This is the best homemade, from scratch recipe out there! It is even better than anything you’ll have at a restaurant!
Let’s face it, a lot of black bean soup is bland, lackluster, and even mysterious in color. But not this Black Bean Soup recipe from my friends at America’s Test Kitchen! It has bold, robust flavors and deep, dark colors (no purples or greys).
I highly recommend this Black Bean Soup recipe. It takes a while, but making it from scratch is SO worth it. It even tastes better than any restaurant’s black bean soup!
Cook’s Note:
- You can find ham steaks with other meat like bacon.
- This recipe calls for a small part of canned chipotle sauce. Here’s what to do with the rest of the can!
- When cooking the beans, the ham steak will darken to the color of the beans. This is normal, so don’t freak out!
- The baking soda added to the beans helps keep their black color without them turning purple or grey.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the refrigerator.
- This Black Bean Soup would be amazing with my Sour Cream Cornbread recipe!
Restaurant-Style Black Bean Soup Recipe
This is the best homemade, from scratch recipe out there! It is even better than anything you'll have at a restaurant!
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Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 447kcal
Ingredients
For the Beans:
- 1 pound dried black beans rinsed and picked over
- 4 ounces ham steak rind trimmed
- 2 bay leaves
- 5 cups water
- ⅛ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon table salt
For the Soup:
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 large onions minced (about 3 cups)
- 1 large carrot minced (about 1/2 cup)
- 3 ribs celery chopped fine (about 1 cup)
- ½ teaspoon table salt
- 5 - 6 medium garlic cloves minced
- 1 ½ tablespoons ground cumin
- 2 tablespoons chipotle sauce
- 6 cups low-sodium chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoon water
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
Garnishes:
- Lime wedges
- Minced fresh cilantro leaves
- Red onion finely diced
- Avocado diced
- Sour cream
Instructions
For the Beans:
- In a large saucepan over medium-high heat add the beans, ham, bay leaves, water, and baking soda. Bring to a boil. Stir in salt, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer briskly until beans are tender, 75 to 90 minutes (if necessary, add another 1 cup water and continue to simmer until beans are tender); do not drain beans. Remove and discard bay leaves. Remove ham steak, cut into 1/4-inch cubes, and set aside.
For the Soup:
- Over medium-high heat, add oil to a large heavy-bottomed pot until shimmering but not smoking. Add onions, carrot, celery, and salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are soft and lightly browned, 8-10 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low and add garlic and cumin; constantly stir until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Stir in cooked beans, bean cooking liquid, chipotle sauce, and chicken stock. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, to blend flavors, about 30 minutes.
To Finish:
- Ladle 3 ½ cups of soup into food processor or blender, process until smooth, and return to pot. Stir together cornstarch and water in small bowl until combined. Gradually stir in cornstarch mixture into soup; bring to boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, to fully thicken. Off heat, stir in lime juice and reserved ham. Top with garnishes and serve immediately.
Notes
Slightly adapted from America's Test Kitchen
Nutrition
Calories: 447kcal | Carbohydrates: 65g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 9mg | Sodium: 949mg | Potassium: 1546mg | Fiber: 15g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 2046IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 148mg | Iron: 6mg
Tried this recipe?Follow me @FoodFolksandFun
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peter @feedyoursoultoo says
Love your soups. Great title because your black bean soup does look restaurant quality.
KC the Kitchen Chopper says
I know what you mean about that can of chipotle. I opened one and only used less than a tablespoon at a time. Every thing Chipotle for quite a while! Thanks for those tips! 🙂
Jillian says
Thanks for stopping by! 🙂
taranoland says
OMG, that looks great, I love black beans!
dcclark13 says
Love black beans and agree, made from scratch offers so much more flavor!
debi says
This looks super yummy. All warm and comforting! I adore soups, and Mexican flavors are my favorites. Thanks for sharing your recipe!
Kris ~ Big Rigs 'n Lil' Cookies says
This sounds like the perfect bowl of soup, and I especially love your tips! Baking soda to help the beans keep their color? Thanks for sharing!
Jillian says
Thanks for stopping by! 🙂
Baking soda also helps broccoli retain it’s color, too!
Michelle De La Cerda says
Oh black bean soup, it’s been too long since I have made your acquaintance. I am needing to make this asap.
Culinary Flavors says
There is no better season than this one to consume tons of soup. This is definitely one I would devour!
Ashley (QLCC) says
This soup looks incredible and I LOVE your pictures (and those jars, adorable!) well done 🙂
Jillian says
Thanks Ashley! I love the jars, too. I got them a while back from Anthro.
Shauna Smart says
I love this idea! I’m a huge fan of beans so I am sure I will love this soup.
Healing Tomato says
I just had black been soup at a local Mexican Restaurant the other day. Now, I will just make it at home. This recipe is so simple and delicious.
Luci says
This black bean soup is delicious! So much better than any restaurant one I’ve had. I paired the soup with some cornbread and it was amazing! I will definitely be making it again!
Angela says
Great soup recipe! The chipotle really gives it a good flavor.
Beth says
I have had a bag of black beans in the pantry for eons. This was the perfect recipe to use them for! It’s flavorful and so comforting on a cold day. Thanks for a delicious soup!
Alison says
I love a good black bean soup when done right! This one is full of flavor and has a great texture!
Katie says
Looks so delicious! Can’t wait to try this one!