This Black Bean and Roasted Red Pepper soup by The Messy Baker is very flexible. You can spice it up. You can make it mild. You can make it on the stove top, in a slow cooker, or an InstantPot. You can use dried, tinned or even frozen black beans. And once it’s in your bowl, you can enjoy it plain or piled high with garnishes.
How you make it is up to you. Just make it.
PrintBlack Bean and Roasted Red Pepper Soup
- Yield: Serves 8
- Category: Soup
Ingredients
Soup:
- 1 tbsp oil
- 2 onions, roughly chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 1 tbsp dried cumin
- 1 tsp dried coriander
- 1/4 tsp dried chili flakes OR 1/2 teaspoon chipotle powder
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 1 398 mL can black beans, rinsed and drained (about 1 ½ cups cooked or 1 cup dried beans)
- 1 300 mL jar roasted red peppers (about 4 small)
- 1 28 oz (796 mL) can diced tomatoes
Garnish:
- 3/4 cup roughly chopped cilantro, divided
- 1 398 ml can black beans, rinsed and drained (1 ½ cups cooked)
- 1 cup sour cream (optional)
- lime wedges
- tortilla strips (optional)
Instructions
Heat the oil in a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and sauté 5 minutes or until the onion becomes soft. Add garlic and sauté 1 minute.
Add the cumin, coriander, chili flakes (or chipotle), and salt. Stir and cook for a minute until fragrant. Add the stock, beans, roasted peppers, and tomatoes. The next step depends on the type of beans you’re using and your chosen cooking method.
STOVETOP: Bring the soup to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook, stirring occasionally for 30 minutes if using tinned beans. If using dried beans, cook for 2 hours, or until the beans are tender.
INSTANT POT: Set to “Soup” and pressure cook for 10 minutes if using tinned beans, 30 minutes if using dried beans.
Regardless of cooking method, use an immersion blender to purée the soup right in the pot. Add 1/2 cup cilantro leaves and blend to chop them into the soup. (If using a regular blender, purée the soup in batches and return to pot when done.) Stir in the second tin of whole beans for a mixed texture, and heat through.
Season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls and serve with a swirl of sour cream. Sprinkle with reserved cilantro, a wedge of lime and some tortilla strips.
Keywords: Black Bean and Roasted Red Pepper Soup, Black Bean Soup, Roasted Red Pepper Soup