra virgin olive oil in my healthy black bean soup recipe. Extra virgin olive oil is the least processed form of olive oil. It is an unrefined oil and the highest-quality olive oil you can buy. Because of the way extra virgin olive oil is made, it retains a more true olive taste. It also contains more of the vitamins and minerals found in olives. It’s my favorite type of olive oil to use but you may use light olive oil instead.
  • Vegetables: This soup recipe is easy to customize. I use 1 celery stalk, 1 carrot, chopped onions and a clove of garlic. Feel free to add chopped sweet red peppers or finely chopped jalapeños.
  • Seasonings: Use ground cumin and salt. For a spicier soup, add a pinch of cayenne pepper.
  • Salsa: Use your favorite brand of salsa in this soup and choose how spicy you want the salsa to be. My favorite brands of salsa include Herdez and Clint’s Texas Salsa.
  • Broth: To keep this a vegetarian soup recipe, use vegetable broth. You can use beef or chicken broth instead.

How To Make This Recipe

See the ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions in the recipe box below.

  1. In a 1-quart saucepan over medium heat, heat oil for 30 seconds. Add onions, celery, carrots, and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are soft, about 8 minutes.
  2. Stir in garlic and cumin and cook, stirring frequently for 30 seconds.
onions, carrots, and celery in a small saucepan
  1. Pour in the beans, broth, and salsa and bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until beans are tender, about 20 minutes.
soup simmering on the stove with carrots, black beans, celery, onions, and broth in the pot
  1. Transfer soup to a stand blender and blend until smooth, or use an immersion blender to blend the soup.
black beans and vegetables in a blender being pureed
  1. Pour soup into a medium sized bowl and enjoy while hot.
an overhead view of black bean soup with a dollop of salsa in the center of the bowl

Expert Tips

  • I love thick black bean soup. If you like yours thinner, feel free to add more broth to this recipe.
  • Drain and rinse canned beans well to get the salt off before using.
  • Taste the soup and adjust your spices and salt according to your preferences.
  • If you are using a standard blender to purée the soup, be sure to leave the hole in the lid open and loosely cover with a dish towel to allow steam to escape.

Serving Suggestions

Consider serving a bowl of black bean soup with avocado slices, extra salsa, cheese, a scoop of sour cream, fresh cilantro, or freshly made pico de gallo. Include homemade tortilla chips or french bread on the side for dipping.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I Make Black Bean Soup In A Slow Cooker?

Yes, you can make this soup in a slow cooker. I recommend using a 1.5-quart or a 2-quart slow cooker. Pour all of the ingredients into the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 6-7 hours, or HIGH for 3-4 hours, until all of the vegetables are tender. Puree using a stand blender or an immersion blender.

Do I Have To Puree The Soup?

Although I love a creamy black bean soup, you don’t have to puree the soup.

How Long Will This Soup Last?

Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4 days. To reheat, simmer on the stove or heat in the microwave for 1-2 minutes until heated through.

Can This Recipe Be Doubled?

Yes, to make a second serving just double the ingredients in the recipe.

Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients

If you have any ingredients leftover from this black bean soup recipe, you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:

a spoon filled with creamed black bean soup next to two avocados and an yellow napkin

Other Single Serving Soup 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!


Your Cooking For One Source
Because you’re worth it

Recipe

Southwestern Black Bean Soup For One

4.67 from 3 votes
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 35 minutes
Total: 45 minutes
Servings: 1 bowl
This black bean soup is easy to make with canned beans combined with fresh ingredients. Ready in just 30 minutes, this vegan and vegetarian soup is healthy and so delicious!

Ingredients 
 

  • ½ tablespoon olive oil
  • ¼ cup chopped onions
  • 1 medium celery stalk , chopped
  • 1 medium carrot , chopped
  • 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 

  • In a 1-quart saucepan over medium heat, heat oil for 30 seconds. Add onions, celery, carrots, and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are soft, about 8 minutes.
  • Stir in garlic and cumin and cook, stirring frequently for 30 seconds.
  • Pour in the beans, broth, and salsa and bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until beans are very tender, about 20 minutes.
  • Transfer soup to a stand blender and blend until smooth, or use an immersion blender to blend the soup.
  • Taste the soup and adjust seasonings if necessary. Pour the soup into a medium sized bowl and enjoy while hot.

Notes

Expert Tips
  • I love thick black bean soup. If you like your soup thinner, feel free to add more water or broth to this recipe.
  • Drain and rinse canned beans well to get the salt off before using.
  • Taste the soup and adjust your spices and salt according to your preferences.
  • If you are using a standard blender to purée the soup, be sure to leave the hole in the lid open and loosely cover it with a dish towel to allow steam to escape.
Serve a bowl of black bean soup topped with avocado slices, extra salsa, cheese, a scoop of sour cream, or fresh cilantro. Include homemade tortilla chips or french bread on the side for dipping.

Nutrition

Serving: 1bowl, Calories: 504kcal, Carbohydrates: 84g, Protein: 27g, Fat: 9g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Sodium: 542mg, Potassium: 470mg, Fiber: 29g, Sugar: 9g, Vitamin A: 11038IU, Vitamin C: 8mg, Calcium: 65mg, Iron: 1mg

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.

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3 Comments

  1. 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!!

  2. 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!

  3. 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!