Black Bean Soup | Stove Top
I’ve been making this black bean soup recipe for more years than I can count. It’s bold, filled with vegetables and so hearty and delicious.
There is nothing so warming and comfortable than spooning hearty soup into your mouth. And when it’s this bean soup you are consuming, you’re in for a treat with tender beans in a robust broth.
The other thing I love about this black bean soup is how thick it gets when you add the vegetables.
The soup thickens because you use a food processor on the vegetables and then sauté them until they are soft and when you add them to the beans, you have deliciousness in a pan.
Helpful tips
- Why do you soak beans? If I’m going to cook this soup and not use my instant pot, I need to soak them overnight. This helps cut the time of how long you cook them and also makes them easier to digest by breaking dow the complex sugars.
- You don’t have to soak the beans overnight. But you will need to soak them for at least 4 hours but I find overnight best.
- After cooking the beans, they should be tender but have a little bite to them. But if you like them to be on the mushy side, cook for another hour.
- I leave the skin on the potato because I like nutrients you get from it. But if you want to peel it, go right ahead.
How to make black bean soup
Pre-step
Measure out 2 cups of black beans and add them to either a big bowl or Dutch oven. Add enough water so there are 2 inches between the beans and the top of the water.
Soak the beans overnight.
Step one
In the morning, drain the water from the beans and then rinse them and drain them again in a colander.
Step two
Add the beans to the pan and gather the rest of the ingredients – olive oil, broth and a bay leaf.
Step three
Add 32 ounces of chicken and a tablespoon of olive oil. Turn the heat to medium/high and bring the beans to a boil.
Once they come to a boil, lower the heat to a simmer and cook for 2 1/2 hours.
Step four
After the beans have been cooking for two hours, gather the vegetables – onion, potato, celery and garlic.
Step five
Cut the vegetables in big chunks so they fit in a food processor.
Add the veggies to the processor and pulse until they are really small and mushy.
Step six
Heat a sauté pan on medium and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and scrape the veggies into the pan.
Step seven
Sauté for 20 minutes, flipping the mixture every 3 minutes or so. It’s okay if the vegetables brown.
Step eight
Scrape the veggie into the pot with the black beans and stock.
Step nine
Add dried oregano and salt and cook for another half hour.
See how thick it got?
Time to serve up this bean soup.
You can either eat this soup plain or you can dollop sour cream on it.
Time to eat!
Yummy and perfect.
I hope you enjoyed this black bean soup recipe!
Other delicious soups
And as always, may all your dishes be delish!
If you’ve tried this or any other recipe on the blog, I’d love the hear what you thought about it in the comments below. I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST to see more of my delicious food and delightful cocktails!
Black Bean Soup
Ingredients
- 2 cups dried black beans (rinsed and picked over)
- Enough water to cover beans with 2 inches between the beans and the top of the water
- 32 ounces chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 bay leaf
For the Veggies
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large onion (cut in big chunk)
- 1 large potato (with skin on, cut in a few big chunks)
- 1 stalk celery (cut in half)
- 2 cloves garlic (whole cloves)
- 1.5 tablespoons oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- In a large stockpot, add beans and water. Soak overnight
- Rinse and drain beans. Add back to the stockpot and add broth the bay leaf and a tablespoon of olive oil
- Turn the heat on medium/high and once the beans come to a boil, lower to a simmer and cook for 2. 5 hours
- A half hour before the beans are done, get a food processor out and add the onion, potatoe, celery and garlic. Pulse until they are small and somewhat mushy
- Heat a sauté pan on medium and add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Once that heats up, add the processed veggies and sauté for 20 minutes, flipping every few minutes with a spatula
- Add veggies to beans and stir until combined
- Add oregano and salt and bring back to a slight boil and cook for an additional half hour
- Ladle into some bowls and add sour cream if you desire
- Eat
- Smile
- Enjoy
Equipment
See all my favorite tools and gift ideas at my Amazon Store page!Check out Elaine’s Amazon Store!Notes
- Why do you soak beans? If I’m going to cook this soup and not use my instant pot, I need to soak them overnight. This helps cut the time of how long you cook them and also makes them easier to digest by breaking dow the complex sugars.
- You don’t have to soak the beans overnight. But you will need to soak them for at least 4 hours but I find overnight best.
- After cooking the beans, they should be tender but have a little bite to them. But if you like them to be on the mushy side, cook for another hour.
- I leave the skin on the potato because I like nutrients you get from it. But if you want to peel it, go right ahead.
Nutrition
From lighting up stages with her BA in theater to food journalist, Elaine Benoit's journey is a testament to passion's transformative power. As the CEO of Dishes Delish, she offers a blend of healthy, comforting recipes and exquisitely crafted cocktails. Beyond the kitchen, Elaine voiced her culinary adventures on her podcast, "Dishing," and co-owns Food Blogger Help, extending her expertise to guide budding food bloggers to success. Whether it's for a heartwarming dish or insights into food blogging, Elaine's diverse experiences make her a beacon in the culinary digital landscape.
Hi Elaine, this black bean soup sounds delish! 🙂 I always make Cuban black bean soup – from my husband’s Aunt. I’ll surely try this healthy and yummy recipe very soon. ~ Lani
Thanks Lani! I hope you like it!
The potato must add a really nice richness and heartiness to this soup! Recipe looks great, thank you for sharing!
Thanks Kristen, yes it thickens the soup up nicely!
Laurel’s Kitchen was the only cookbook my hubby and I had when we started out, and that was because I had to buy it for a college nutrition class. LOL. I haven’t thought of it in years, but I loved that book. This is one of the recipes that I never tried, but I suspect that there was no chicken broth in the original version. LOL.
Hehe, very true Patti, it didn’t have chicken broth.
Black bean soup is one of my favorites!
Sounds amazing! Perfect as we head into fall!
Thank you Betty!
Black bean soup is always a great winter staple recipe!
Indeed it is Kathryn!