Easy Black Bean Soup Recipe

At the end of this week, Charlie and I are flying to Dallas for a wedding. The Saturday festivities start at 6:30 PM so you know that means black tie. I’ve made the brilliant decision that I’m going to fit into one particular black, one-shoulder French Connection dress that I believe I bought off eBay during my first year of law school (yes, it’s totally last, last season). And it definitely isn’t a roomy fit. Wellll, since I sat by the pool and had beers and Caipiroskas all last week, I needed to have a “skinny week” all this week. Dinner included.

Okay, but really I wasn’t going to have soup without a grilled cheese. And I really showed some restraint putting only one piece of cheese on that sandwich.

This is an easy, go-to soup when you want, you know, soup. And I always do. I do not care if it’s hot outside. I like to dip things. All of the ingredients are always readily available and it’s a pretty fast dinner to make. It’s also Very filling. I’ve had it for dinner and twice for lunch since I made it Monday.

 

Easy Homemade Black Bean Soup (makes enough for 3-4)

• Olive oil
• 2 cloves of garlic, chopped (hey, more if you like)
• Red pepper flakes
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 2 cans (15 oz.) of black beans, drained and rinsed in a colander
• 1 can (15 oz.) of diced tomatoes
• 1 box (32 oz.) of chicken broth (or vegetable if you’re… that way)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Black pepper, to taste
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon paprika (I used smoked Spanish paprika)
• Onion powder (optional)

Directions

1. Add a drizzle of olive oil to the pan. You shouldn’t need more than a tablespoon. I use a little less. Add some salt to the pan. Heat should be a little higher than Medium.
2. Add chopped onions and garlic. Throw in a pinch or two of red pepper flakes. Sauté for about 5 minutes or until your onions are translucent.
3. Add your can of tomatoes and let simmer for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, so the juice comes out.
4. Add your black beans. The pot should be getting a little full. Mix up the concoction. Add your salt, cumin, paprika, and onion powder.
5. Cover your mixture with the chicken broth. Keep pouring until there’s only a little bit (about 1/2 cup) left in the box of broth.  [I like to save a little broth for the end, or for the next day when re-heating the soup, because it may need a little extra liquid to get it to the right consistency.] Stir and then bring everything to a boil. Let it continue to boil for about 2 minutes. It will reduce a little.
6. Lower heat to a strong simmer. Is that a thing? Less than a boil, more than a simmer. Do this for 6 minutes.
7. Remove pot from heat (trust me, less mess) and wait for simmering to stop. Get out your immersion blender and blend until smooth and you don’t see any more chunks of tomatoes or whole beans.
8. Taste again. I always like to add more seasoning at this point as I enjoy a lot of spice. And I might have a problem with salt. [Secret ingredient – add a pinch of curry powder or garam masala at this point. It’s really fragrant and I love it. Not a necessity though.]
9. Check the texture. It should be thick but smooth. Add more broth if it’s too thick, keep simmering if it’s too thin to obtain a thicker consistency, or just reheat and serve. With toppings!

Optional Toppings:  Cilantro or parsley, grated cheese (I used cheddar), salsa, sour cream, or… the best topping- chipotle-sour cream- mayo which can be made by mixing the adobo sauce from a can of chipotle in adobo with a dollop of mayo and a dollop of sour cream; increase the adobo if you like it hot!

But really, check out the ingredients. It’s pretty healthy. Maybe just don’t eat 3 servings. And try to limit it to one grilled cheese. Yeah, easier said than done.