Black Bean Soup Recipe

February 09, 2024By Rex Marketing & CX Team

Bowl of black bean soup with sour cream, jalapeño, cilantro, and chips, surrounded by illustrated spices and vinegar bottles

The Secret to Creamy, Dairy-Free Black Bean Soup

Name: Black Bean Soup
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4–6
Cuisine: American / Mexican-Inspired
Ingredients: 1/3 cup of AVW Extra Virgin Olive Oil, more to drizzle at serving; 2 whole bay leaves; 1 medium onion, minced; 2 garlic cloves, minced; 3 15-ounce cans of black beans. Reserve bean “water” from 1 can.; 1 cup of beef broth or stock; 1 teaspoon salt; 1 teaspoon ground cumin; 1 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper; 2 tablespoon Junmai Rice Wine Vinegar; 1 fresh jalapeno pepper, very thinly sliced; ¼ cup of 19.53 Apple Cider Vinegar; For Garnish: fresh cilantro, vinegared jalapeno slices, tortilla chips, Cotija cheese, sour cream, avocado, etc.

This Black Bean Soup Recipe achieves a luxurious, mousse-like texture without any dairy or heavy creams. The secret lies in blending the beans with their reserved cooking liquid and a touch of Junmai Rice Wine Vinegar. The acidity of the vinegar cuts through the earthy richness of the beans, while a garnish of quick-pickled jalapeños in 19.53 Apple Cider Vinegar adds a bright, spicy contrast. It is a healthy, bean-dense meal that is perfect for a customizable "toppings station" dinner.

Easy, flavorful, and incredibly healthy. This Black Bean Soup Recipe is a fantastic foundation that you can easily make your own. It feels rich and creamy on the palate, yet it remains completely plant-based.

The Power of Quality Ingredients

We use a blend of California Olive Oil, Junmai Rice Wine Vinegar, and 19.53 Apple Cider Vinegar to build layers of flavor. The rice wine vinegar is blended directly into the soup for brightness, while the apple cider vinegar is used to create a "quick-pickle" for fresh jalapeño toppings.

Preparation Strategy

Build the Base: Sauté onions and garlic in olive oil with bay leaves to create a fragrant aromatic foundation.
Texture Secret: Blend the soup aggressively using an immersion blender or high-speed blender. The starch in the bean water creates a velvety, "mousse-like" consistency.
The Toppings Station: Because black bean soup is a dark, dramatic canvas, colorful toppings make it pop. Set out cilantro, avocado, tortilla chips, and Cotija cheese for an interactive dining experience.

Step-by-Step Black Bean Soup Guide

Sauté Aromatics: Cook minced onions and garlic in olive oil until translucent. Remember to remove the bay leaves before blending.
Simmer to Concentrate: Cook the beans and beef broth for 10 to 15 minutes. This reduces the liquid and concentrates the smoky chipotle and cumin flavors.
The Quick-Pickle Hack: Thinly slice a fresh jalapeño and soak it in warmed apple cider vinegar while the soup simmers. This produces a topping that is simultaneously hot, sour, and sweet.
Finish with Acid: Add the rice wine vinegar just before blending to ensure the flavor stays sharp and fresh.

FAQs About Black Bean Soup

How do you make black bean soup creamy without dairy?

You can achieve a creamy texture by blending the beans with a small amount of their canning liquid (bean water). The natural starches emulsify with the olive oil during blending to create a velvety mouthfeel.

Can I turn this soup into a black bean dip?

Yes. Simply simmer the soup for a longer period to cook away more of the broth. Once it reaches a denser consistency, blend it as usual to create a flavorful dip for chips.

Why use vinegar in black bean soup?

Acid from vinegar decreases the need for excess salt. It brightens the earthy beans and balances the smokiness of the chipotle peppers.

Black Bean Soup

Cuisine

American / Mexican-Inspired

Author:

American Vinegar Works

Servings

4–6 People

Prep Time

20 minutes

Cook Time

20 minutes

This Black Bean Soup is a flavorful, bean-dense meal that achieves a velvety, mousse-like texture without the use of dairy or creams. It serves as a perfect canvas for a variety of colorful toppings, making it a fun and interactive dish for guests. The addition of Junmai Rice Wine Vinegar and a quick-pickled jalapeno garnish provides a bright, acidic contrast to the smoky, savory base.

Ingredients

1/3 cup of AVW Extra Virgin Olive Oil, more to drizzle at serving
2 whole bay leaves
1 medium onion, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 15-ounce cans of black beans. Reserve bean “water” from 1 can.
1 cup of beef broth or stock
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper
2 tablespoon Junmai Rice Wine Vinegar
1 fresh jalapeno pepper, very thinly sliced
¼ cup of 19.53 Apple Cider Vinegar
For Garnish: fresh cilantro, vinegared jalapeno slices, tortilla chips, Cotija cheese, sour cream, avocado, etc.

View Cart (0) Checkout

Directions

Add olive oil and bay leaves to medium pot over medium flame and let the oil heat but not smoke.
Add minced onions to pot and stir. Cook onions until translucent but before they brown.
Add minced garlic to pot and stir.
Remove the bay leaves. You will be blending the soup so you want to get these out. You can try to do it before blending as well but it is harder to track them down in the dark pot of beans.
Drain 2 of your 3 cans of beans.
Add all the beans, including the bean water in the reserved 3rd can to your pot and stir.
Add beef stock, salt, chipotle, and cumin. Stir. Note that the chipotle is adding more smoke and savory than heat at this quantity. You can add true heat to the soup after cooking, as a topping.
Cook on low about 10 or 15 minutes. You are looking to reduce the liquid and concentrate the flavor.
While the soup cooks, very thinly slice a fresh jalapeno and let it soak in a small bowl with the 19.53 ACV. I like to first microwave the vinegar for 10 or 15 second and then add the jalapenos. It allows the flavor to sink in faster. But it does cook the vinegar. If you prefer to leave it raw you just need a longer soaking period. Make this your first recipe step if you are not heating the vinegar. The reason we are using this vinegar in particular is that it has a slight sweetness which will produce quick pickled jalapeno slices that are a little hot, sour, and sweet with the slight crunch of the raw pepper.
Once the soup starts to thicken slightly (a cross between soup and stew) it is time to add the Rice Wine Vinegar and blend it. You can use an immersion blender or, ideally, a more powerful blender like a Vitamix.
Blend aggressively until completely smooth. You will find that the bean water and the thickened broth create a mousse like, velvety soup when very well blended. If you find it too dry after blending add a bit of stock and blend again. Don’t worry too much if it is a bit loose. It will continue to thicken on reheating and over time.
Plating: Black beans naturally produce a black-colored sauce which by itself is not very inspiring. BUT it is a fantastic (tasty) canvas to then add toppings to that make the black contrast pop. At a minimum you should add a few slices of the vinegared jalapenos, fresh cilantro, and a touch of sour cream or Cotija cheese on as toppings. Finish off with a light drizzle of our California Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

Recipe Note

Serving Option: This soup lends itself well to a more fun assembly station when you have guests or a nibbling station. Plate the soup in individual bowls but have a small station of addons that your guests can top the soup with. Topping ideas include: vinegared jalapenos, fresh cilantro, tortilla chips, sour cream, cotija cheese, avocado slices, minced onions, and minced tomatoes.

Note On Salt: We are adding a relatively small amount of salt to this recipe. This is because you are using ingredients that often have salt (e.g. canned beans, Cotija cheese, tortilla chips, etc) and also because acid from the two vinegars decreases the need for salt. I would recommend adjusting for salt at the bowl serving level after you have assembled your soup serving so as not to over salt.

Bean Dip Instead of Soup: This recipe is also a fantastic recipe for a black bean drip. Follow all the same basic steps but cook away more of the broth to create a denser dip at blending. Definitely top with the vinegared jalapenos at least.

Note on handling peppers: Be sure to wash your hands carefully after handling the jalapeno. You can also use a small piece of plastic wrap to hold down the pepper while you slice it so that you don’t get the oils on your fingers and just transfer them to the bowl with the edge of your knife.

Black Bean Soup Recipe

The Secret to Creamy, Dairy-Free Black Bean Soup

The Power of Quality Ingredients

Preparation Strategy

Step-by-Step Black Bean Soup Guide

FAQs About Black Bean Soup

Related products

Recent articles

Black Bean Soup

Category

Cuisine

Author:

Servings

Prep Time

Cook Time

Ingredients

Directions

Recipe Note

Cart

No more products available for purchase

Black Bean Soup Recipe

The Secret to Creamy, Dairy-Free Black Bean Soup

The Power of Quality Ingredients

Preparation Strategy

Step-by-Step Black Bean Soup Guide

FAQs About Black Bean Soup

Related products

Recent articles

Black Bean Soup

Category

Cuisine

Author:

Servings

Prep Time

Cook Time

Ingredients

Directions

Recipe Note

Search our catalog

No more products available for purchase