Black bean soup

Name: Black bean soup
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 1/4 small red onion, thinly sliced; 2 tbsp lime juice, divided; 2 tsp olive oil; 1 large onion, chopped; 1 red bell pepper, chopped; 1 large carrot, chopped; 2 stalks celery, chopped; 5 cloves garlic, minced; 1 tbsp ground cumin; 2 tsp paprika, smoked; 1 tsp dried oregano; 1 pepper plus 1 tsp sauce chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, minced; 3 cans (15 oz each) black beans, drained and rinsed; 3/4 cup canned crushed tomatoes; 3 3/4 cups vegetable broth; 1 tsp salt; 3/4 cup + 2 tbsp nonfat Greek yogurt; 1/2 small avocado, diced; a handful fresh cilantro, chopped; 2 green onions, sliced

50 min · 21 g protein · 390 cals / serving

A thick, smoky black bean soup with toasted cumin and chipotle, half blended until velvety and half left whole. Each bowl gets a cool swirl of lime yogurt, quick-pickled red onion, cilantro and a few cubes of avocado, so every spoonful is creamy, tangy and a little spicy.

Black bean soup

50 min · 21 g protein · 390 cals / serving

Servings4

Ingredients

Pickled onion

1/4 small red onion, thinly sliced
2 tbsp lime juice, divided

2 tsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp ground cumin
2 tsp paprika, smoked
1 tsp dried oregano
1 pepper plus 1 tsp sauce chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, minced
3 cans (15 oz each) black beans, drained and rinsed
3/4 cup canned crushed tomatoes
3 3/4 cups vegetable broth
1 tsp salt

To serve

3/4 cup + 2 tbsp nonfat Greek yogurt
1/2 small avocado, diced
a handful fresh cilantro, chopped
2 green onions, sliced

Steps

Toss the red onion with 1 tablespoon of the lime juice and a pinch of the salt and set aside to turn pink while you cook.
Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Cook the onion, pepper, carrot and celery for 8–10 minutes, stirring now and then, until soft and starting to brown.
Add the garlic, cumin, paprika, oregano and chipotle and stir for 1 minute, until fragrant.
Add the beans, tomatoes, broth and the rest of the salt. Bring to a boil, then simmer, partly covered, for 20 minutes.
Blend about half the soup with a stick blender right in the pot (or in a blender, then return it), so it turns thick and creamy with plenty of whole beans left. Taste for salt and simmer a few minutes more if you want it thicker.
Stir the remaining lime juice into the yogurt. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with a swirl of lime yogurt, the pickled onion, avocado, cilantro and green onion.

Good to know

How spicy is it?

One chipotle gives a gentle, smoky warmth. Use two for real heat, or leave it out and add an extra teaspoon of smoked paprika for the smokiness alone.

Can I use dried beans?

Yes: soak 1 1/2 cups of dried black beans overnight and simmer them for about an hour until tender before you start. Add an extra cup of broth, since home-cooked beans soak up more.

Does it freeze?

Very well, for up to three months. Freeze it without the toppings and add them fresh.

Per

Calories: 62
Protein: (24%); 3 g
Fat: (21%); 1 g
Carbohydrates: (56%); 10 g
of which sugar: 2 g
Fiber: 3 g
Sodium: 277 mg

More meals

Computed from the ingredients with our published formula, not yet kitchen-tested. How

As written, 1559 kcal goes into the pot and 2777 g of ingredients comes out as about 2500 g of food: 62 kcal per 100 g. Cooking moves water and energy density is the score's biggest lever, so the dish is scored as cooked, not as an average of its parts. Every ingredient links to its food page, with the same data and score. The label's percentages are each macronutrient's share of the calories. The full formula.

Black bean soup

Black bean soup