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Packed with hearty plant based protein, 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!
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.
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.
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
There’s just a few simple steps to make this Vegan Black Bean Soup. It’s all done in one pot in just 30 minutes!
Sauté the onions and garlic in a little water (you can use oil if you like, or vegetable broth) until soft and translucent (1). Add the bell pepper and sauté until starting to soften (2).
Add the spices (3) and mix well (4). Continue to sauté for a minute or two until the spices are fragrant.
Add the black beans, tomatoes, and broth and stir to combine (4). Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer 15 to 20 minutes (5).
I like to purée about half of this soup to make it thick and creamy (6), but if you prefer it more broth-y, 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 for success
~ 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.
This vegan black bean soup is dairy free, gluten free and oil free. It is also packed with protein, fiber, folate, B vitamins, vitamin C and iron. That’s a lot of nutrition in a 30 minute meal!
I really love the convenience of using canned black beans, but if you prefer to make yours from scratch, see this post All About Black Beans for methods, soaking and cook times.
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
- Creamy Vegan Tomato Soup
- Vegetarian Minestrone Soup
- Instant Pot Vegan Split Pea Soup
- Lentil Quinoa Soup
- Vegan Mushroom Soup
I hope you love this recipe as much as we do! If you tried it, please use the rating system in the recipe card and leave a comment below with your feedback.
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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 medium 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.
Jay says
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 says
Thanks, Jay! So glad you liked it. Sorry I can’t be any help converting though.
Joy says
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. says
Thank you, Joy! So happy you loved it. It’s definitely perfect for these cooler days!
Jenn Finnegan says
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. says
Thank you, Jenn! That is awesome to hear!
Danielle says
This recipe was amazing! Super easy to make and tastes great! Will definitely be trying some more of your recipes! Thank you.
Jenn S. says
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 says
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. says
Thanks so much, Agness! The type of onion doesn’t really matter. I prefer sweet onions, but use your favorite!
Alisa Fleming says
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. says
Oh perfect! I hope you both love it!
Danica says
I don’t see any nutrition info for protein and fat… is it safe to assume that there’s not fat? but what about it’s protein content, I’m no expert but I’m sure there’s protein in black beans
Jenn S. says
Hi, Danica. Thanks for your question. I’m in the process of transferring my recipes to a new system with more accurate info and this one hadn’t been updated yet. I’ve just updated it now, so have a look again. There is definitely protein! 🙂 Enjoy!
Maria says
Sounds like a yummy soup and I have canned black beans in the pantry. I assume I should rinse the black beans first then?
Jenn S. says
Hi, Maria! Yes, drain and rinse them! I’ll update the instructions – thanks for pointing that out! Enjoy!
Monica Porter says
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. says
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 says
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. says
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 says
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. says
I’m so glad you liked it, Kelly! Thanks! And congratulations!
Linda @ Veganosity says
I love black bean soup and this recipe looks great. I could eat a cozy soup in July, I don’t think there’s ever a wrong time for soup. 🙂
Jenn S. says
Exactly, Linda! Soup all year long over here!!
Vanessa @ VeganFamilyRecipes.com says
Hi Jenn, Love this yummy looking recipe and the ingredients couldn’t be simpler. Just the way I like it 🙂 On a side note…I saw that on your homepage your pagination isn’t working. It sends me to a 404 error page. Thought you might want to know 🙂
Jenn S. says
Hi, Vanessa! We pretty much only do simple around here! Are you talking about when you click the “Read More” at the bottom of the home page? I was having issues with that when I first switched themes, but it seems to be working for me now. Would you mind trying again and letting me know what happens?
curlsnchard says
I love black bean soup and your recipes sounds super easy and delicious <3
Jenn S. says
It’s one of my favorites, too! And this one is so easy!
Livi says
will it taste too watery without the blender? I dont think I have an immersion blender.
Jenn S. says
You can use a regular blender as well. But, if you like brothy soups, I think it will still be fine without it. The flavors will all still be there. If you are worried about it though, start with a 1/2-1 cup less of broth. You can always add more as you go if it’s not enough. Thanks for stopping by, Livi!
Maria Avery says
Looking forward to trying this one! Thanks
Jenn S. says
Thanks Maria! Please come back and let me know how you liked it! Have a great week!