Hearty Black Bean Soup with Southwest Spices and Crunchy Toppings

This black bean soup is a hearty, flavorful meal that comes together in just 20 minutes-all in one pot! The beans are simmered in a richly spiced broth with sautéed onion, tomato paste and Southwest seasonings until thick and infused with flavor. It’s the perfect weeknight dinner that doesn’t skimp on taste.

Top your bowl with “the works”: sharp cheddar cheese, a swirl of smoky red pepper crema and crushed blue corn tortilla chips for crunch. Serve with extra chips on the side for dipping. This soup is a satisfying, comforting bowl of goodness that will become a family favorite.

Log in to save recipes and build weekly shopping lists.

Ingredients

1 unit Yellow OnionView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

13.4 ounce Black BeansView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 tablespoon Southwest Spice BlendView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1.5 ounce Tomato PasteView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 unit Tex-Mex PasteView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

2 unit Veggie Stock ConcentrateView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

0.5 cup Cheddar CheeseView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1.5 ounce Food Should Taste Good™ Blue Corn Tortilla ChipsView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

2 tablespoon Smoky Red Pepper CremaView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

SaltView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

PepperView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

2 teaspoon Cooking OilView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

Instructions

1. Wash and dry produce. Halve, peel and finely dice onion until you have ¾ cup (1½ cups for 4 servings). Drain beans over a small bowl, reserving liquid.
2. Heat a large drizzle of oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion; cook, stirring, until softened, 3-4 minutes. Add Southwest Spice; stir until fragrant, 30 seconds. Stir in tomato paste and Tex-Mex paste; cook until slightly darkened, 1 minute.
3. Stir 1¾ cups water, stock concentrates, beans and ¼ cup reserved bean liquid into pot. (For 4 servings, use 3 cups water and ½ cup bean liquid.) Bring to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 5-8 minutes. For a thicker broth, simmer a bit longer; for thinner, simmer less. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Turn off heat.
4. Crush a few tortilla chips. Divide soup between bowls and top with cheddar, smoky red pepper crema and as many crushed tortilla chips as you like. Start with a few and add more as you go to keep them crunchy. Serve with whole tortilla chips on the side.

Recipe Tips

FAQ

Can I use dried black beans instead of canned?

Yes, but you’ll need to cook them separately before adding to the soup. Use about 1 cup dried beans, soaked and cooked until tender, then proceed with the recipe.

Is this soup spicy?

The Southwest spice blend adds mild heat. If you prefer less spice, reduce the amount or omit. For extra heat, add a pinch of cayenne or chili flakes.

Can I make this soup vegan?

Yes! Omit the cheddar cheese and use a vegan crema or omit the crema. The soup base is already vegetarian and can easily be made vegan.