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Packed with hearty beans, vegetables and spices, this quick and easy Vegan Black Bean Soup is perfect for a cozy weeknight meal. Kid and husband approved. Ready in just 30 minutes!
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If you’re anything like me, you are busy with little time to think about what’s for dinner, let alone time to actually make it!
But, that doesn’t mean you need to head to the drive-thru!
I have a whole collection of 30 minutes (or less!) recipes that are sure to satisfy.
This delicious hearty soup makes a great weeknight meal paired with a salad or some crusty bread. It’s made all in one pot with ingredients you likely already have in your pantry.
Try this easy Vegan Black Bean Soup tonight and get dinner on the table in just 30 minutes!
Ingredients you need
Ingredient notes and substitutions
- Black beans ~ Canned black beans are always in my pantry. They’re inexpensive and convenient. Be sure to drain them and rinse them well before adding to the soup.
If you love black beans, don’t miss my Black Bean Quinoa Chili, Black Bean Burgers, or Black Bean Tacos! - Vegetables ~ Besides the aromatics, onion and garlic, the only other vegetable I use is a red bell pepper. This recipe is meant to be kept simple. You can certainly bulk up the nutrient content by adding a few more veggies if you like. Corn, diced sweet potato, zucchini, or even leafy greens, like kale or spinach, would all be great options.
- Diced tomatoes ~ Canned diced tomatoes are a pantry staple and so convenient in this soup. I like the chunky texture of the diced tomatoes, but crushed tomatoes or tomato purée would also work. Or try a jar of salsa instead like I do in my easy vegan black bean chili!
- Vegetable broth ~ I almost always opt for low-sodium vegetable broth. This allows more control over the salt content of the dish.
- Spices ~ Cumin, smoked paprika, and oregano are always my go-to spices for anything southwest flavored. Chili powder, bay leaves, thyme, or coriander would all be good choices as well.
- Extras ~ I like to keep the soup fairly simple and set out several garnishes so everyone can customize their own bowl to their tastes. You can, however, add some of these to the soup itself.
If you like it spicy, try adding a can of diced green chiles, a diced jalapeño pepper, or several shakes of hot sauce.
Add a squeeze of fresh lime juice to the pot after simmering.
Add cooked rice or noodles to the finished soup. I usually serve this soup to my kids over a bowl of macaroni noodles and they love it!
How to make the recipe
Please scroll down to the recipe card for exact ingredient measurements and instructions.
- Step 1: Sauté the onions and garlic until soft and translucent.
- Step 2: Add the bell pepper and sauté until starting to soften.
- Step 3: Add the spices and mix well. Continue to sauté for a minute or two until the spices are fragrant.
- Step 4: Add the black beans, tomatoes, and broth and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer 15 to 20 minutes.
I like to purée about half of this soup to make it thick and creamy, but if you prefer it more brothy, you don’t need to do this.
Use toppings to customize individual bowls: avocado slices, sliced green onion, chopped tomato, a few dashes of hot sauce, vegan sour cream, crushed tortilla chips, squeeze of lime juice, etc. Anything your heart desires.
Make it your own and enjoy!
Pro tips and tricks
~ Drain and rinse the canned beans well to reduce sodium content and gas-producing components.
~ Use spices that are still fresh. Spices that have been sitting in your pantry for over 6 months aren’t going to be as flavorful. If they’re getting old, replace them!
~ Sauté the spices for a minute or two until fragrant before adding the broth, tomatoes and beans. This will allow the oils from the spices to release and they’ll be more flavorful.
~ Purée half of the soup to make it thick and creamy while still leaving lots of texture.
~ Garnish the soup to customize your bowl – try diced avocado, diced red onion, diced green onions, splash of hot sauce, or sprinkle of crushed tortilla chips.
~ This black bean soup recipe is so versatile, too. Add rice or quinoa for a hearty stick-to-your-ribs meal, purée the whole thing and use it a dip for tortilla chips, as a topping for a baked potato, or add some macaroni noodles and eat it like a chili mac (<- this is my kids favorite way to eat it).
FAQs
Technically, you don’t have to drain the beans, but I always recommend it. Draining and rinsing the beans reduces the amount of sodium and may also remove some of the components that cause gas.
I like to purée about half of the soup with an immersion blender to thicken it up. Alternately, you can carefully transfer half of the soup to a blender, purée, and then transfer back to the soup pot and mix well. Using a potato masher to mash up some of the beans will also work.
More easy vegan soup recipes
I hope you love this recipe as much as we do! If you tried it, please use the star rating system in the recipe card and leave a comment with your feedback. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
For even more easy family recipes, be sure to check out my cookbook, The Meatless Monday Family Cookbook!
Vegan Black Bean Soup
Recommended Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 red bell pepper seeded and diced
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
- 3 cans (15-ounces each) black beans rinsed and drained (or about 4 cups cooked black beans)
- 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes
- 3-4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
Toppings (optional), use what you like:
- diced avocado
- sliced green onion
- chopped tomato
- Fresh lime juice
- hot sauce
- crushed tortilla chips
- vegan sour cream
Instructions
- In a soup pot over medium heat, sauté the onion and garlic in ¼ cup water until soft and translucent, about 5 to 6 minutes.
- Add the red bell pepper and sauté 2 to 3 minutes until starting to soften.
- Add the cumin, oregano, smoked paprika and salt and sauté another minute or two until the spices are fragrant.
- Add the black beans, tomatoes and vegetable broth. (Start with 3 cups of broth, you can add more later if you like a thinner soup). Increase heat to high to bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 15 to 20 minutes.
- Using an immersion blender, purée as much as the soup as you like (I do about ½). Alternately, you can carefully transfer ½ of the soup to a blender, purée, and add back to the pot. Add the other cup of broth if you like a thinner soup.
- Serve hot with the toppings of your choice.
Notes
Nutrition facts calculated without toppings.
Nutrition
Nutrition values are calculated using online calculators and are estimates only. Please verify using your own data.
Bill
I wish, in the area you describe how to make this, you put a note to scroll down for ingredient amounts, I winged it and winged it too spicy. Saying jump to recipe is not enough
Jenn Sebestyen
Sorry for the confusion, Bill. There is a recipe card in every post with the full ingredients and instructions concisely laid out. The text in the post is for extra detail. I will try to add a note going forward in the How to Make the Recipe section that clearly states to scroll down to the recipe card for full instructions. Thank you for your feedback.
Anne
Great, easy recipe that my whole family enjoys, picky eaters included. I found this blog thanks to picking up a copy of your cookbook. I made two recipes from it the first week I had the book, and got so many compliments from my family. Was so happy to find this blog with more tasty recipes that my kids (and husband) will happily eat without complaints. Thank you from a vegan mom in a omnivorous household.
Jenn Sebestyen
Thank you for this wonderful feedback, Anne! I’m thrilled that you and your family are loving the recipes.
Carly
This was so good & easy to make! I subbed a half tub of fresh salsa for the diced tomatoes- yum!! I didn’t have paprika, but I did add cayenne. It was spicy and perfect. I will definitely make this again.
Jenn Sebestyen
I love the idea of adding salsa instead of diced tomatoes! YUM! So glad you liked it, Carly. Thanks!
Samantha
Could I use an ingredient instead of tomatoes, ( an allergy) any thoughts? Thanks 😀
Jenn Sebestyen
Hi, Samantha. You can leave the tomatoes out. Add a little more broth, if needed, and a squeeze of lime juice for acidity. If you want, you can add a finely diced carrot for extra veg if you want. Enjoy!
Heidi
Just made this (eating as I type!) and it is *delicious*. The consistency is perfect with only 3 cups of broth, great call. It’s yummy and super easy to make. Thank you!
Jenn Sebestyen
Wonderful! I’m so happy you love it, Heidi! Thank you!
Matt
I’m eating this soup right now and I love it. It’s so simple but the flavor is really complex. This is definitely going in my list of soups I make regularly.
Jenn Sebestyen
Wonderful! I’m so happy you love it, Matt!
Jay
I have just made this soup and it’s delicious. The only slight difficulty was working out how to convert cups to UK measurements.
Thank you for a simple yet very tasty recipe.
Jenn Sebestyen
Thanks, Jay! So glad you liked it. Sorry I can’t be any help converting though.
Joy
This is delicious and so simple to cook! I was looking for something to make for a few days of healthy lunches as the weather gets chillier and this is perfect. I will be making this often!
Jenn S.
Thank you, Joy! So happy you loved it. It’s definitely perfect for these cooler days!
Jenn Finnegan
For something that took no time to make, it doesn’t lack in flavor. super delicious and already have plans to make this again.
Jenn S.
Thank you, Jenn! That is awesome to hear!
Danielle
This recipe was amazing! Super easy to make and tastes great! Will definitely be trying some more of your recipes! Thank you.
Jenn S.
Thank you, Danielle! I’m so happy to hear you loved it! The bottom of this post has some reader faves if you’re looking for tired and true deliciousness! https://www.veggieinspired.com/about/ Enjoy!
Agness of Run Agness Run
This is one of the best soup recipes which I have ever tried, Jenn! Thanks a bunch for introducing this recipe. Does it matter which kind of onions do I use, red or yello?
Jenn S.
Thanks so much, Agness! The type of onion doesn’t really matter. I prefer sweet onions, but use your favorite!
Alisa Fleming
Black bean soup is an old favorite that I haven’t made in years! I need to try this version out for lunch. My husband is into meatless lunches right now and he loves soup!
Jenn S.
Oh perfect! I hope you both love it!
Monica Porter
I was surprised at how yummy this soup is! I sautéed the veggies in olive oil and my husband decided to add in a couple sprinkles of cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, pepper, and oregano to the soup while it simmered. It was SO tasty! Excited to add another simple, cheap, and quick recipe to my arsenal 🙂
Jenn S.
Thank you, Monica! I’m so glad you liked it. Sometimes simple recipes are the best, right? Thank you so much for stopping by to leave your feedback! Have a great week!
Angie
Well, as luck would have it, I’ve just put some black beans in to soak overnight. This soup sounds like a good idea for lunch tomorrow 🙂
Jenn S.
It’s the perfect lunch! Super easy and filing! I hope you stop back by and let me know how it turned out!! Thanks, Angie!
Kelly Claire
Made this one the other week. I am pregnant and needing some additional protein so I added some shredded chicken thus making it not plant based, but still delicious none the less!
Jenn S.
I’m so glad you liked it, Kelly! Thanks! And congratulations!