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If you’re looking for an easy recipe for Cuban-style black bean soup, look no further. This recipe, made with canned beans, spices, aromatics, lime, and a crisp, fresh garnish, can be on the table in less than an hour and can be served as a main or first course.
Notes From the MGC Kitchen
Not being a huge fan of legumes, I’d never tried black bean soup prior to going to work in the accounting department of a Sarasota, Florida golf course. They had a small restaurant that was single-handedly run by an amazing cook. She often made black bean soup, and this is my reproduction of her recipe. Her garnish of diced jalapeño, onion, red bell pepper, scallions, and cilantro, combined with a dollop of sour cream cuts through the heaviness of the beans and creates a delicious blend of textures and flavors. Bravo Pat!
Key Ingredients
Here’s what you need to know about the key ingredients in this recipe. The complete list, including quantities, is in the printable recipe card below.
- BLACK BEANS: We recommend using canned black beans with no added salt so you can control the seasoning in the soup. Drain and rinse them well before using.
- CILANTRO: Chopped fresh cilantro is one of the components in the fresh garnish for our black bean soup. If you don’t care for cilantro, use fresh parsley.
- SCALLIONS: A handful of scallions in the garnish brings vibrant flavor and mild, sweet onion flavor to the soup.
- JALAPEÑO PEPPERS: Jalapeños are used in the soup and as a garnish to add mild heat and a bright fruity element.
- RED BELL PEPPER: Sweet red bell pepper is also used in both the soup and garnish. You can substitute yellow or orange peppers but don’t use green pepper as its flavor would be overpowering.
- ONION, GARLIC, AND SPICES: The aromatic base that flavors the soup consists of diced red onion and garlic sautéed in olive oil along with jalapeño pepper, sweet red pepper, ground cumin, ground coriander, and dried oregano.
- CHICKEN BROTH: Low-sodium chicken broth is puréed together with the black beans to create the soup. If you want to keep it strictly vegetarian, use vegetable broth instead.
- LIMES: Freshly squeezed lime juice balances the earthy flavor of the beans and enhances the flavors of the spices and aromatic vegetables.
How to Make Black Bean Soup
Planning to make this recipe? Here’s a quick overview of how it’s done. Detailed, step-by-step instructions are in the printable recipe card below.
PREPARE THE GARNISH: In a small bowl, combine cilantro, scallions, and a portion of the red onion, red bell pepper, jalapeño peppers. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
COOK THE SOUP BASE: Heat the olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the remaining red onion, red bell pepper, and jalapeño and sauté until the onion is softened. Add the garlic and continue cooking for a couple minutes. Season with ground cumin, coriander, oregano, salt, and pepper, combine, and continue cooking until the spices are fragrant. Stir in the chicken broth and black beans. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
PURÉE THE SOUP: Use a slotted spoon to transfer some of the beans from the soup to a small bowl and set aside. Purée the remaining soup either with a hand-held immersion blender or a conventional blender. Return the reserved beans to the soup, stir in the lime juice, taste, and adjust the seasoning as needed.
GARNISH AND SERVE: To serve, ladle soup into serving bowls and garnish with a dollop of sour cream and the reserved cilantro mixture.
What to Serve With Black Bean Soup
This is a simple, hearty soup that can be served on its own for dinner with a simple green salad, but we like to pair it with our version of Columbia Restaurant’s 1905 Salad. For those who aren’t familiar, this salad features crisp lettuce, chunks of ham, Swiss cheese, green olives, and a garlicky vinaigrette. The combination has a distinctly Spanish-Cuban flare and goes really well with a cup of black bean soup.
Easy Black Bean Soup
Ingredients
- 3 cans (15 ounces) unsalted black beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, chopped
- 2 scallions, chopped
- 1 cup diced red onion
- 1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and diced
- 3 jalapeño peppers, seeded and diced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- Juice of 2 limes, about 3 tablespoons
- 6 tablespoons sour cream
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the cilantro, scallions, 2 tablespoons each of the red onion and red bell pepper, and 1 tablespoon of the jalapeño peppers. Cover and refrigerate for later use as garnish.
- Heat the olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the remaining red onion, red bell pepper, and jalapeño and sauté until the onion is softened, 2 minutes. Add the garlic and continue cooking for 2 minutes longer, stirring often.
- Sprinkle the veggie mixture with the cumin, coriander, and oregano. Add a few grinds of black pepper and combine well. Continue cooking until the spices are fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes, then stir in the chicken broth and black beans. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
- Using a slotted spoon, transfer 1 cup of the beans from the soup to a small bowl and set aside. Purée the remaining soup either with a hand-held immersion blender or a conventional blender (if using a conventional blender, it might be best to purée in two batches).
- Return the reserved beans to the soup, stir in the lime juice, taste, and adjust the seasoning as needed. To serve, ladle soup into serving bowls and garnish with a dollop of sour cream and the reserved cilantro mixture.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I shared a version of this DELICIOUS with my readers. 🙂
https://reallifeofanmsw.com/2016/02/22/black-beans-meet-soup-and-marketing/
Glad you enjoyed the soup. Your addition of smoked sausage sounds good!