Is everyone else enjoying the fall weather? I’m still adjusting to the cold this season, and a warm bowl of soup sure does help! This vegetarian black bean soup is hearty and full of protein, perfect for cold nights.
My favorite thing to do with this soup is to spice it up! I serve mine with an extra dash of hot sauce and fresh jalapenos.
The soup itself is not spicy. In my opinion, it is better to leave the soup mild and allow each person to make their bowl unique with toppings.
There are so many good ways to top this soup. Try cheese and sour cream for a richer version, or use crushed tortilla chips and red onion for a crunchy version.
Now you can treat soup night like a taco bar. Put out all your favorite toppings and mix and match!
Variations to the Vegetarian Black Bean Soup recipe:
For a very mild version, omit the jalapeno and/or hot sauce, and use bell pepper instead.
For a speedier version, use canned beans. Drain and rinse two cans, and use two more cans undrained. The bean cooking liquid will give the long-cooked starchy mouthfeel, but the flavors will not be quite as developed.
For a creamy/blended version, use an immersion blender and puree about half of the soup, stirring it back together before serving.
- 1 lb dried black beans, soaked 8 hours and drained
- 1 large onion, diced
- 2 celery stalks, minced
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 medium jalapeno, minced
- 2 tsp each: smoked paprika, cumin, and chili powder
- ½ cup dry white wine
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 large bay leaf
- 2 cups frozen corn, thawed
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 2 cups water (or more broth if using a low sodium variety)
- 1-2 TBS Hot sauce (such as tapatio)
- Lime wedges, for serving
- Cover beans with 2 inches of water and soak for about 10 hours. Drain and set aside.
- Combine the onion, celery and olive oil in a dutch oven. Saute until soft and starting to caramelize, about 10 minutes. Mix in garlic, jalapenos, smoked paprika, cumin, and chili powder. Saute for about a minute to toast the spices. Deglaze the pan with white wine.
- Mix in the salt, bay leaf, corn, broth, water and soaked black beans. Bring to a boil and simmer for 1hr or more, until you reach your desired degree of doneness. Taste test the beans as you go get close to an hour, and during any additional time.
- Stir in the hot sauce. Serve with lime wedges.
