Ingredients
Soup Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium white onion, diced
- 1 large carrot, diced
- 1 small red bell pepper, diced
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon chipotle powder
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 4 (15-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 (15-ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- 1 lime
Toppings
- Chopped cilantro
- Crumbled cotija cheese or shredded cheddar cheese
- Diced avocado
- Diced red onion
Instructions
- Sauté: Heat the olive oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the diced onion, carrot, and red bell pepper and sauté for about 6 minutes, stirring occasionally until softened. Add the minced garlic, ground cumin, chili powder, and chipotle powder, then continue to sauté while stirring frequently for another 2 minutes to release the spices’ aromas.
- Simmer: Pour in the vegetable broth and add the rinsed and drained black beans. Stir the mixture well to combine all ingredients evenly.
- Blend: Transfer the fire-roasted diced tomatoes along with one heaping cup of the black bean soup broth to a blender. Purée until smooth, then return the blended mixture to the pot. Add about 1 tablespoon of fresh lime juice and stir to integrate. For a smoother texture, optionally blend an additional 1 to 2 cups of the soup and mix it back in. Allow the soup to simmer gently for 5 minutes to meld the flavors, or skip this step if pressed for time.
- Season: Taste the soup and adjust seasoning as desired with additional lime juice, salt, and pepper to enhance the flavors.
- Serve: Ladle the warm soup into bowls and top generously with your favorite toppings such as chopped cilantro, crumbled cotija or shredded cheddar cheese, diced avocado, and diced red onion. Enjoy immediately.
Notes
- You can adjust the thickness of the soup by blending more or less of it, depending on your texture preference.
- Use fresh lime juice for the best bright flavor; regular lemon juice changes the flavor profile.
- Feel free to substitute vegetable broth with chicken broth if not vegetarian.
- Leftovers keep well refrigerated for up to 4 days and can be frozen for longer storage.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mexican
- Diet: Vegetarian
