This vegetarian slow cooker black bean soup is super easy to make when you enlist the help of your crock pot! Vegan + Gluten-Free
Since I already told you a story on Monday, today we are jumping face-first into a recipe!
I took my weekly stash of crock pot black beans and, instead of squirreling them away in the freezer, made them into the most heavenly black bean soup of my life.
You should probably do the same.
Scratch that. You should ABSOLUTELY do the same. You’ll thank me later!
Slow Cooker Black Bean Soup
Feeling fancy? Zest a little bit of the peel of a fresh lime over a small bowl of greek yogurt or sour cream and whisk together for a refreshing addition atop your soup. It’s delicious!
special diets and swaps
Vegan? Skip the optional cheese on top and this soup is gloriously plant-based!
T-Rex chefs, feel free to use chicken broth if needed and you can always top this scrumptious soup with a dollop of sour cream and your favorite cheese. It’s delicious every which way!
Slow Cooker Black Bean Soup
Ingredients
- 6 cups black beans (cooked from dry or canned)
- 1-2 cups vegetable broth
- ½ cup tomatillo salsa verde
- ½ cup diced red onion
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 TBSP olive oil
- 2 TBSP fresh chopped cilantro (plus extra to taste)
- 1-2 TBSP fresh lime juice
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp chili powder
- ½ tsp cumin
- ¼ tsp smoked paprika
- ¼ tsp salt
- ⅛ tsp cayenne pepper
TOPPINGS:
- crumbled or shredded cheese (skip if vegan)
- crushed tortilla chips
- chopped green onion
- fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Save money by skipping the canned beans! Whip them up from scratch by cooking dry beans in the slow cooker the day before. Simply rinse and sort beans, add them to your crock pot, fill with enough water to cover two inches above the beans, and cook on high for about 3.5 hours — it costs less, spares you the sodium and BPA, and tastes great! I like to soak mine overnight before cooking them – feel free to follow suit!
- To make the soup, add everything but the toppings to your slow cooker and cover. Cook on high heat for 4 hours and steal a spoonful. To taste, add any extra salt, spices, or cilantro that floats your boat. If you prefer a brothier soup, add a little extra veggie broth and spices at any point in the cooking process. Once your ready to dig in, top with crushed tortilla chips, a sprinkle of cilantro, and some freshly grated or crumbled cheese. You can even add a fresh dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt. Yum!
- Store extra soup in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer! It tastes great the first day and even better the next!
Notes
Nutrition
so . . . how was it!?
Amazing! Black beans make the perfect base for a super satisfying soup! The smoked paprika, chili powder, and cumin gave a slightly smoky, hearty flavor to the beans without the use of meat while the salsa, lime juice, and cilantro added a fresh flavor boost!
Add a little crunch with the crushed tortilla chip topping and you’re ready to faceplant into a bowl full of Fall comfort! I’m also super partial to the leftovers. It’s great the first day and even better the next! You can ever freeze a bowl or two for rainy day comfort food! SCORE!
*UPDATE*
After making this soup on heavy rotation all Fall and Winter long, I can honestly say that I’m crazy in love with this easy peasy slow cooker black bean soup! Hope you love it too!
I found your recipe years ago and have been making it at least once a month ever since. It has become one of our favorite things to eat regardless of the season! Our toddler also loves it! We always add a little extra salsa, spices, and Greek yogurt. Just wanted to say thanks for sharing!!
Have you made this in the instapot?
Hi Julia! So far I’ve only done black beans and black bean dip but let me know if you get a chance to experiment and adapt it! xoxo
Hi! I’m making this today and I was curious why it has 3 tbsp of olive oil?
Hey Sarah, just got home and saw this! I like to add a bit of healthy fat to the soup (helps antioxidants absorb and all that jazz) but feel free to skip it if you prefer! 🙂
Thank you for the reply! I put in 1tbsp but got worried I would ruin the soup without all 3 (I just can’t process much fat right now so trying to cut it where I can!)
The glory of soups like this one, is that you can totally tweak things and still have a rockin’ soup! Whenever I lighten them up I’ll just add extra veggies, toppings, or seasoning and it’s good to go! 🙂
This was such a great, hearty soup. And reheats wonderfully. Recommend it with cornbread ?.
This soup looks super delicious.
Definitely trying this today??
Can’t wait to hear what you think!
Hi Jenn
I have this recipe saved for a while and I am now going to try it. It looks super delicious. I had some friends over last weekend and made your pumpkin muffins, they gorged on it??
Thanks Jenn??
Thank you Fazia!! So stoked you enjoyed the muffins and I can’t wait for you to try this soup – it’s the perfect weather for a piping hot bowl of black bean soup! 🙂 xoxo
This sounds tasty. Will definitely be making this week. Just wondering though, if I decide to be lazy and use organic canned beans, do I need to rinse them first?
So stoked you’re trying it! I usually rinse my canned beans out of habit but I’ve had a few friends say that they leave the liquid in because it helps thicken the soup! I think it should work great both ways! 🙂
Is it super spicy? Is there a way to cut down on the spice a bit?
Not at all, Genine 🙂 Omit the cayenne pepper (that’s the only heat I have in this dish) and choose a mild salsa verde and you’re good to go!
This soup is awesome and my picky husband loves it! Also, because you made it sound so easy, I have learned how to cook black beans from scratch. I’m going to check out what else you cook. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you Thank you! I’m so super stoked you tried the scratch beans – they’re just so easy and delicious and I want everyone to give it a go! Thrilled your family loved the soup and I can’t wait to hear what you try next! Have a great weekend, Sheila! 🙂
Can you cook the black beans in the soup?
Hi Nicole! If you’re referring to dried bagged black beans, I would cook them separate (I make a huge batch in the slow cooker via this method and portion them into freezer containers for later) as they’ll taste best that way and you can ensure the perfect texture! Canned black beans are already cooked so you’re good to go if you were using those instead. Hope that helps! xo Jenn
Cooking in the slow cooker now on this artic day!
Hooray!!! Hope you adored it Patty! <3
I’ve made this soup twice in the last week! I absolutely love it. I cooked the black beans on the stove top early in the afternoon with aromatics and then dumped everything in the crock pot for four hours. The smoked paprika added such a great taste. This may have to be on my weekly menu for quite some time as I don’t see us tiring of it anytime soon! Great recipe!
I’m so stoked you love it! It’s a favorite here as well and the best way to use up leftover toppings and mix-ins from taco night! <3 Thanks so much for taking the time to comment - it means the world to me! <3