Spicy Black Bean Soup with Green Chiles

Black Bean and Green Chile Soup is hearty enough to be a vegetarian entree, but also easy enough to make as an appetizer.

angled shot of spoon in bowl of black bean soup


 

I love soup season, but it is rare that I find a soup that has enough body to fill me up as an entree. Let alone a vegetarian soup. Black Bean Green Chile Soup was my answer to this issue.

Top it off with queso fresco, avocado, Maldon salt and fresh lime juice. And cilantro… if you are into cilantro. I see you, cilantro hater turning up your nose.

I top mine with a pile of fresh veggies, cilantro, a spritz of lime and Maldon sea salt.

Why Our Black Bean Soup is the Best

A flavorful soup that’s full of protein but also vegetarian friendly- what’s not to love!

  • Hatch green chiles – This is one of my favorite ingredients. During the season I roast, peel and freeze pounds so I can enjoy them all year round. They add awesome flavor to this soup.
  • Vegetarian – Instead of a meaty protein, I used black beans and created a spicy tomato based broth spiked with Hatch green chiles.
  • Easy to make your own – You can easily add shredded chicken, rice or your own seasoning blend to make this soup your own.
overhead shot of ladle full of black bean soup

Ingredients

You can easily find all of these ingredients at your local grocery store. Some might be down the international aisle.

  • Vegetable oil – You can use any neutral oil. This is for sautéing the onions and other veggies.
  • White onion – Alternatively, you can use a sweet yellow onion. Chop them up as fine as you would like.
  • Garlic cloves – I always prefer to use fresh garlic. The jarred stuff doesn’t add as much of a flavor punch as fresh minced garlic.
  • Chipotle peppers in adobe sauce – You can find this in a can. Only use one chipotle chile if you prefer a mild soup.
  • Tomatoes – For the sake of ease and simplicity, I used canned diced tomatoes. You can certainly chop up your own fresh tomato too.
  • Chicken broth– I like to use lower sodium and then add my own salt. Use vegetable broth if you want to keep it vegan.
  • Fine sea salt – Make sure to taste test before adding additional salt. No one likes a salty soup!
  • Hatch green chile – Make sure these are drained and finely chopped. If you are using fresh Hatch chile, use two whole roasted and peeled chiles, finely chopped. 
  • Black beans – I prefer to use canned so that they are already soft and we don’t need to spend time soaking.

Topping Ideas

You can really top with soup with anything that satisfies your tastes. Here are a few of our favorites.

  • Queso fresco
  • Avocado
  • Fresh cilantro
  • Jalapeno
  • Maldon sea salt
overhead shot of black bean soup ingredients

How to Make Black Bean Soup

You are going to love how easy it is to make this delicious soup recipe.

  1. Sauté onions. In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions, sauté until they are soft and translucent, but not browned.  
  2. Add garlic, seasonings veggies and broth. Add garlic, continue to sauté and stir for a minute. Add chipotle chili through seas salt.  Stir and bring to a simmer.
  3. Blend. Remove from heat. Using an immersion blender or food processor, blend mixture until smooth. Return to stove on medium heat.
  4. Add chilies and black beans. Stir in green chilies and black beans. Continue to heat for a few minutes.
  5. Garnish and serve. Ladle soup into serving bowls and top with crumbled queso fresco.  

What to Serve with Black Bean Soup

As with any soup, there are plenty of delicious things you can serve with it. Because there is no meat, you can serve it as a side alongside something like salmon or chicken.

If you’re serving it as a main course, you can pair it with a nice leafy side salad. It would also be great with something like garlic bread or crusty bread.

ladle adding black bean soup to bowl

Variations

There are plenty of ways you can jazz this black bean soup recipe up to make it your own. Here are some of our favorite ideas.

  • Meat – If you wish, you can even add shredded chicken or drained ground beef to your soup.
  • Vegan – If you’d like to make this a vegan soup, swap the chicken broth for vegetable broth. Make sure to leave the queso fresco off and sub for a vegan alternative.
  • Veggies – Feel free to add more fresh veggies to this soup. Shredded carrot, diced red onions, chopped celery and chopped red bell pepper are all great options that add crunch.
  • Rice – To give this soup a little more substance, try serving it over rice. Both brown rice and white rice would work perfectly.
  • Spice – If you want to take the spice up a notch, try adding some chili powder, cayenne pepper or even a dash or two of hot sauce.

Storage and Freezing

Soups make great leftovers! And most of them freeze really well too.

How to Store Leftover Black Bean Soup

You can store any leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It should last up to five days.

How to Freeze Soup

I like to freeze soup in smaller portions. You can do this in airtight containers or freezer bags.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is black bean soup good for you?

While I am not a doctor, there is nothing in this soup that is particularly bad for you. Also, black beans are high in fiber, potassium, folate, vitamin B6.

Is black bean soup high in carbs?

There are no carb heavy ingredients in this soup unless you add rice. One serving of this recipe has 42 grams of carbs.

What is black bean soup made of?

Every recipe is of course going to differ, but this black bean soup is made of onions, garlic, chipotle peppers, chicken broth, black beans, tomatoes and hatch green chiles.

Do you need to soak black beans before making soup?

It’s a good idea to soak dry beans before using to make them softer. However, this recipe uses canned beans making it ready in only 30 minutes with no soaking!

More Easy Soup Recipes

There’s nothing like a good soup to warm the soul on a cold day. Here are some of our favorites.

angled shot of soup in a bowl

Thai Coconut Soup

Seafood Thai Coconut Soup is an easy and healthy appetizer or entree using scallops, shrimp, vegetables and a red curry coconut broth.
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angle view of pork pozole

Instant Pot Pork Pozole Recipe

With tomatillos and green chiles, this Instant Pot Pork Pozole recipe is a traditional Mexican stew full of flavor and spices!
See The Recipe!
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Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup

Looking for a homemade chicken noodle soup recipe that you can enjoy all year round? This Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup is flavorful and SO easy to make!
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close up overhead shot of black bean soup with text overlay
angled shot of bowl of black bean soup topped with cheese and cilantro

Black Bean Soup Recipe (w/ Green Chiles)

4.75 from 4 votes
Black bean Green Chile Soup is a tomato based soup with smoky chipotle peppers and robust flavors. Top with avocado, cilantro and queso fresco! Hearty enough for an entree, but can also be an appetizer! 
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients

Black Bean Green Chile Soup

Garnish

Instructions

  • In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions, saute for approximately 5 minutes, or until they are soft and translucent, but not browned.  Add garlic, continue to saute and stir for 1 minute. Add chipotle chili through seas salt.  Stir and bring to a simmer.
  • Simmer for 15 minutes.  Remove from heat. Using an immersion/stick blender or food processor, blend mixture until smooth. Return to stove on medium heat.
  • Stir in green chilies and black beans. Continue to heat for 5 minutes.
  • Ladle soup into serving bowls and top with crumbled queso fresco.  Enjoy your Black Bean Soup and Green Chile!

Notes

  • If you are using fresh Hatch chile, use two whole roasted and peeled chiles, finely chopped. 

Nutrition

Calories: 358 kcal, Carbohydrates: 42 g, Protein: 15 g, Fat: 15 g, Saturated Fat: 6 g, Cholesterol: 10 mg, Sodium: 1990 mg, Potassium: 1059 mg, Fiber: 16 g, Sugar: 6 g, Vitamin A: 390 IU, Vitamin C: 46.1 mg, Calcium: 176 mg, Iron: 4.2 mg
Author: Chef Jessica Anne
Calories: 358
Course: Appetizer, Main Course, Main Dish, Soup
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: black bean soup
Did you make this recipe?I’d love to see your recipes – snap a picture and mention @savoryexperiments or tag #savoryexperiments!
collage of black bean soup
Jessica Formicola in her ktichen

About the Author

Chef Jessica Anne Formicola

Jessica the mom, wife and chef behind Savory Experiments. You might see her on the Emmy- nominated TV show Plate It! or on bookshelves as a cookbook author. Jessica is a Le Cordon Bleu certified recipe developer and regularly contributed to Parade, Better Homes & Gardens, The Daily Meal, Mashed and more!

Read More About Jessica

4.75 from 4 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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Questions and Reviews

  1. 5 stars
    I made this for dinner when my vegetarian friends came over and it was a hit! Even with us meat eaters 😉