Back in college, a great local cafe stayed opened into the wee hours ladling up their version of this stuff. The first time I slurped some of it down after midnight, I decided to make black bean soup my own tradition. Mine is hearty and smoky, and if it’s lying around, I’ll also throw in a can of beer for good taste and in keeping with the spirit of a good night on the town. Like the onion soup, you’ll want to make this ahead of time so you’re not faced with the prep-work when you and your friends just want to kick back and chow down after a long night. Using smoked bacon makes all the difference in the world because those beans are just begging for that rich, smoky flavor.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 40 min |
| Prep: | 15 min |
| Cook: | 25 min |
| Yield: | 8 to 10 servings |
Ingredients
- 10 slices bacon, finely chopped
- 2 medium onions, chopped (about 2 1/2 cups)
- 6 garlic cloves, pressed
- 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 1 1/2 cups canned chopped tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 4 (15 1/2-ounce) cans black beans, drained but not rinsed
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 bunch cilantro
- juice of 1/2 lime
- Thinly sliced scallions, for garnish
- Sour cream, for garnish
- Grated cheddar, for garnish
Instructions
- Put the bacon into a large heavy pot and place it over medium heat. Cook until it starts to give up its fat, about 4 minutes. Stir in the onions and cook, stirring, until they start to turn translucent, about 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until you can smell it, about 1 minute. Add the broth, tomatoes, ketchup, Worcestershire, and chili powder. Stir in the beans, turn the heat to high and bring to a boil. Adjust the heat so the soup is bubbling gently and cook 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
- Meanwhile, pick off all the thick stems from the cilantro. Wash it and shake dry. Chop the cilantro coarsely and stir it into the soup when it has been simmering 10 minutes. cook until the soup is thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the lime juice. Serve with the garnishes.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 10 servings |
| Calories | 318 |
| Total Fat | 12 g |
| Saturated Fat | 4 g |
| Carbohydrates | 38 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 14 g |
| Sugar | 4 g |
| Protein | 16 g |
| Cholesterol | 19 mg |
| Sodium | 785 mg |
Reviews
Love this soup!! Have cooked it more than a dozen times over the past 5 or 6 years, and everyone loves it! Only change I make is to use the immersion blender on half the beans before addition, Bonne Appetit!
The results are no doubt delicious, but I have a bone to pick with this recipe. When made as written, I was left with flecks of bacon fat in the soup — most unappetizing. Next time I make it I will try crisping the bacon longer and maybe even trimming some of the fat off the raw bacon to reduce the fat content. I get that bacon fat is needed here, but seeing fat solids in the final soup is unappealing.
One of my new all-time favorites! So simple and so delicious and loved by guests who would never have tried a black bean soup.
This is an excellent soup! It gets rave reviews whenever I serve it. Quick question for anyone that’s added beer to it: what kind of beer did you use (dark, light??) and how much? Thanks!
DELICIOUS! Prefer that bacon be crispier, but still loved it. Fantastic flavors. Adding to my favorites.
Wow! Made this for the first time and served at a party. Rave reviews and requests for the recipe. Will have to make again very soon as I had not a spoonful leftover. Made recipe as written except for the addition of a little cumin.
Outstanding recipe! Used Wright bacon (8 thick slices) for a great smoked flavor & just a few seconds with an emersion blender.
SOOOOO DELICIOUS!! Made just as is, although I cooked my bacon a little longer to get some crisp on it. We all couldn’t stop saying how good it was! I can’t wait for leftovers!
Delicious! Added chicken breasts to it. Everyone loved it. Also, used dried beans instead of canned.
Followed recipe but added cooked pork tenderloin to it.