Slow Cooker Black Bean Soup
This Slow Cooker Black Bean Soup features the flavors of seasoned black beans…in creamy soup form. It’s delicious on a chilly winter day!
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Whenever we go out for Mexican food, seasoned black beans are among my favorite menu items. And the enchiladas. And fajitas. And chimichangas. Ok, so I like going out for Mexican food. But today’s post focuses on those seasoned black beans that are often hidden in burritos or served next to tacos.
We’ll occasionally make batches of seasoned black beans here at home and then use those as a filling for Black Bean Quesadillas. Mmmm…beans and melty cheese! However, as we’re in the colder months of the year right now, I got to thinking. Could I use that seasoned black bean concept and turn it into a soup? Survey says….YES!
Slow Cooker Black Bean Soup
For this Slow Cooker Black Bean Soup, I decided to go all in and use dried black beans. This soup could certainly be made with canned beans, but most soups really benefit from simmering away all day. The flavors in this soup are fantastic!
For the flavors in this Slow Cooker Black Bean Soup, I relied on many of the same ingredients we use when making seasoned black beans. Onion, jalapeno, cilantro, garlic, cumin and a pinch of cayenne pepper. The only difference here is I also used chicken broth to turn the whole thing into a soup.
While the base flavor of this soup is delicious (it truly channels seasoned black beans from a Mexican restaurant), the fun part comes in with the toppings. I opted for a spoonful of sour cream, additional chopped cilantro, some reserved diced tomatoes and sunflower seeds. (On a side note, sunflower seeds are an amazing topping on salads and soups!)
Other ideas for toppings would be crumbled tortilla chips (or those tortilla strips they sell as salad toppers), diced avocados, shredded cheese or pickled jalapenos. A squeeze of lime juice on top goes quite well, too!
If you’re looking to make a vegan version of this soup, just substitute the chicken stock for vegetable broth and omit the sour cream on top.
To Blend or Not to Blend
After 8 hours in the slow cooker, the black beans will be flavorful and soft. (You should be able to flatten a bean easily between two fingers. If it doesn’t flatten easily, give it some more time.) While you could serve the soup that way, I opted to use an immersion blender (aka stick blender) to turn this into a creamy, thick soup.
Depending on your preferences, you could skip pureeing the soup. Or you could puree ½ of the beans to get a thicker soup that still has some texture from the whole black beans. Your choice!
With a little bit of prep work in the morning, you can walk away for the rest of the day. When you come back around dinnertime, you’ll find a flavorful and delicious soup waiting for you!
What to Serve with Slow Cooker Black Bean Soup
We served this soup with a chunk of leftover crusty bread and a side salad. (The side salad was mainly because we had some lettuce in the fridge we needed to use.) In our case, the soup was the main dish, but this soup could also be served as a side dish next to some of the recipes below:
- Classic Ground Beef Tacos
- Sweet and Spicy Chicken Tacos
- Crispy Baja Fish Tacos
- Grilled Fish Tacos
- Pineapple Margarita Chicken Quesadillas
How to Store Black Bean Soup
This Slow Cooker Black Bean Soup can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. (In fact, like most soups, it will taste even better on Day 2!) Alternatively, it can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. If you freeze it, just let it thaw overnight in the fridge.
To reheat this soup, just put it in a small pot on the stovetop over medium heat for 6-7 minutes, or until soup begins to simmer. You might want to add a splash of water to loosen it up just a bit, too.
We really enjoyed this Slow Cooker Black Bean Soup recipe in our house. It was flavorful, and it reminded me of our favorite hole-in-the-wall Mexican restaurant. And since it was a soup, it was a great way to warm up on a chilly night in the North Carolina mountains. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do!
Did you make a batch of this Slow Cooker Black Bean Soup? Leave a comment, or snap a photo and tag me on Instagram (@Spicedblog) – I’d love to see your version!
Slow Cooker Black Bean Soup
Ingredients
- 16 oz. dried black beans
- 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 14.5-oz. can petite diced tomatoes, undrained
- 3 large carrots diced
- 1 large white onion diced
- 1 jalapeno seeded and diced
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 2 tsp minced garlic
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
- {garnishes} sour cream additional chopped cilantro, roasted sunflower seeds
Instructions
- Using a 6-8 quart slow cooker, add all ingredients except for garnishes and stir until well combined.
- Cover and cook on low heat for 8-10 hours, or until beans are tender. (Note: Different slow cookers may cook at different temperatures. Once cooked, the beans should flatten easily when pressed between your fingers.)
- Using an immersion blender, puree ~½ of the mixture. (Note: You can puree more or less of the mixture at this step depending on desired texture. You can also use a blender or food processor if you don’t have an immersion blender.)
- Before serving, garnish each bowl with a swirl of sour cream, a bit of chopped cilantro and a sprinkle of sunflower seeds.
Looking for more tasty winter soup recipes? Check out these other favorites, too:
Cant wait to make this soon for me can i use vegetable broth i never had slow cooker bean soup before also it is raining here in Singapore everyday perfect for raining days in Singapore and after office meals
Yes! You can definitely use vegetable broth in this recipe, Ramya. I hope you enjoy this soup – it’d be great for those rainy days at this time of the year!
Great looking soup. I love your toppings!
Thanks, Mimi! Sometimes I feel like the toppings are what takes a soup from just ok to amazing.
happy new year David! I do love me some beans. This sounds so hearty (maybe not right for just now here in brisbane – it is stinking hot and humid). Hopefully we will get a storm later. Cheers Sherry
Happy new year right back at ya, Sherry! I’m thinking a soup like this wouldn’t be the best for a hot and humid day…maybe save this idea for a few months?? 🙂
What a delicious dinner idea David, perfect for your cold winter and I like how you’ve given the option of turning it into a complete Mexican dish. Soup is definitely off the menu here with 35 degree heat, however I’ll save this recipe idea for cooler times. And look for some dried black beans.
This time of the year (when our seasons are at their most opposite extremes) is always a bit odd. We’re craving soups and stews like this black bean version and you guys are eating outdoors enjoying warmer weather fare. Just save this idea! It’s a delicious soup…just not for this time of the year in Australia! 🙂
Happy new year, David! This black bean soup is such a warming and delicious way to reset the new year! Love the flavors!
Happy New Year right back at ya, Michelle! This soup really is perfect for this time of the year. It’s cold outside, and a good bowl of soup will warm you right up!
I love Mexican food too! And beans are something we regularly have. I’m so happy they’re the star of the recipe here, David. I’d love to curl up with a big bowl of this today (it’s snowing). I bet it’s so comforting, hearty and delicious. Happy New Year!! 🙂
This soup is a fun way to turn those beans that we love at Mexican restaurants into soup at home. (P.S. I bet this soup will taste even better on a snowy day!!)
Happy New Year to you and your family David! Your slow cooker black bean soup is definitely an absolute winter warmer! I’m always on the lookout for new soup recipes for winter and this is now on the list. Thank you!
Happy New Year right back at ya, Neil! I hope you had a relaxing holiday break. As we heard into the coldest part of the year, definitely keep this soup recipe handy. It’s tasty and easy!
This sounds so comforting, David! And the crusty bread seems like the perfect accompaniment … although some fried tortilla strips would be a great alternative. And I want ALL the toppings!
Oh, the crusty bread is an absolute requirement for this soup, Jeff! (Let’s be honest, though…isn’t crusty bread required for almost every soup??) This one is definitely good for a snowy day!
You’ve totally sold me on this Slow Cooker Black Bean Soup, My mouth is watering at the thought of those seasoned black beans transformed into creamy, comforting soup. You’re right – enchiladas and fajitas are amazing, but there’s something special about those flavorful beans that steals the show every time.
The black beans are often an afterthought for entrees…but this recipe brings those beans into the forefront. It’s delicious and super easy to make, too!
I’m totally with you… I love Mexican food! It’s one of my go-to kind of dinners to make at home. And I’m a big black bean soup fan. SO GOOD! I like how you included sunflower seeds on top. I think pepitas would be great in there too!
While the soup itself is delicious, the seeds and other toppings is what takes this recipe to the next level! It’s chilly here in the mountains right now, and a good bowl of soup is basically the best comfort food for this time of the year. I hope you guys are doing well!
Looks like it should be a healthy high protein meal. It’s unfortunate nutritional information wasn’t provided.
Hey Chris! The calories are listed in the recipe, and a serving comes in at 23g of protein. Unfortunately I don’t have a way to display the protein in the recipe. I hope you enjoy this soup!