This black bean soup for one comes together quickly and needs just one can of beans and a handful of fresh veggies. Cumin, chili powder and a squeeze of lime make things super cozy, and you can enjoy it for a single lunch or as two smaller portions alongside a sandwich or salad.
Oh how I love a good homemade black bean soup. And this version is so easy to make no matter the day of week. The key to this soup recipe is to make sure to finely chop the veggies so that they cook and soften quickly. That way, they'll blend right in alongside the beans while still providing some great texture. You can even chop those in advance and store in the fridge until you're ready to cook the soup if you'd like.
Follow along, I'll show you how easy it is to make.
🌿 Ingredients
You don't necessarily need all three vegetables outside of the onion. Carrot and celery make a great simple base, while red bell pepper adds a little sweetness.
And feel free to use chicken broth if you don't have any veggie broth on hand! Both are great. I prefer to use low-sodium broth, but if you use regular, just cut back on the added salt a bit.
See recipe card below for exact quantities.
📝 Instructions
🥧 Serving suggestions
I love topping this soup with sliced ripe avocado, a little sour cream and some fresh cilantro. Other great choices include shredded cheddar, green onions or tortilla strips. The toppings really make the soup, so don't be shy here. 😉
If you'd like to split this soup up into a couple of lunches, I can't recommend pairing it with this egg salad sandwich or this avocado chicken salad enough.
🍅 Use up the extras
Have some celery and red pepper left? Put them to work in this classic tuna melt for one for another cozy lunch. Extra red pepper is also delicious in this chopped Greek salad for one.
And if you're still in soup mode, use more of the carrots, onion and broth in my single-serve carrot ginger soup. A different bowl, with a lot of the prep already familiar!
🍳 Recipe
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Finely chop ¼ cup yellow onion, ¼ cup celery, ¼ cup carrot and ¼ cup red pepper, and mince 1 clove garlic; set aside. Halve the lime. Rinse and drain 1 15-ounce can black beans.
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat until shimmering, and add the onion, celery, carrots and red pepper and sauté for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened. Add the garlic, 1 teaspoon ground cumin and ½ teaspoon chili powder and cook for about 30 seconds, just until fragrant.
- Stir in the black beans, 1 cup low-sodium vegetable broth and ¼ teaspoon sea salt. Bring the soup to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 12 to 15 minutes, until the vegetables are tender and the flavors have come together.
- Using a ladle, scoop out half the soup into a blender and blend at low speed until smooth being mindful that the steam escaping through the top of the blender will be hot. Add the blended soup back in to the pot. Or, use an immersion blender or potato masher to thicken the soup a little. The goal is for the soup to be about half smooth, half chunky. If you prefer all-chunky soup, simply omit this step.
- Stir in 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice and season with salt and pepper to taste. If you'd like a thinner soup, add a little extra broth or water.
- Transfer to a bowl, add your favorite toppings and serve.
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