It is almost fall. I got so excited this week when temperatures starting hitting 80’s instead of the triple digits we have had all summer. Thank goodness for jean and sweater weather and I can feel it coming!
I wanted to share this super simple recipe (or souper simple- budda bump ump).. that is so fast and filling and healthy. Win, win.
It comes together in one pot and I often make a batch of this soup and eat it all week for lunch. I can take this to go on busy nights too- in fact I will be warming up some leftovers tonight to take to marathon soccer practices.
This has some sneaky veggies hidden in there and black beans, which are packed with fiber and protein and are so good for you. This soup makes me feel so full, I often find myself eating a lot less than I might normally because the beans are so filling.
I love eating this soup with a handful of tortilla chips – if you are a chips and queso type person (two hands up here) give this recipe a shot as you might find it as satisfying with a fraction of the calories.
Ready to make your soup?
- 2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- ½ cup chopped pepper (red, green, yellow)
- ½ cup chopped onion (white, yellow or red)- about 1 small onion
- ½ cup chopped carrot
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 2 cans black beans- 14.5oz (drained and rinsed)
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 1 jalapeno pepper seeded and diced
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 bay leaf
- salt and pepper to taste
- Add olive oil to a Dutch Oven over low heat and mix in carrots, peppers, onions, garlic, jalapeno, oregano and cumin and stir well. Allow to saute gently over medium-low heat until onions are transparent and veggies are soft... about 10 minutes.
- Add in beans, broth, bay leaf and allow to simmer gently over low heat for about 30 minutes.
- Remove bay leaf and add salt and pepper to taste.
- Place about ½ of the mixture into a blender and puree.
- Pour puree back into the soup and serve topped with cheese, avocado, tortilla strips, cilantro, sour cream etc...
A few notes on this recipe. The red peppers and carrots can make this just the slightest bit sweet so you can substitute green pepper for a bit more of a kick and add more jalapeno if you like.
I watch the soup carefully on the stove as you do not want all that broth to evaporate or the soup gets too thick and it is more of a bean dip. Just add another cup of broth or reduce your heat if this is an issue.
I love Mexican Queso on top for the saltiness but Monterey Jack or Cheddar or sour cream are also wonderful.
You can also add in a can of diced tomatoes if you like to this recipe- I prefer not to as the red pepper, carrots and tomatoes can make this slightly sweet.
If you are not a vegetarian, feel free to add some bacon to this recipe as well. It adds a nice smoky flavor.
One last note- if you like a super chunky soup, no need to puree half of it. If you like a creamy soup- go ahead and puree the entire batch. I like a cross of chunky and smooth so pureeing half the soup and mixing it together works perfectly for me.
If you decide to make this soup, please come back and let me know what you think!
Here are a few other soup recipes I love:
Creamy Cauliflower Soup without the cream
Nordstrom’s Creamy Tomato Soup
Hi Charlene!
This looks yummy! Soooo thankful for cooler weather here so we can start having soup!
I have a very sensitive stomach so I don’t do jalopenos. What should I substitute to give it a little flavoring but not make it spicy?
This looks great. I’ll give it a try!
Lisa- we aren’t jalapeno fans either so I omit them. The oregano, veggies and cumin are enough seasoning for me. The cheese adds a lot of flavor too. 🙂
Thanks Charlene!