Description
A hearty and flavorful Black Bean Soup featuring pureed and whole black beans, smoky bacon, sautéed vegetables, and a blend of spices, simmered to perfection and served with optional toppings like sour cream, cheese, avocado, and tortilla chips.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 4 (14.5 oz) cans black beans, divided
- 6 slices (7 oz) bacon, chopped into small pieces
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped (1 3/4 cups)
- 1 medium red bell pepper or 1 large poblano pepper, seeded, stemmed and diced small
- 4 tsp minced garlic (4 cloves)
- 2 (14.5 oz) cans low-sodium chicken broth, divided
- 1 (14.5 oz) can fire roasted diced tomatoes
- 1 tsp chili powder (regular or Ancho)
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- Salt and black pepper
- 1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
- 1/3 cup chopped cilantro
Toppings (Optional)
- Sour cream
- Shredded Mexican or cheddar cheese
- Diced avocado
- Diced roma tomatoes
- Chopped cilantro
- Tortilla chips
Instructions
- Puree Beans: Place 1 1/2 cans of drained black beans in a food processor along with 1/2 cup of the chicken broth and pulse until smooth and well pureed. Rinse the remaining 2 1/2 cans of black beans in a colander and set aside.
- Cook Bacon: Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add chopped bacon and cook until crisp, stirring occasionally. Transfer bacon to a paper towel-lined plate, leaving the rendered bacon fat in the pot.
- Sauté Vegetables: Add chopped onions and diced bell pepper or poblano pepper to the pot with bacon fat and sauté for 3 minutes. Add minced garlic, chili powder, and ground cumin and sauté for 1 more minute to release the aroma of spices.
- Add Broth and Ingredients: Stir in the remaining chicken broth (3 cups). Then add the rinsed black beans, pureed black bean mixture, fire roasted diced tomatoes, and season the soup with salt and black pepper to taste.
- Simmer Soup: Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and let simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to blend flavors.
- Finish and Serve: Stir in the cooked bacon pieces, fresh lime juice, and chopped cilantro. Serve the soup warm with optional toppings such as sour cream, shredded cheese, diced avocado, diced tomatoes, extra cilantro, and tortilla chips.
Notes
- Use low-sodium chicken broth to control the saltiness of the soup.
- For a vegetarian version, omit bacon and use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.
- Fire roasted tomatoes add depth of flavor but can be replaced with regular diced tomatoes if unavailable.
- The soup can be blended to desired consistency; leave some beans whole for texture.
- Leftover soup refrigerates well for up to 3 days and tastes great reheated.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 250 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 450 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 27 g
- Fiber: 9 g
- Protein: 14 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg
