rustic black bean soup
Mornings in the 50s = soup on the docket.
Happy Tuesday, peeps. Our weather is beautiful and I’m slurping down soup like it’s my second job. If only. The other day after my 10k race I actually had a bowl of southwest chili and a big hunk of bread as my recovery meal. I absolutely craved the combination after a cold morning busting my balls on the course.
Today, I’m paying homage to all ya’ll autumn souls with another hearty bowl. This Rustic Black Bean Soup is inspired by a rough-and-tumble dish I scrounged up recently when I was trying to clear some pantry stuff for a late-week dinner. The result was so good I knew I needed to offer up something intentional for FMG. And here she is!
Cozy, hearty, and vegan if you’re mindful of the toppings, all the things that appeal to a variety of palates. Our big pot is done in around 35 minutes and demands some sort of dipper, a good baguette or a plate of crunchy tortilla chips. You can certainly queue this up on football Sunday as your chili offering, and nosh on leftovers for lunch during the week.
In other words, a beautiful multipurpose dish to start off this first full seven days of November.
Rustic But Not Rusty
I’ll tell you, even the rustiest cook can pull this dish off easily.
A note: I always recommend an immersion blender for pureeing hot soups, unless you’re making a roasted sheetpan type situation like my Butternut Squash Apple Bisque, which uses a food processor. A blender does work, I just find it more hazardous since I tend to go a little apeshit with the pulse button. Maybe you’re not as dumb as me.
That detail aside, this soup is as seamless as it gets.
Saute some onion and celery in olive oil until softened, then stir in lots of my classic chili spices: smoked paprika, chipotle chili powder, cumin, and oregano. Once the spices are fragrant after about a minute or so, swirl in a dab of tomato paste.
Pour in a can of fire roasted tomatoes, some broth, and three whole cans of black beans. Yep, three. Bring the soup to a gentle simmer and heat, stirring occasionally, for 10-15 minutes, to let the flavors mingle.
Now, grab your immersion blender and blitz some of the soup until creamy, but leave a good amount unblended to add a lovely texture to the finished pot. You should be able to see plenty of whole beans, or at least half-mangled beans.
If you’re using a blender, transfer about half carefully with a measuring cup and pulse carefully until smooth, then dump back into the pot.
After you’ve tasted the batch for salt and pepper and adjusted as needed, dish out this puppy and top off with a bevy of tasty offerings. I love avocado, cheese, and cilantro always, and sometimes go for a touch of Greek yogurt too. A dab of lime juice offers a nice finish, too.
This soup will thicken in the fridge, so if reheating I like to add a little bit of broth or water to reconstitute. You can also freeze ziptop bags of this pretty easily, in whatever portion size floats your boat (1-2 cups of soup is usually standard). To do this, cool the soup completely, scoop into bags, seal TIGHTLY, and freeze for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to eat, dump into a pot and heat gently until warm.
A good simple start to the week guarantees a smooth transition from weekend to work life. I don’t know about you, but I feel much more at ease with my responsibilities when I’m excited about my eats that day. And this soup is worth getting excited about!
Tried this recipe out? Leave a rating and comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
Chilly? Make room for chili:
Quick and Cozy Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili
White Street Corn Chili Chowder
Chipotle Pumpkin Enchilada Chili
rustic black bean soup
Ingredients
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 1/2 cup celery, diced (about 2 stalks)
- 1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp chipotle chili powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp oregano
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 can fire-roasted tomatoes
- 2-3 cups vegetable broth
- 3 cans black beans, drained
- shredded cheddar, avocado, sour cream/Greek yogurt, and chopped cilantro, to serve
- crusty bread or tortilla chips, for dipping
Instructions
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Saute the onion and celery until fragrant and soft, about 5-8 minutes. Stir in the smoked paprika, chipotle chili powder, cumin, and oregano until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Swirl in the tomato paste.
- Pour in the fire roasted tomatoes, 2 cups of broth, and the black beans. Bring to a simmer and heat for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Use an immersion blender to puree about half of the soup, leaving whole beans to retain some texture. Alternatively, you can transfer half of the soup to a high-speed blender and CAREFULLY pulse until smooth, then pour back into the pot. I don't like doing that because I will splatter shit on myself, guaranteed…Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
- Divide the soup into bowls. Top with any manner of yumminess you wish: I go full out with cheese, avocado, cilantro, and sour cream. Serve with crusty bread or tortilla chips. Or both.
