Spicy Black Bean Soup Recipe
This spicy black bean soup is an easy one-pot weeknight dinner! It's a vegetarian dinner that's both hearty and healthy.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
Makes: 4 - 6 servings
Ingredients
Charred Poblano Crema
- 2 poblano peppers
- 8 oz thick Mexican crema
- 1 teaspoon lime zest
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
- salt and pepper
Spicy Black Bean Soup
- 1 lb dried black beans
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 yellow onion , diced
- 1 red bell pepper , seeded and diced
- 1 poblano , seeded and diced
- 4 garlic cloves , minced
- 2-3 canned chipotle peppers in adobo , chopped
- 1 tablespoon adobo sauce from canned chipotle peppers
- 2 teaspoons ancho chili powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 bay leaf
- 6 cups vegetable or chicken broth
- 1 vegetable or tomato bouillon cube
- 3 tablespoons sherry or red wine vinegar
- kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper , to taste
- chopped cilantro and lime wedges , for serving
Instructions
- Soak the dried beans overnight. Rinse the dried black beans and pick out any odd looking pieces or rocks. Add the beans to a large pot and cover with cold water by 2 inches. Add 1 tablespoon of kosher salt and stir to dissolve. Let the beans soak overnight. Drain and rinse before using.
- Char and peel the poblanos. Char the poblanos over an open flame or under the broiler until black all over. Transfer to a ziplock bag, seal, and let them cool. Peel the poblanos and remove the seeds and stem.
- Make the poblano crema. Add the poblanos to a blender with the remaining ingredients and blend until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Store in the fridge until ready to use.
- Sauté the vegetables. Heat the olive oil in a 4 qt dutch oven over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the diced onion, red bell pepper, and poblano. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the veggies are soft and starting to brown. Add the chopped garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Build and simmer the soup. Add the spices to the pot and cook for 2-3 minutes until fragrant. Add the black beans, broth, bouillon, and bay leaf to the pot and bring to a simmer. Season with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and stir to dissolve. Lower the heat, cover, and simmer for 1 1/2 - 2 hours, stirring occasionally, until the beans are tender and creamy.
- Blend until smooth. Once the beans are creamy, add the vinegar and simmer for 5 minutes. Use an immersion blender to blend the soup to your desired consistency. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Garnish and serve. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with poblano crema and cilantro and serve with lime wedges on the side and charred tortillas.
Notes
Instant Pot instructions: Follow the recipe as written, using the sauté function on your Instant Pot. When it comes time to add the beans, add the un-soaked beans and maybe an extra 1-2 cups of broth. Set the Instant Pot to 'pressure cook' for 45 minutes, with natural release. After the lid has released, return the pot to the saute function and simmer for 20 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper, add the vinegar, and use an immersion blender to blend to your desired consistency.
Slow Cooker instructions: You'll need to still have soaked the black beans overnight for this recipe, so keep that in mind! In a saute pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Cook the onion, peppers, and garlic until lightly browned and soft. Transfer the veggies to your slow cooker. Add the drained and rinsed beans, broth, spices, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Let to low for 8 hours, or high for 4-5 hours. Add the vinegar towards the end of cooking and then blend with an immersion blender to your desired consistency.
Storage and freezing: The soup can keep in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months. (I store all my soups in freezer-safe ziplock bags for space storage or souper cubes).
Nutrition
Serving: 1gCalories: 642kcalCarbohydrates: 95gProtein: 29gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 30mgSodium: 1850mgPotassium: 2066mgFiber: 22gSugar: 15gVitamin A: 2910IUVitamin C: 115mgCalcium: 276mgIron: 7mg
