You guys – I think spring has finally arrived! After a long winter, I couldn’t be happier to state that fact. Lilacs are blooming, the trees are fully robed in their emerald foliage, and I wake up to song birds every morning. However, if you live in the north like we do, you know that we can still get some chilly days even into the beginning of June. (Boo…) If you find yourself pulling out the boots and sweaters after you thought you’d put them away until next fall, I have just the soup to cheer you up. In fact, this black bean soup is perfect even if you don’t need to pull your sweaters back out (and I hope for your sake that’s the case).
Like most of my recipes, there’s a story behind this one. We made the 5-hour drive from Arkansas to Kansas City to visit my aunt and her family. We got a late start (nothing new for my family), and by the time we arrived it was very late. My aunt met us at the door with hugs and quickly ushered us out of the cold into her warm, cozy kitchen where big bowls of this steaming black bean soup were waiting for us. Since that night, it has been enjoyed and tweaked and tested over and over again until the recipe sitting before you has become a family favorite.
This soup is so easy to make, and can be ready in half an hour! Just cook it up, then whiz it up! You can blend it in smaller batches in your blender, and I love using my Cuisinart Smart Stick Hand Blender
This black bean soup is simple, satisfying, and seriously so good. Make sure to include this recipe in your menu next week, and let me know what you think of it!
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 Tablespoon dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 1 (7 ounce) can green chiles
- 4 (16 ounce) cans (or 8 cups cooked) black beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 cups vegetable broth*
- Vegan sour cream (for serving)
- Green onions (for serving)
- Heat olive oil in a large sauce pan. Add onion, bell pepper, and garlic and sauté until tender. Stir frequently to keep your garlic from browning.**
- Add thyme to the pan and cook until fragrant - about 2 more minutes.
- Add all other ingredients (except sour cream and green onions) and bring to a low simmer.
- Cover, and cook until tender.
- Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly, Then blend until smooth. (I prefer using my immersion blender for this step, but you can also blend smaller batches at a time in your blender)
- Dish into bowls and top with optional sour cream and green onions.
- Enjoy! 🙂
NOTES:
* You can use water in place of vegetable broth. Simply adjust salt to taste.
**Garlic becomes very bitter when it is browned or burned. I’ve had to start recipes completely over when this happens!
*** This post contains affiliate links. I only support items I completely trust and have used for myself.
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