This slow cooker black bean soup recipe is smoky, spicy, hearty, healthy, and absolutely delicious, and takes only 5 minutes of prep! Vegan/vegetarian optional.
crumbled cotija cheese, sliced avocado, sour cream, chopped red or green onions, hot sauce, or other fixings for serving (optional)
Instructions
Stir together all ingredients except for cilantro and lime juice together in a large slow cooker.
Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours.
Use a potato masher to mash the beans in the soup to thicken to desired consistency. Alternatively, you can do a few pulses with an immersion blender.
Stir in fresh cilantro and lime juice.
Serve with optional fixings.
Notes
To soak the beans: cover the dry black beans with 4 quarts of water and 3 tablespoons of salt in a container and allow to soak for at least 12 hours or up to 48 hours in your fridge. Drain in a colander and rinse off with water before adding to the crockpot.
To make this vegan/vegetarian, use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth and omit the bacon. Add more smoked paprika for more smoky flavor.
Freeze the leftovers in an airtight container for up to 6 months. Refrigerate for about 5 days.
To make this in your instant pot, combine all ingredients except for lime juice and cilantro and cook on manual, high pressure for 15 minutes. Allow to naturally release pressure for at least 10 minutes. Stir in cilantro and lime juice and mash until desired consistency is reached.
To make this on the stovetop, cook the bacon in a large pot. Remove and set aside. Sauté the onions, celery, and carrots in the bacon fat until softened and starting to brown. Add the remaining ingredients, including the cooked bacon, bring to a boil, cover, and simmer for 2 hours, or until beans are cooked. Stir in cilantro and lime juice and mash until desired consistency is reached.
1-2 cups of frozen corn can be added in with the lime juice and cilantro at the end.
The provided nutrition information does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. Feel free to calculate it yourself using this calculator or by adding the recipe to Yummly.