Smoky Black Bean Soup with Lime
In short: A thick, smoky black bean soup with cumin, paprika and bell pepper, partly blended and finished with lime, cilantro and avocado. It takes about 45 min in total and makes 4 servings.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Total
- 45 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 300 kcal
Black bean soup is a pantry staple: a few cans of beans, an onion and a handful of spices become a rich, filling dinner in about 45 minutes. Smoked paprika and cumin give it a deep, almost meaty flavor, and blending only half the pot gives a thick body with plenty of whole beans left. Lime juice, cilantro and ripe avocado on top bring freshness. It reheats well and makes an easy lunch all week.
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Cook the onion and bell pepper for 8 minutes, stirring, until soft. Add the garlic, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano and cayenne and cook for 1 minute, then stir in the tomato paste for 1 minute.
- Add the beans, stock, bay leaf and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer partly covered for 20 minutes.
- Remove the bay leaf. Use an immersion blender to purée about half of the soup, leaving the rest chunky. Alternatively, mash some of the beans against the side of the pot with a potato masher.
- Stir in the lime juice and black pepper and taste for salt. Add a splash of water if the soup is thicker than you like.
- Ladle into bowls and top with the avocado, cilantro and a lime wedge.
Tips
- Dried beans work too. Soak 250 g (1 1/3 cups) of black beans overnight, drain, then boil hard for 10 minutes and simmer until tender. Use about 3 cups of cooked beans and some of their cooking liquid in place of part of the stock.
- For a deeper smoky heat, stir 1 chopped chipotle in adobo into the pot with the garlic.
Questions and answers
Can I make black bean soup without a blender?
Yes. Mash about a third of the beans against the side of the pot with a spoon or potato masher. You get a thick, chunky soup with nothing extra to wash.
How do I make black bean soup thicker?
Blend or mash more of the beans, or simmer the soup uncovered for 10 minutes. Mashed beans thicken it better than flour or cornstarch would.
What do you serve with black bean soup?
Rice, cornbread, tortilla chips or warm tortillas all work. Toppings such as avocado, sliced radishes, lime and cilantro turn a bowl into a full meal.
How long does it take to make Smoky Black Bean Soup with Lime?
About 45 min in total: 15 min of preparation and 30 min of cooking.
How many calories are in Smoky Black Bean Soup with Lime?
About 300 kcal per serving, with 11 g of protein, 36 g of carbohydrates and 12 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 300 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 11 g |
| Carbohydrates | 36 g |
| Fat | 12 g |
| Fiber | 13 g |
| Sugar | 6 g |
| Sodium | 780 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
