Confession: I cook some variation of Mexican-American food at least once per week…sometimes twice per week. Last week I made a fresh batch of homemade black beans, so we ate them early in the week. Like always, I make enough to freeze the extras; this week I also reserved the juice, which was the perfect “broth” for this black bean soup!
P.S. Find my recipe for Homemade Black Beans in the crockpot here.
Black bean soup sounds boring, but it’s packed with veggies and flavor. It begins with the crockpot of black beans. The water turns into a thick black liquid that is loaded with flavors. That becomes the base broth for the soup, while the beans are the ingredient with the most protein.
In a large pot, saute diced onions and garlic in olive oil. Combine this sizzling aroma with the crockpot of black beans and your kitchen will smell wonderful! Next, toss in the garlic, bell peppers, frozen corn, undrained can of diced tomatoes, and your homemade black beans and their broth. Before you give everything a good stir, add cornstarch or arrowroot powder to keep it nice and thick.
Allow the mixture to simmer for 15-20 minutes, until the corn has thawed and the bell peppers are softened. If you spoon the black beans and their broth directly from your crockpot into this pot, it may be closer to 10 minutes.
If you’re hoping for a meatless meal that will both taste good and satisfy hungry tummies, this is an excellent menu addition! Need a dinner that takes less than 20 minutes to prepare? Try this black bean soup! Want a new variety of Mexican-American dishes to add to your recipe rotation? This one won’t disappoint!
Black Bean Soup
A fast yet fresh weeknight dinner. Serve this yummy “soup” over rice or scoop it up with chips.
Ingredients
- 1 onion, diced
- 3 cloves of garlic, diced
- 2 bell peppers, diced
- 1 cup of frozen corn
- 1 can of diced tomatoes, and juice
- 2 cups of homemade black beans, and black bean broth
- 2 Tbsp of cornstarch or arrowroot powder, dissolved in 4 Tbsp of water
- To serve: sour cream, shredded cheese, avocado, salsa, fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Saute the diced onion in olive oil over medium high heat in the bottom of the pot.
- Add in garlic, bell peppers, corn, canned tomatoes, taco seasoning, and black beans (with the black bean broth).
- Stir in the cornstarch/arrowroot mixture and simmer for 15-20 minutes, until the corn is thawed and the bell peppers are softened.
- Serve with a dollop of sour cream, shredded cheese, avocado, salsa, or fresh cilantro. Tastes great over a bed of rice or scooped up with chips.
