A good black bean soup must have flavor! I love black beans, but I don’t want to just eat a bowl of black beans. This Black Bean Soup delivers on flavor! Dried black beans are cooked with veggies, adobo sauce, red wine vinegar, and oregano to deliver on one amazing pot of soup. The toppings only add to a deliciously warm and hearty bowl of soup!
This Black Bean Soup is right up my alley this time of year. It is filling and warm! The smokiness and heat from the adobo sauce really make this soup perfection! The red wine vinegar livens up the beans!
This soup does not require to pre-soak the black beans. I tend to forget to do that step anyway! However, the timing it takes to soften the beans relies on the freshness of the black beans. Dried beans have a great shelf life, but the older the beans, the longer they take to cook. Look on the bag with the farther best by date on the bag. If you buy dried beans from the bulk bins, they tend to be a safe option for freshness.
You will notice in order to use adobo sauce, you have to buy a can of chipotle chilies in adobo sauce. Although this recipe does not call for chipotle chilies, you can freeze them in the remaining adobo sauce for another recipe!
This Black Bean Soup does not have to rely on toppings, but adding some smooth and creamy avocado, cooling sour cream and some crunchy tortilla chips are my go-to toppings for this soup. The options are limitless!
Black Bean Soup
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1 medium carrot diced
- 3 whole garlic cloves smashed
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 2 T adobo sauce or to taste (from a 7 oz can chipotle chiles in adobo sauce)
- 1 lb dried black beans rinsed (no need to soak)
- 1 1/2 t dried oregano
- 1 T kosher salt or to taste
- 1 t ground black pepper or to taste
- 8 cups water
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, and garlic. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes or until the onion is golden and starts to brown, stirring occasionally.
- Add the red wine vinegar and scrape any of the brown bits from the bottom of the pot. Cook until the vinegar is reduced to about half.
- Add 2 tablespoons (or to taste) of the adobo sauce and stir to combine.
- Add the black beans, oregano, salt, black pepper, and water. Stir and bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. Once boiling lower the heat to low to bring the mixture to a simmer. Cover the pot with a lid.
- Simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, stirring every 30 minutes to prevent the beans from sticking to the bottom of the pot. The beans always need to be submerged in liquid to cook. Add more water if the beans are not submerged.
- Once the beans have softened, your soup is ready. (Add more salt if needed. If you want more heat, feel free to add more adobo sauce. Continue to simmer for 20 to 30 minutes to allow the salt or adobo sauce to blend in.)
- Top with your favorite garnishes and enjoy!
- Toppings: Sour cream, diced avocado, crushed tortillas, cilantro, lime wedges, diced onions, hot sauce, etc.
Notes
Dayna is a food blogger and pet parent to Cooper the cat! 
