30-Minute Black Bean Soup

Name: 30-Minute Black Bean Soup
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: Serves 6
Cuisine: tex-mex
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon vegetable oil; 2 green bell peppers, stems and seeds discarded, finely diced; 1 large onion, finely diced; 2 cloves garlic, minced on a microplane grater; 1 jalapeño or serrano pepper, stems and seeds discarded, finely chopped; 1 teaspoon ground cumin; 1/2 teaspoon dried chili flakes; 1 chipotle chili packed in adobo, finely chopped, plus 1 tablespoon adobo sauce from can (optional); 1 quart homemade or low-sodium canned chicken broth; 2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, with liquid; 2 bay leaves; Kosher salt; Roughly chopped cilantro leaves; Mexican-style sour cream; Diced avocado; Diced red onion

4.50 (11)

⏱ 30 mins 🍽 Serves 6 🌶 tex-mex 🏷 Soups and Stews

This satisfying Tex-Mex soup is a perfect weeknight choice, combining pantry staples for a fast and filling meal. It features black beans simmered with peppers, onion and warming spices like cumin and chipotle. The soup is partially blended for a rich texture and served with fresh toppings. It yields six generous portions and is ready in just half an hour.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 green bell peppers, stems and seeds discarded, finely diced
1 large onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced on a microplane grater
1 jalapeño or serrano pepper, stems and seeds discarded, finely chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried chili flakes
1 chipotle chili packed in adobo, finely chopped, plus 1 tablespoon adobo sauce from can (optional)
1 quart homemade or low-sodium canned chicken broth
2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, with liquid
2 bay leaves
Kosher salt
Roughly chopped cilantro leaves
Mexican-style sour cream
Diced avocado
Diced red onion

Method

Warm the vegetable oil in a large saucepan until it shimmers. Cook the diced peppers and onions, stirring often, until they soften without browning, about 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic, jalapeño, cumin and dried chili flakes, cooking for about 1 minute until aromatic. Mix in the chopped chipotle and adobo sauce if using.
Pour in the chicken broth along with the cans of black beans and their liquid. Add the bay leaves. Turn the heat up to bring the mixture to a boil, then lower it to maintain a bare simmer. Cover the pan and cook for 15 minutes.
Take out and discard the bay leaves. Use a hand blender to partially puree the soup to your preferred texture. You can also blend 2 cups of soup in a standard blender or food processor until smooth, then stir it back into the pot. Add salt to taste.
Divide the hot soup among bowls. Serve straight away with your choice of toppings like chopped coriander leaves, Mexican-style sour cream, diced avocado and diced red onion.

Nutrition (per serving)

Sodium804000 mg

Recipe details

CategorySoups and Stews

Cuisinetex-mex

AuthorJ. Kenji López-Alt