Easy 1-Pot Black Bean Soup

I love your website and the recipes but have never been moved to leave a review before. I just finished this recipe and tasted it. Believe it is the best black bean soup I’ve ever had and, as a plant based eater, I’ve eaten many a black bean soup. I followed the recipe closely except I used beans cooked from dry and didn’t have any coriander.

Dark chocolate with the chiptole is a great combination if you are fine with the heat I’d recommend. Had a black bean soup recipe and this will replace it.

This was absolutely delicious! The cacao powder is a game changer!! And the funny thing is somehow I just had bought a bag so I was looking for a reason to use it anyway. I made it the no oil way (subbing veggie broth) and it was heaven! I topped it with some homemade Pico de Gallo, Avocado Slices and a little brown rice drizzled on top. And I feel so full now! Wow. Thank you!

Decided to make this tonight since I’ve been getting bored of my usual black bean recipe and oh my goodness it did not disappoint! I did not have the chipotle peppers on hand so I added in some jalapeño instead for some heat. I also didn’t have dark chocolate to add in. I cooked it for a few hours for a thicker soup. Paired it with some brown rice, avocado, cashew sour cream and some lime juice. Absolutely delicious! Will 100% be making this recipe again.

Super easy and very yummy. This is the only black bean soup recipe I use now.

I made this soup for lunch today and really enjoyed it. Since I’m not a huge fan of brothy soups, I took the advice of one of your commenters and put half the soup in a blender for a thicker texture. I also added some finely chopped spinach to sneak in some greens. I topped my bowl off with a spoonful of greek yogurt, some cilantro and avocado – PERFECT! It was packed with flavor and didn’t take much to fill me up. Thank you for sharing this!

I prepared and used all the ingredients as listed. I chose oil instead of water. I had yellow onion on hand. I had my own veggie broth made from scraps (mostly carrot, onion, celery). I choose organic ingredients where I can.

I used just 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce and it was plenty spicy for me. My partner added extra hot sauce for his serving. I did try out Theo Dark Chocolate Sea Salt (very tasty!) I absolutely loved the chocolate in this! Highly recommend adding that, and some chipotle pepper. If you aren’t keen on spice, maybe just 1/4-1/2 of a whole chipotle to start.

For the method, as one commenter suggested, I added the spices in to step 1, instead of waiting for step 2, so they could saute and let out more flavor. I also added in diced carrot and 1 diced celery stick for more veg.

It took longer than 30 minutes for me to make, but was very yummy. Recipes on this site always take me a bit longer than it says it could take. I usually budget at least twice as much time. If you have the time, the soup could simmer for more than 15-20 minutes. Like 30-40 min also long as the moisture level is to your liking. For me it was a good soup consistency, not too thick like some commenters experienced.

I did top it with lime juice, avocado, cilantro, diced tomato, and a little red onion. Going to have leftovers over quinoa. Yum!

Love! Simple and so delicious. I blend about half the batch for a thicker soup, and have served it over quinoa or potatoes for a hearty meal.

Made this tonight using bone broth instead of vegetable broth, and it was absolutely delicious! I’ll probably have to double the batch next time because my husband couldn’t get enough!

Dana, this recipe is a banger. The unsweetened chocolate really adds that tiny bit of mystery to it. Gradually adding spice as it simmers is key to getting the perfect flavor. I want to thank you for adding this new recipe to my repertoire. Cheers!

I made this tonight using the one pot black beans, which made enough beans to almost double this recipe. I presented it as “build your own” beans:
Beans
Rice
Steamed carrots
Raw diced red pepper
Raw diced onions
Avocado
Lime wedges
Cilantro
Crushed red pepper or Tabasco for adults

It was sweeter than i thought it would be (I used the chocolate the recipe called for), but I loved it. I could just eat the beans plain and be happy.

My five year old loved the autonomy of “build your own” and are a big bowl of veggies and beans. My three year old was more interested in mixing than eating.

We will definitely be making this again soon. It was healthy, delicious, and everyone (except the littlest one) asked for seconds!

I will probably try using canned beans the next time I make this recipe, as the process took longer than I can usually commit to. However, I really liked the flavor and texture of using dried beans.

Really easy and made a great weeknight meal. Topped with avocado and rice.

I made this recipe exactly as is, and it was simple and amazing! It has made it to the regular family meals :) Thank you so much!

So easy to make and Delicious ?

I love this soup! I’ve been looking for a good black bean soup recipe for a while and this one fits the bill. It’s excellent served with some brown rice and diced avocado. Thank you for sharing your recipe!

All of your recipes are incredible and this soup is no exception!
It is so flavourful, it came together in no time, and everyone in my house loved it!
Like the recipe suggests, definitely add the adobo slowly to see how the smokiness builds. We like things hot so I went with one large pepper, then a small one, and then finished it with some of the juice from the tin!
I ended up blending about 3/4 of the soup which was great and I topped it with fresh mint, salsa, and avo and used rice chips in lieu of a spoon!
I cant wait to have the leftovers tonight!
Thank you so much!

Thanks so much for the easy, delicious recipe.
I am trying to incorporate more vegan meals into my diet, but the challenge is finding ones that are quick and easy and that my family likes. My daughter really liked this (my husband did not comment, but he did eat two bowls). This will definitely be in my regular rotation.

I’m transitioning to a vegan lifestyle at the the moment and your recipes are making it SO much easier!!
This soup was just fantastic and sooo delicious and flavorful.

This recipe really helped me out today! I was in a time pinch and it was bursting with flavor and easy to make. The addition of chocolate really gave it an authentic taste you don’t often get in Mexican food north of the border.
I used unsweetened cocoa powder as my chocolate substitute and instead of adding the actual chipotle peppers, I just added the adobe sauce that was in the can (I found it easier to control the spice level this way). I still chopped up the peppers but used them as a garnish for my husband who has a higher spice tolerance than me. We topped both our bowls with lime and served along with rice and a corn tortilla. It was delicious!

Definitely gonna add this recipe to my family’s go-to list.

Loved this recipe! Definitely hearty and easy to make, and so delicious! Making it again tonight!

Wow, this was fantastic! Adding the suggested lime really took the soup to a new level of yumminess. Will definitely make this again!

Delicious, simple, warming, and filling! This was everything I needed today, being slightly under the weather. I topped it with avocado, tomato, fresh jalapeno, and plain Greek yogurt. Thank you for the recipe!

I made this today for Sunday lunch. It was excellent. A few thoughts:

I bought some really high end dark chocolate for the recipe. It didn’t really work in the recipe, because I couldn’t stop myself from eating it all before I could put it in the soup. In a pinch, I used semi-sweet chocolate chips as a substitute, and they worked out fine.

I didn’t use canned beans, but opted for starting from dried. It increased the prep time, but I think it improved the texture. I also used an immersion blender to puree the soup 80%. My husband and I both liked the consistency that way.

Next time I would try some cotija cheese on top when it was finished. Also, I’ll double the recipe so there will be more leftovers for lunch at work.

Please keep creating the deliciousness. :)

This was so easy, and so good! The spice blend worked well, but the addition of dark chocolate made a huge difference that I didn’t expect. Amazing recipe with very little prep required.

I don’t know which I loved more: the ease of making or the taste. Okay, the taste. Because with such full flavor I would have gladly spent twice the amount of time making it. I may not be Cuban or any other Latin American heritage, but I know a good black bean soup when I taste it. Healthy too! Thanks.

Easy. Delicious! Have recommended to so many people. Need to triple the recipe… as it was gone too quickly.

I couldn’t believe how delicious this was. And it was so easy!

Delicious and so so quick and easy. I added a bit more broth, and using an immersion blender, I blended only some of it to make a creamy texture. Served with rice, Pico de Gallo, lime, and avocado. Absolutely delicious.

This recipe was delicious! The recipe is almost entirely perfect as-is. Tip: if you add less veggie broth it’ll thicken up much faster. I used about 1/2 cup less. I also added a spoonful of nutritional yeast to help it thicken up, and this worked great!

I’ve never had black bean soup before and didn’t know what to expect. As a busy mom, I didn’t know what to make for dinner last night and stumbled upon this recipe that I had all the ingredients for. What a pleasant surprise! I made the soup as per the recipe and omitted the chipotle peppers as I’m not a fan of super spicy and it turned out amazing! The soup has such a nice velvety texture and left me wanting more. I’ll definitely be making this again.

Nice! I also added a can of diced tomatoes to the soup. Great idea to add cacao! This made for a hearty broth with a nice depth. Thanks for sharing!

This. Is. Amazing. So flavourful, spicy, smoky, and EASY AS F*&$ to make. Thank you for introducing me to chipotle peppers in adobo sauce AND using chocolate!!!

I made this tonight. It was such a simple recipe and quick recipe, but delicious! I made the recipe essentially as written (except for making 1.3 times the recipe as beans often come in 19 oz cans in Canada). I did add a little extra adobo sauce from the can of chipotles and added one chipotle, which was a nice amount (not too spicy) . We topped it with cilantro and avocado. Very hearty and satisfying. Thank you for the recipe!

Yum! This was delicious! I subbed a half cup of salsa for the onions and garlic, and it worked great for a lazy person like me :)

WOW, incredible! As in like, one of the best things I’ve ever eaten! Simmered longer and served with a dollop of brown rice, salsa and some avocado. Next time I’ll triple the recipe. Truly amazing.

Made this for lunches – tastes so rich and delicious. I might have gone a *wee* bit heavy on the chipotle…but hey, it’s cold out!

This was lovely! No alterations. Husband said it was the best soup he’s ever had! And he’s not really a soup-guy.

It was snowing in Southern California yesterday, you heard right…snowing! I take the train to work and was soooo cold when I got home. I thought…yes! The black bean soup and grilled “Daiya” cheese. Made it and loved it! Left the chipotle peppers out and added 3 more cloves of garlic. My hubbie and I slirpped it down and I finally got my core warm. Thank you Dana and John for this wonderful recipe.

Simple, well-balanced, and straightforward just plain good.
If you’re reading comments, considering whether or not to make— look at all the variations people have commented they made and loved, and relax and just use what you have you can’t go wrong.
Used a dribble of adobo sauce (opened a can, dumped it in a freezer bag, and swished the broth in the can before adding) in place of 2 peppers as my kids are on a “no spicy” kick (they who used to eat garden fresh japaleño so go figure). Also, I only had salted almond 80% chocolate, but the tiny niblets of almond were a subtly delicious addition.
Garnished with fresh lime juice, cilantro leaves, and a dollop of coconut cream.
Go for this delightful staple base recipe, by the book or as a guideline! I did and we all literally scraped the bowls clean.{ Using Garden if Eatin’ Red got blues chips because my kids find those mild enough, haha. }
Thank you Dana, we have thoroughly enjoyed al your recipes I’ve made. ?

Delicious easy dinner, it was great with some avocado on top. I added diced red bell pepper (I had one I wanted to use up) and it worked really well. Highly recommend this soup, can’t wait to have leftovers tommorow.

My favorite black bean soup recipe yet! I made it as is, using 1 1/2 chipotle peppers and Trader Joe’s 85% dark chocolate. YUM. Amazing off the stove and super amazing after a day in the fridge. I added a dollop of plain Greek yogurt on top, some crunched up quinoa tortilla chips, and a lime squeeze (and a margarita). I’m gonna start my second batch tonight and maybe make some cornbread this time around! Love that it’s so cheap to make, so easy to reheat, and so accommodating to any leftover veggies in the fridge.

This soup is crack. First, I don’t even like black beans that much. Second, I am really really bad at cooking. Somehow, I whipped this up in no time, and am literally ADDICTED. Did I just stumble on a unicorn of a recipe here? Healthy, delicious, affordable, easy, and fast. Had to come back to leave a comment! Xoxo

Love this recipe so much! Tried it a second time and had a bunch of extra red cabbage on hand so added that, a can of rise roasted tomatoes, and a couple handfuls of chopped spinach. SO GOOD.

I have never made a dish that so easy yet so full of flavour.

I halved the recipe as I only had one can of black beans, I substituted the ‘chipotle peppers in adobo sauce’ for 1 tsp chipotle paste (from M&S) as I am in the UK and have never come across this. Instead of vegetable broth I used water and a stock cube.

Anyway, it turned out beautifully, I had it with lots of lime, fresh guacamole and tortilla chips.

Absolutely perfect recipe. The depth of this soup is unbelievable. A hit with the whole family. Thank you!!

I LOVE most of your recipes, but this one was NOT for me. I’m not really sure what it was, but it was missing something. I felt like I was just being hit in the face with the chilies (I only added 3).

This was my first time having black bean soup and it was amazing! This soup has a great texture and such complex flavours!

Unfortunately I only had one can of black beans so I had to half the recipe – and promptly ate the whole thing. I also did not have coriander seeds so I had to leave those out and only had a very small amount of cumin, so I added all the cumin and some smoked paprika. I did include the abodo and cocoa powder though – one teaspoon each. But the number one most important ingredient that really transformed the dish was the lime juice! Once I added that too my bowl, it was simply amazing.

Thanks for this delicious and healthy recipe! I do disagree with the serving suggestion though. I halved the recipe and it gave a single largw bowl but I don’t see how you would get four large bowls from two cans.

This was a really interesting recipe. Made it exactly as written, garnished with avocado, lime, and cilantro, served it over brown rice. The hubster thought it was really spicy (though he didn’t have avocado), but both he and my son said they liked it. I made it with no oil, no added salt, used one chile pepper in adobo sauce, & chopped up approximately 3 tbsp. of 85% chocolate. Since I’m watching my salt intake, I drained & rinsed the beans, then added about a cup more of low-salt veggie broth to make up for it. I really enjoyed it, but I might have accidentally put in more than 2 tsp. of cumin, so I want to remake this to see if it’s truly ‘too spicy.’

Best black bean soup I have ever had! I added a little lemon juice for brightness.

The addition of the chocolate/cocoa powder was subtle yet powerful. I haven’t typically been a fan of black bean soups but I had a feeling that this one would be different, and I was not disappointed!

10/10 will make again :)

So easy, and very tasty, too. I’ll Immersion blend about half of it next time for a thicker mouthfeel (such a cringey word!) because I’d find it more satisfying as a meal. I paired this with a pepita-based taco salad recipe for work lunches this week and found the 4 bowls estimate was more like 3 for me. I also used cocoa powder instead of the chocolate and was impressed by the depth of flavor. Another commenter said “mysterious” and I agree. Will definitely make again.

Wonderful soup and flavor, nearly an exact dupe of the Panera version! So simple and easy to make, and very flavorful. Topped with avocado and fresh cilantro added a nice dimension to the flavors and made for great presentation. I will be using this on repeat throughout the rest of winter! Thank you for the great recipe to make a quick, healthy and inexpensive meal at home :)

I made this recipe last night. It was great then but I feel like it’s even better today re-heated now that the flavors have had a few hours to get to know one another a little better. I have never had chili peppers in adobo sauce, so because my tongue is a wimp, I subbed this ingredient with about a teaspoon of ground dried cayenne pepper instead (I wasn’t surr if I could manage the other). This recipe will definitely be revisited.

Also, my mom saw me put the chocolate in the pot and turned her nose up at the idea. My mother’s kitchen is not one for adventurous ingredients. I made her try a sip anyway once it was done. All she complained about was the amount of heat (this is where I get my wimpy taste buds from).

I made this yesterday with some tweaks, I added veg when sauteing the onion garlic (celery carrot and cubed potatoes) and tomato puree.
It was soooo good. served up with rice and the kids ate it all too!!
Love looking at your recipes :o)

This is delicious…my new favorite way to make black beans! I followed the recipe completely. Maybe left it simmering a bit longer at the end because it’s VERY thick, more like black beans than black bean soup.
I have it packed for lunch today, with some wilted baby spinach and brown rice…I can’t wait for lunch!

Holy smokes this was amazing. This will be on winter repeat. The chocolate was the perfect addition. Thank you again for another incredible recipe!

I made this this weekend for my meal prep and I loved how it was such a simple yet wildly flavorful recipe. Even though I have been cooking for years, this was my first time using chocolate in a savory recipe and I LOVED it. It gave the soup such a depth of flavor and when paired with the smokiness of the chipotle peppers and cumin. It was perfection. Thank you!

Very tasty! Yes, letting the soup simmer to develop the flavors is the best tip. This is the first recipe for black bean soup that’s worthy! Thanks for the simple and yummy recipe.

Delicious!! I just made this tonight–the only change I made was to add a can of diced tomatoes. Yummy and super easy to make, thank you for a terrific recipe!

Very, very nice. I would double the stock, flavorings and chocolate next time to create more liquid as ours turned out more like frijoles, not ‘soupy’ (Not a bad thing though!!)

Hearty, delicious, and spicy!

Doubled the amount of water, used 6 broth cubes, had no coriander so passed on that. Used a little more chill powder. For chocolate I broke up 3 chocolate cubes from a dark chocolate bar.

The chilpotle peppers & abodo sauce took really gave this some depth.

Will make again. Wife loved it.

I was not firing on all cylinders at the grocery last night. I always have black beans and broth in my cupboard, so I picked up the chipotles and the chocolate and went on my merry way with no avocado, lime or cilantro (really?). I set out tonight and found that I did not have black beans and what I thought was broth was soy milk. I ended up with a tri-bean (kidney/black/pinto) soup made with water and with toasted corn tortilla strips, smoked sun-dried tomatoes and vegan sour cream for toppings. It was so good and easy and perfect for a chilly work night. The recipe has taken it’s spot on my fridge and I really look forward to making it the way it’s supposed to be made next time!

I made this last night and enjoyed it! It’s been super cold here so soup was perfect for a new recipe to try! I left out the chipotle peppers because I don’t like spicy foods, but followed the other soup ingredients (using dark chocolate instead of cacao powder). This took me longer than 30 minutes to make, but that’s probably because *I am* the garlic mincer and decided not to use my mini chopper for the onions so I wouldn’t have to wash one more thing.

I was a little disappointed with the flavors after it had been simmering for a while (and it was late and I wanted to eat instead of testing out adding spices, etc.), but when I added some fresh lime juice and cilantro it really balanced everything out and made it pop! I’ll have to make some rice to go with it for my leftovers.

Help! I am not sure what I did but I made this Way to hot and spicy. What can I ad to cut the heat?

This is the best black bean soup I’ve ever made! I added a can of diced tomatoes, topped with avocado, cilantro and green onion. For the chocolate I added 3 tbs of dark chocolate chips. This totally hit the spot! This will be in our regular rotation!

Reposting to add 5-star rating for depth of flavor and taste. I thoroughly enjoyed this recipe and am adding this to my list of favorites.

Easy, quick, filling and OH MAN IS IT GOOD!
I did puree my 2 chilies in Adobo, to hide them from my texture-sensitive Omni daughter. I cut the Chocolate/Cocoa WAY back – I used 2 tsp. of Cocoa powder and it’s rich and delicious. Next time, I’ll be adding a can of tomatoes and chilies as I have way too many in the pantry and think this is an amazing base to build chili off of.

I only had 1 can of black beans, so I put red capsicum and mushrooms in it instead, and put some tomato paste in it. Literally the most delicious thing ever! And so so easy. THANKS! Xxxx

I am not a huge cumin fan – sad but true. However, I am pleased to report that smoked paprika works JUST as well for the smokiness which, along with the chocolate, really makes this particularly special. It really hit the spot. Next time I am going to add celery and carrots, just to up the amount of veggies per serving. Thanks!

I take it back. I take it all back. The chocolate flavour was really strong after adding it, but once we got some tortilla chips, avocado, Cilantro and lots of fresh lime juice in there IT WAS INCREDIBLE.

My 2 & 4 year olds declared it their favorite soup ever and licked the bowl. So good.

I was loving the flavors until I added the chocolate. Have a feeling the kids are going to put up a fight tonight. May try again with much less cocoa powder next time. A bit too strong for us.

Loved the layers of flavor in this dish.

Thanks! I am LITERALLY stirring my black beans fro m scratch and add different things…but never thought to add cacao. It added a deepness that’s subtle and mysterious. Thanks so much. What perfect timing!

You’re truly the best! I have been in love with Panera’s black bean soup for years and have tried various recipes online for copycats. I mashed some of the beans in the pot and the very end for a slightly thicker bean soup. Goes great with a crusty baguette :-) Thanks so much for another phenomenal recipe!

Hearty, straightforward, and the flavors stand out. A winner for winter. Chocolate is a nice addition. I paired this with white rice, lime, and cilantro.