This easy black bean soup is made with mostly pantry ingredients and is ready to eat in less than an hour! It’s a small-batch soup recipe that can easily be doubled if you want more. It’s hearty and cozy – the best black bean soup when you need a warm-up.

a bowl of black bean soup topped with garnishes.

I’m never without a can or two of black beans in the pantry because, in a pinch, there are a bunch of easy dishes you can make with them. One is this easy black bean soup. It’s a small-batch soup recipe made with mostly pantry ingredients and is ready in less than an hour – I never get tired of it.

It’s a great recipe if you’re craving a hearty soup but don’t want a bunch of leftovers. It makes two generous cups, but you can easily double it if you like leftovers or want to serve more people.

Ingredients

Canned black beans: I like to use low-sodium canned beans and add additional salt to the soup. If you use regular beans, you might want to omit the salt and add some to taste before you serve it.
Chicken broth: I use low-sodium broth, too. Check the label, and if you use regular broth, add salt to taste. You can also use vegetable broth to make the soup meat-free.
Taco seasoning: Using taco mix means you don’t have to measure out a lot of different spices for the soup. I also like to add some dried oregano and black pepper.
Onion and garlic
Olive oil
Salt
Garnished: Fresh lime juice, cilantro, green onion, and feta cheese

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How to Make Easy Black Bean Soup

☑️ Saute

Cook the onion and garlic in oil over medium heat. Once they’re soft, add the seasoning and stir to combine.

☑️ Simmer

Add the broth and and beans. Simmer the soup for 15 minutes.

Mash some of the beans in the soup. I like to use a potato masher and lightly press on some of the beans to break them apart. Don’t mash all of them – just mash a couple of times so some of the beans release their starch. This will thicken the soup.

Simmer the soup for another 15 minutes.

☑️ Garnish

Stir the lime juice into the soup. Top each bowl of soup with chopped cilantro, sliced green onion, and crumbled feta cheese.

Recipe Variations

I like to use pantry ingredients for this recipe, but if you have some bacon, you can substitute two slices for the olive oil. Slice the bacon into small pieces and cook it in the pan until it’s rendered its fat. At that point, continue with the recipe. The bacon will give your soup a smoky, rich flavor.

If you want some spice, add hot sauce, cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, or spicy taco seasoning. Add a chopped chipotle pepper in adobo sauce for a smoky, spicy taste. Diced jalapeno would be great, too. Add it when you cook the onions.

Add other garnishes, like diced avocado, crushed tortilla chips, or crispy strips. A spoonful of sour cream would also be good.