Black Bean Soup
If you've got dried black beans, jalapeños and fresh coriander, you're most of the way to this vegan: about 70 minutes of cooking across 7 steps. You'll find the full ingredient list (with a scaler to change the servings), 7 steps of method, substitutions, and ideas for what to serve alongside.
You'll mainly reach for large pot and saucepan. At medium difficulty across 7 steps, it's manageable with a little attention. As written, the ingredients are plant-based.
What you'll need
Shopping list (3)
Pantry staples (you likely have these)
How to make it
- Soak the dried black beans in plenty of cold water overnight, then drain and rinse; this shortens cooking and improves digestibility.
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat, add the chopped onion, red and green bell peppers and a pinch of salt, and cook for 6 to 8 minutes until softened.
- Stir in the garlic and finely chopped jalapeños and cook for 1 minute, then add the chili powder and cumin and toast for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Add the drained beans, bay leaves and vegetable stock, and bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer.
- Cook partially covered for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, stirring occasionally and topping up with water if needed, until the beans are completely tender and creamy.
- Remove the bay leaves, then blend about a third of the soup until smooth and stir it back in to thicken, or mash some beans against the side of the pot.
- Season generously with salt, finish with a squeeze of lime juice and a scattering of fresh coriander, and serve hot.
You'll use: Large pot · Saucepan · Blender
Ingredient substitutions
- Lime
- lemon
Tips & common questions
How long does Black Bean Soup take to make?
About 70 minutes from start to finish — an estimate based on the 7 steps and 14 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.
What can I use instead of lime?
Try lemon. See the substitutions section above for more swaps.
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes — use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.
Is Black Bean Soup vegan?
Based on its ingredients, this recipe contains no meat, fish, dairy or egg, so it looks vegan-friendly. Always double-check labels on packaged items.
Related recipes
Black Bean Soup is an original recipe developed in-house by Consomee. Photo: Black Bean Soup (140491813).jpeg by J Doll, CC BY 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons. We add the serving scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure on top — how we source recipes.