Vegetarian Black Bean Soup

Feeling cold? Try this easy soup recipe! It’s a full meal – carbs, protein, veggies, and it packs a kick in the flavour arena.

And hey, haven’t you heard? Beans are the future.

Seriously.  Vegetarian, high protein, and delicious.  Enjoyed by people of all ages and all ethnicities.  A poor man’s food? Bah. Beans are for everyone, rich or poor!

One of my favourite beans is the black bean – thrown into a salad, chilli, tacos, wraps, or this delicious black bean soup. 

This black bean soup is rich and comforting (thanks to the pureed beans) while being low-fat and nutritious.  This recipe could totally be adapted for a crock pot and you could also opt to puree the whole thing, although I like having some whole beans in there. My favourite meal to eat this with is a souped-up “breakfast for dinner,” served alongside some fresh bread, eggs, and salsa.  My version of a disassembled huevos rancheros, I suppose!

So sit back, relax, and dig into this great make-ahead meal!

Black Bean Soup

Ingredients:

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 cup carrots, chopped

2 stalks celery, cut in halves

1 large onion, chopped

5 cloves garlic, minced

2 large tomatoes, diced

2 cups black beans, soaked

3 cups vegetable broth

3 cups water

2 tsp cumin

2 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp paprika

½ tsp onion powder

Salt, to taste

Fresh cilantro, chopped, for garnish

Method:

1. Add vegetable oil to a large stock pot set over medium-high heat.
2. Once oil has warmed up, add carrots, halved celery, and chopped onion.  Allow vegetables to sautee for 3-4 minutes.
3. Add minced garlic and cook until fragrant, or about 1-2 minutes. Add tomatoes and cook for another minute.
4. Add 1 cup of black beans, vegetable broth, and water.  Allow to come to a low boil and add all the spices. Turn down heat to low and let cook for 20 minutes.
5. After 20 minutes, remove the halved celery (which by now is soggy celery) and puree the soup using either an immersion blender or an upright blender.
6. Once the soup has been pureed, add the remaining cup of black beans and mix in. Heat over medium-low heat and serve with fresh cilantro, sour cream, and cut up tortillas or tortilla chips.