Whenever I think of black bean soup it brings me back to my college years when I would meet-up with my girlfriends to study at the local Panera. We spent one too many delirious hours there trying our best to memorize hundreds of different diseases along with the corresponding signs and symptoms.
When it came to food I usually settled for a tea (no coffee!) and something from the bakery. Really, who can resist that gigantic display of carbs? Especially the cinnamon French toast bagel. Ugh, forget about it.
Occasionally when I wanted something with a little more substance, I would order their black bean soup. Nutritionally, I thought it was the best of their vegetarian options and I could usually count on it tasting pretty good too. Now I do my best to avoid that tempting bakery but the craving for black bean soup still strikes me on a regular basis so instead I just make my own at home.
I really love one of the older recipe’s on my blog, this Best-Ever Black Bean Soup, but I decided I wanted something a little easier to make.
Something that I could just throw in the Crockpot to come home to at the end of a long chilly day.
Diced jalapenos, crushed tomatoes and a blend of spices including chipotle chili powder (one of my favorites) give it a delicious, slightly smoky tomato flavor.
Overall I would describe it as mildly spicy but you can use more or less or depending on your preferences.
Similar to the Best-Ever Black Bean soup recipe, I removed a few cups at the end of the cooking process and blended them using an immersion blender to give it a thick creamy texture. If you prefer it thinner you can always add more broth or blend less of it at the end.
Feel free to adjust to however you like it just don’t skimp on topping it with avocado, k?
That’s a must in my book.
Yield: 4 bowls or 6 cups
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 8 hours
Total Time: 8 hours 10 minutes
Place all ingredients into the slow cooker, stir together, and cook on high for 8 hours. Remove bay leaves at end of cooking.
Scoop out several cups of the soup into a bowl or large measuring cup and blend with an immersion blender until pureed. Alternatively, you can blend it in a regular blender but be sure to allow it to cool beforehand. Once it’s pureed, add it back to the slow cooker and stir together.
Serve warm in separate bowls and top with avocado, cilantro, and green onions.
*Substitute 2 cans black beans, drained (if desired) but you’ll need to reduce the vegetable broth to 3 cups.
**This gives the soup a smoky spice that we love but it might be too spicy for some. You can try starting out with just one teaspoon to see how you like it. You could also use 2 tablespoon adobo sauce (from a can of chilis in adobo sauce) if you can’t find the powder.
Did you try this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out by leaving a comment below or sharing a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #makingthymeforhealth. I love hearing your feedback!