Black Bean Soup

This black bean soup is so hearty and creamy it's a whole meal in a bowl! 

What I love about this soup is that it uses basic pantry ingredients and it kind of reminds me of tacos which are one of my favorite foods. 

This soup starts off like most soups by sauteing an onion in olive oil. Carrots join the pot to add another layer of flavor. Plenty of minced garlic, diced jalapeno, and plenty of spices are added to the onion and carrots to make this soup a real powerhouse of flavor and to liven up the canned products that are being used in this recipe. Water or vegetable stock is added to loosen up any bits stuck to the bottom of the pot - that's where the flavor is. Soft and creamy black beans are added along with crushed tomatoes and then you just have to let the soup simmer while the flavors all meld together and deepen. When the soup is ready you can ladle it up and eat it as is or take it to the next level by blending some of the soup to add great texture to the soup. To really take it over the top I like to top the soup with chunks of creamy avocado, tangy yogurt or sour cream, and bright fresh cilantro.

Black Bean Soup 

1 Tbsp olive oil 

1 large onion, diced 

Salt

2 medium carrots, diced 

4 cloves garlic, minced 

1 jalpeño, minced - remove the seeds if that's too much heat for you OR 1/4 tsp chili flakes

1 Tbsp paprika 

1 tsp cumin 

1/2 tsp smoked paprika 

1/4 tsp cinnamon 

1/4 tsp black pepper 

2 cups water or vegetable stock

400 gram / 14 oz can crushed tomatoes

2 cans of black beans* 

Juice of 1 lime or 1/2 a lemon about 2 teaspoons

Optional Toppings 

cubed avocado 

fresh cilantro or parsley 

Greek yogurt / sour cream / labneh 

diced red onion 

pickled jalapeno

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion along with a good pinch of salt. Saute for 5 minutes and then add the carrots. Cook an additional 5 minutes and then add the garlic and jalapeño. After about a minute or two add the paprika, cumin, smoked paprika, cinnamon, and black pepper. Toast the spices for about 30 seconds then add the water and make sure to scrape up anything stuck to the bottom of the pot then add the crushed tomatoes and black beans. Bring the soup to a simmer and then cover the pot and lower the heat. Allow the soup to gently simmer for about 30 minutes. The soup is ready to eat as is, but I like to blend about 1/3 of the soup and add that back to the rest of the soup this adds a great creamy texture to the soup, but also still has the chunkiness from the unblended soup. Stir in the lime/lemon juice and then taste adjust the seasoning if necessary. 

Ladle it up and top with a good dollop of yogurt, fresh cilantro, and any of the other toppings. 

*To make this soup I used canned black beans, but if you don't have access to those you can make it from dried beans it's just a bit of a longer process. Follow this thorough step-by-step guide on how to cook dried black beans. 

Yield: 4 servings