Fast & Easy Black Bean Soup

For some reason I don’t make too many soups. Something about them just seems daunting. This soup is fast, easy, and healthy. The best part is that it only uses one pot and one blender (or food processor). If you have an immersion blender, then this is truly a one-pot meal.

I’ve made this soup several times in the past month and it’s easy to customize. It’s also pretty cheap to make, especially if you stretch it by adding some rice or quinoa to it. I’ve also added frozen corn and peas to it to add some more nutritional value. As it is, it’s under 500 calories per warm, hearty, bowl.

The version pictured here has vegan chorizo in it instead of dried chorizo, and is topped with some chopped gouda and sesame seeds.

Fast & Easy Black Bean Soup Recipe

By nicole Published: February 3, 2014

Yield: 2-4 bowls of soup
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 20 mins
Ready In: 30 mins

This recipe is adapted from The Washington Post, which stems from "Eating Cuban" by Beverly Cox and Martin Jacobs (Stewart, Taboori & Change, 2006).

Ingredients

⅛ cup olive oil
½ cup chorizo or vegan chorizo if using chorizo, use dried and pre-cooked, diced
½ small red onion finely chopped
½ medium red bell pepper cored, seeded, and chopped
½ medium green bell pepper cored, seeded, and chopped
1-2 cloves garlic smashed
1 tablespoon oregano
½ teaspoon cumin
½ tablespoon light brown sugar
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 cans black beans keep separate; rinse and drain the beans from 1 can
½ cup stock more as needed
salt optional
cilantro coarsely chopped, for garnish
cheese for garnish
frozen corn or peas optional, makes the soup serve more

Instructions

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the chorizo/protein of choice and cook until browned, stirring often. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels and set aside.
Add the onion to the pan and cook until it begins to soften, about 5 minutes.
While the onion is cooking, combine the bell pepper pieces, and garlic in a food processor or blender. Pulse just until coarsely chopped and not too wet. Transfer the mixture to the pan and add dried oregano and cumin, stirring to combine. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender and fragrant.
Transfer the mixture back to the food processor/blender and add the brown sugar, vinegar and 1 can of the beans with their liquid; process until fairly smooth.
Return the mixture to the pan and add the remaining black beans (rinsed and drained), the broth or stock and the cooked protein. Season with salt to taste, if desired. If the soup seems too thick, add a little more broth.
Cook over medium to medium-low heat for 6 to 8 minutes. Divide the soup among individual bowls and garnish with chopped cilantro, sesame seeds, and cheese if desired.
Additional vegetables such as canned/frozen corn or peas can be added, or a grain such as rice or quinoa to make this soup more filling and yield more servings.