Easy Black Bean Soup
Use canned black beans for this rich and savory one pot Easy Black Bean Soup that will warm you from the inside out. Salty bacon, fire roasted tomatoes and tangy fresh lime juice create a burst of flavor in every bite. Plus black beans are packed with fiber, so this soup will help keep you nice and full for hours.
Why Make Easy Black Bean Soup?
I used to love Panera’s Black Bean Soup. I would always order the “You Pick Two” special with the turkey sandwich on Asiago Focaccia bread and a piping hot cup of the silky Black Bean Soup. It was one of my favorite meals and I was devastated to learn that Panera discontinued their black bean soup a few years ago. Then, they dropped the Asiago Focaccia bread too! Ahhhhh! Now they have Black Pepper Focaccia which is frankly, not at all the same.
Since Panera left me high and dry, I decided that I needed to create my own Black Bean Soup recipe, which has actually turned out to be a huge blessing in disguise. My Easy Black Bean soup is one of my all time favorite recipes that I make. I could easily eat it every week and never get sick of it.
Don’t be fooled. This is NOT a Panera Black Bean Soup Copycat recipe. Theirs was a wonderful, vegetarian version with little chunks of red pepper in a thick black bean gravy. Mine is a broth base with chopped bacon and bold southwestern inspired flavors from the fire roasted tomatoes and lime juice. But…if I do say so myself…my creation is actually BETTER than Panera’s version!
What Will You Need?
- butter
- onion
- garlic
- chicken broth ( I prefer this one)
- canned fire roasted diced tomatoes
- tomato paste
- Worcestershire sauce
- chili powder
- canned black beans
- salt
- sugar
- bacon, cooked and chopped (i like this one)
- fresh lime juice
How to Make Easy Black Bean Soup
I always recommend that you start by getting yourself organized before turning on a burner. Cook and chop bacon ahead of time. Dice onion. Get every ingredient and measuring cup/spoon out that you will need and lay them on counters, That way you aren’t stressing out trying to find what you need while your burner is blazing away.
In a large pot, melt 1 T of butter over medium heat. Add 1 cup diced onions and cook until they become soft and clear.
Add 2 cloves of garlic. I like to use a garlic press like this one to get the garlic nice and fine, but you could also mince it. Stir garlic into onions.
Stir in one 14.5 oz can of diced fire roasted tomatoes (including the liquid), 2.5 cups of chicken broth, 1 T tomato paste, 1 T chili powder, 2 t Worcestershire sauce, 1T salt and 1T sugar.
Open two 15.5 oz cans of black beans. Drain and rinse them. Add beans to pot and stir.
Simmer on low-medium heat for 10-15 mins stirring occasionally so that the flavors can mix.
Stir in 6 strips of cooked and chopped bacon. Add the juice of half a lime (approx. 1 T) and give everything one last stir.
Serve in bowls with fun toppings.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Topping Ideas
- shredded cheddar cheese
- diced avocado
- sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
- cilantro
- more chopped bacon
- hot sauce
- extra squeeze of lime juice
My favorite is a little sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese and diced avocado!
Are Black Beans Healthy?
Black beans have some amazing health benefits. They are loaded with fiber which keeps you feeling fuller longer and can help lower cholesterol.
They are gluten-free and are a wonderful plant base source of protein. Plus they are packed with vitamins and minerals.
Easy Black Bean soup is just over 400 calories for a heaping portion.
Can You Freeze Easy Black Bean Soup?
Yes! It freezes really well making it a great make ahead meal. Make a big batch of it, freeze it, and then just defrost and re-heat at a later date.
Check out my step by step instructions on how to freeze soup and chili.
Bonus Recipes
Looking for other meal ideas that freeze well? Check out my Ground Turkey Chili or Chicken Tortilla Soup.
Need to use up the rest of the bacon? Try my Italian BLT Wraps or Bacon Wrapped Little Smokies.
Sure! I am all about the short cuts! I usually make my bacon in advance so when it comes time to make my soup, I all i have to do is chop it. But you can absolutely buy the pre-cooked kind at the store and just chop it. Or you can also try the bacon crumbles (usually located in the salad dressing isle).
You can, because the heat of the soup simmering will cook the bacon; however, the texture of the bacon will be soft instead of crispy. If you choose to add it raw, chop it and add it into the onion and garlic sauté at the beginning.
Black beans contain a lot of fiber which keeps you feel fuller longer, and can help lower cholesterol. They are also low in saturated fat. The bacon in this soup adds protein which is a good energy source to help fuel your body. Opt for “center cut” bacon to keep fat and calories lower.
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Easy Black Bean Soup
Equipment
- 1 large pot
Ingredients
- 1 T butter
- 1 c onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic pressed
- 2.5 c chicken broth
- 14.5 oz can fire roasted tomatoes
- 1 T tomato paste
- 2 t Worcestershire sauce
- 1 T chili powder
- 2 15.5 oz can black beans drained and rinsed
- 1 T salt I use course salt, if you use table salt, use less
- 1 T sugar
- 1 T fresh lime juice
- 6 slices bacon chopped
Instructions
- In a large pot, melt 1 T of butter over medium heat. Add 1 cup diced onions and cook until they become soft and clear.
- Add 2 cloves of minced garlic (I like to use a garlic press to get the garlic nice and fine) Stir garlic into onions.
- Stir in one 14.5 oz can of diced fire roasted tomatoes (including the liquid), 2.5 cups of chicken broth, 1 T tomato paste, 1 T chili powder, 2 t Worcestershire sauce, 1T sugar and 1T salt (note: I use course salt, If you are using fine table salt, you may want to add a little less).
- Drain and rinse two 15.5 oz cans of black beans. Add beans to pot and stir.
- Simmer on low-medium heat for 10-15 mins stirring occasionally.
- Stir in 6 strips of cooked and chopped bacon.
- Add the juice of half a lime (approx. 1 T) and give everything one last stir.
- Serve in bowls with fun toppings. My favorite is a little sour cream and diced avocado.
Notes
- shredded cheddar cheese
- diced avocado
- sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
- cilantro
- more chopped bacon
- hot sauce
