Chunky Vegan Black Bean Soup

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This chunky vegan black bean soup is a healthy, hearty, filling, one-pot meal! Made with simple ingredients, flavorful spices, and you can customize it with your favorite toppings.

This vegan black bean soup might be one of my favorite recipes of all time. It’s full of Mexican flavors!

When my husband ate it, he said: this might even be better than your vegetarian chili — which is a pretty big compliment!

It’s perfect for winter: hearty, filling and a one-pot meal. I modified this CookingLight recipe to be vegan friendly and healthier, by eliminating the chorizo, using vegetable stock, and adding more veggies & beans.

A lot of soups often demand a long cooking time, but this vegan black bean soup is ready in just thirty minutes yet full of flavor.

I recently made this recipe for a dinner party with some friends and it was a huge hit!

Kitchen Tools and Equipment You’ll Need to Make This Vegan Black Bean Soup

• Stock Pot
• Potato Masher
• Immersion Blender (optional)
• Chopping Knife
• Cutting Board

How to Make Chunky Vegan Black Bean Soup – Step by Step

Step 1: Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Add oil to the pan; swirl to coat. Add onion and bell pepper. Cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Step 2: Stir in oregano, garlic, cumin, chili powder, and salt. Cook for 30 seconds.

Step 3: Stir in stock and beans. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer 10-20 minutes on low heat.

Step 4: Mash the beans in the pot with a potato masher or use immersion blender until the soup has a nice, chunky consistency.

Step 5: Serve the soup warm, with your favorite toppings like avocado, cilantro, plain vegan yogurt (or lowfat Greek yogurt if you don’t need the soup to be vegan) and tortilla chips!

What makes this Chunky Vegan Black Bean Soup healthy?

• Low in Calories and Fat: An excellent low calorie and low fat meal, this vegan black bean soup has 250 calories and 3.3 grams of fat per serving.
• High in Fiber: Black beans are high in fiber which helps with digestion and keeps you feeling fuller longer. With 14.4 grams of fiber per serving you’re getting nearly half of your recommended daily fiber in just one bowl of this delicious soup.
• High in Plant Protein: One serving of this soup has 14.3 grams of protein thanks to the protein rich black beans.
• Rich in Vitamins and Minerals: The black beans, and vegetables in this soup provide vitamins and minerals such as iron, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, manganese, copper, and zinc. These help build strong and healthy bones!

Will kids enjoy this Chunky Vegan Black Bean Soup?

This soup could be a bit spicy for some kids since it has chipotle chili powder. That can be remedied by leaving out the chipotle pepper, reserving a portion of the soup for the kids, and then adding it to the adult servings. You can also cool this soup off by adding plain vegan yogurt. My kids also enjoy it topped with avocado which adds a nice creaminess.

How long do you need to soak dried black beans?

If you choose to use dried black beans for this recipe, you’ll need to prep them ahead of time. You will need to soak the black beans overnight.

How do you prepare dried black beans?

Step 1: Soak dried black beans in a large bowl covered with 4 inches of water overnight or for a minimum of 6 hours. Be sure the beans are completely covered with water. They will absorb the water while soaking, and if you don’t add enough there may not be enough water for them to absorb which will result in undercooked beans. You can’t add too much water but you can add too little.

Step 2: Drain and rinse the black beans. Transfer to a large pot, and cover with 4 inches of water. Bring to a boil.

Step 3: Reduce heat. Simmer covered for one hour. The beans need to be covered in water the entire time they are simmering. Since the beans will continue to absorb the liquid, you may need to add more water during this process if necessary.

Step 4: Once beans are completely tender, drain and store in the refrigerator in an air tight container for up to 5 days.

Can You Freeze Black Bean Soup?

This soup can easily be frozen. Store in an air tight container for up to 2-3 months. When ready to serve, thaw completely and reheat on the stove.

What to Serve With Chunky Vegan Black Bean Soup

This chunky vegan black bean soup is a hearty dish all on it’s own, but it also pairs well when served alongside cooked grains such as brown rice, or quinoa. Some of my other favorite toppings include:

• Diced avocado or guacamole
• Crumbled tortilla chips
• Chopped cilantro
• Diced onion
• Diced tomatoes
• Salsa
• Vegan plain yogurt or shredded cheese (or for vegetarians, Plain Greek Yogurt and Mexican shredded cheese blend)

Top tips for making This Vegan Black Bean Soup

• Used canned black beans for ease – no soaking required, just drain and rinse them. Look for canned beans in BPA free packing.
• You can briefly sauté the cumin, garlic and red pepper flakes to enhance their flavor. Then, add the remaining ingredients and gently simmer until the beans are tender and the flavors have melded.
• To achieve the perfect soup texture, purée a portion of the soup in the blender until it’s super creamy. Then stir it back into the pot. You will have a black bean soup with tender beans and a lightly creamy consistency, without the need for cream.
• Dial back the chipotle chili and cumin for a milder taste, and to make it kid friendly.
• Use a low sodium vegetable broth.
• Use fresh lime juice – it makes all the difference!
• You can top with diced avocado, cilantro, salsa, and chopped onion.
• Serve with brown rice, toasted whole wheat pita, sprouted wheat tortillas, corn tortillas, or tortilla chips.

Check out these other healthy soup recipes!

• Light and Creamy Tomato Soup
• Chunky and Hearty White Bean Soup
• Spicy Lentil and Swiss Chard Soup
• Creamy and Spicy Corn Soup
• Vegetarian Lemon Rice Soup by Feel Good Foodie
• Vegan Mushroom Soup by Simple Vegan Blog

If you have tried this Chunky Vegan Black Bean Soup recipe, or any other recipe on my blog, then please rate it and let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST to see more delicious, healthy, family friendly food!