Creamy, smokey, black bean goodness in a bowl! This quick and easy Vegan Chipotle Black Bean Soup is amazing! In no time you can have a filling, affordable, healthy meal ready to eat.
Black bean soup has got to be a staple in the vegan diet and as it should be! It's simple to make, full of protein, and can be eaten for lunch or dinner. And this chipotle black bean soup is sure to become one of your favorites! It's so yummy you will not believe it only took 30 minutes to make.
The recipe was inspired by my Chipotle Puree, which is one of my all time favorite secret ingredients! It adds an addictively good smokey kick that takes this soup to the next level adding delicious depth to the flavor in every bite.
So you will need to puree a few canned chipotle peppers to make this soup, but I promise it's totally worth it and super easy. Plus there is the added bonus of possibly having enough leftover chipotle puree to make my Vegan Nacho Cheese!
Jump to:
What Are Chipotle Peppers?
Basically, chipotle peppers are jalapenos that have been smoked and dried when ripe. A method that goes all the way back to Mesoamerica even prior to the Aztecs. So as you may have guessed, chipotle peppers are most often used for seasoning Mexican inspired dishes. And you will find them sold as dried peppers in a package or in a can stewed in adobo sauce.
Ingredients Needed
This easy vegan black bean soup only requires a few simple ingredients that you can find at your local market. But you will need to make some chipotle puree if you don't already have some on hand. But don't worry it's simple to do and takes no time at all! Yet, if you can't, you can still make this recipe using a substitution instead. But hands down the puree is amazing and produces the best results!
Here is what you will need:
- 3 Cans Black Beans
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 Medium Onion
- 2 Garlic Cloves
- 1 teaspoon Cumin
- 2 Cups Vegetable Stock
- 1 tablespoon Tomato Paste
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 1 Ear of Corn
- 2 tablespoon Chipotle Puree
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 2 tablespoon Lime Juice
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
How to Make Vegan Chipotle Black Bean Soup
To begin, if you don't have any chipotle puree on hand you'll need to blend some together really quick. There is a link to the recipe below and it will only take about 3 minutes! Or use one of the suggested substitutions for the chipotle.
Then to start the soup, add the oil to a deep pot and cook the onions and garlic on medium high heat for about 3 minutes until the onions are translucent. Next, add the cumin and cook for another minute stirring to coat the onions.
Then add the undrained canned black beans, vegetable stock, tomato paste, and bay leaf to the pot and bring to a boil. Then turn down the heat to a simmer and cook uncovered for 15 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.
Once the soup has cooked for a bit, use a blender, immersion blender, or food processor to blend the mixture together. You will probably need to do this in batches. It is important not to overfill your blender or food processor when working with hot liquids. You may even want to allow the mixture to cool for a minute, so you don't risk burning yourself.
The final blended bean mixture should be creamy, but you can leave it a little bit chunky if you like. It's totally your choice based on your own personal preference.
Now, add the blended bean mixture back into the pot and add the chipotle puree and corn. Then reheat the soup for about 5 minutes to develop even more flavor.
Next, stir in the lime juice and olive oil. If the soup is too thick at this point add more stock and if the soup is too thin allow it to cook a little longer to thicken up. Then to finish, taste the soup for salt and season to your liking.
And that's it! Vegan black bean soup with chipotle ready to eat! I like to serve mine topped with my homemade Pico De Gallo and vegan sour cream!
Substitution for Chipotle Puree
So do you really have to make the chipotle puree? The truth is no you don't, but it does produce the best results and adds the most refined flavor to the soup. However, if you don't have time, you can just add one canned chipotle pepper in place of the puree when you blend the soup. But be warned if you leave the seeds in the pepper it will be hot! Super hot! You can also use ½ teaspoon of ground chipotle pepper and add it in with the cumin.
Equipment Needed
To make this recipe you will need a blender, food processor, or immersion blender. I typically like to use a blender when making soup, but any of the three will work. The one plus of using an immersion blender is that it eliminates a little bit of clean up. Yet, I find that using a blender will give you the creamiest texture; whereas, the food processor or immersion blender tend to leave a few chunks.
How to Store Soup
One of the best things about soup is how well it stores. This yummy vegan chipotle black bean soup will keep in the fridge for up to one week or in the freezer for several months when stored in an airtight container. If you choose to freeze the soup, it is best to let it thaw out before reheating.
What to Serve with Vegan Chipotle Black Bean Soup
You can serve your soup like I do topped with some pico de gallo and vegan sour cream along with a side of tortilla chips. Or maybe you'd prefer to top yours with some vegan cheese, avocado, and add a side of cornbread. It's so easy to customize this delicious black bean soup into a meal.
More Vegan Soup and Stew Recipes
Soups and stews are some of the healthiest filling meals that are most often very affordable and super easy to make! And the leftovers the next day are even better. These are a few of my best recipes.
- Vegan Carrot Ginger Soup Made with Coconut Milk
- Spanish Inspired Lentil Stew with Soyrizo
- Vegan Creamy Broccoli Cheese Soup
- Easy Vegan Red Lentil Dal
- Louisiana Style Vegan Gumbo
Vegan Chipotle Black Bean Soup
Ingredients
- 3 cans black beans (do not drain)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion, small dice (1½ cups)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 2 cups vegetable stock
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 ear corn, corn cut off (1½ cup frozen or canned corn)
- 2-3 tablespoon chipotle puree or substitution in notes (recipe here)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Garnish- optional
- Pico de Gallo (recipe here)
- Vegan Sour Cream
Instructions
- Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to a deep pot. Turn the heat on to medium high and add the onions and garlic with a sprinkle of salt. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the onions are translucent.
- Add the cumin to the onion mixture and saute one more minute stiring to coat the onions with the cumin.
- Next, add the canned beans (do not drain), vegetable stock, tomato paste, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Then turn down the heat and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes.
- Now, you will blend the mixture, but do not drain the liquid. For this step you can use an immersion blender, food processor, or regular blender. Be careful not to overfill your blender or food processor. You do not want to make a mess or burn yourself when working with hot liquids. In fact, you may want to let the bean mixture cool for a minute and do it in batches. The beans should be blended until creamy, but you can also leave in a few chunks if you prefer. It’s completely up to you.
- Then put the blended bean mixture back into the pot. Add the chipotle puree and corn. Then rewarm the soup for about 5 minutes.
- Add the lime juice and olive oil.
- If the soup is too thick add more vegetable stock. If the soup is still too thin let it cook a few more minutes to reduce.
- Taste for salt and add as needed. I added an additional 1 teaspoon of fine kosher salt, but you may find you need less. How much you add will also depend on how much salt was in your stock and canned beans. Start with about ½ teaspoon of salt and go from there.
- To serve, top with the pico de gallo and vegan sour cream. Enjoy!
Leave a Reply