Budget-Friendly Black Bean Soup

"This is yummy, and can be made as healthy or unhealthy as you like by using full ingredients, or substituting low fat, low sodium items."
 
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photo by limeandspoontt photo by limeandspoontt
photo by limeandspoontt
photo by limeandspoontt photo by limeandspoontt
photo by limeandspoontt photo by limeandspoontt
photo by nisea916 photo by nisea916
photo by *Parsley* photo by *Parsley*
Ready In:
45mins
Ingredients:
8
Serves:
2-4
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ingredients

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directions

  • Before beginning, drain and rinse two of the cans of black beans and set aside.
  • Using a potato masher, mash up the remaining can of beans with the juice.
  • Add the salsa and cumin to the mashed beans and set aside.
  • In your pot, combine the broth, water and onion, and bring to a boil.
  • Simmer till onions are tender.
  • Add the rinsed and mashed beans and stir well.
  • Simmer at a low heat for half an hour or so.
  • Serve with a dollop of sour cream.

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Reviews

  1. This is a fabulous base recipe (reason for four stars - it would have been a bit bland without my additions). I added a few things, but otherwise followed the recipe as written. I subbed rabbit stock for beef (personal preference and it was what I had), added 1/4 t. cayenne, 1-2 t. cilantro, and 3 cloves of minced garlic. I used a good medium salsa, and the result was that this soup had quite a kick! Sour cream toned it down a tad, and I served it over sweet, whole wheat cornbread. The result? Perfection! Or nearly. I'd like to try it with fresh cilantro sometime, and another reviewer suggested lime juice... bet that would be yummier still! Oh, and I did add some cornstarch to it at the end, as I think I put more liquid in than was called for (I didn't really measure). Next time I'd like to throw in some frozen corn too. This one's definitely a keeper, if I'm already planning my next attempt. :)
     
  2. I thought this recipe was phenomenal, however, I added a few extra things that I think add an awesome punch to this soup. I used 1 can refried beans instead of mashed black beans as per another reviewer, and to that I added key lime juice, fresh cilantro, chili powder and cayenne (We like the spice!), creamed corn and green chiles. To the onion and broth I added minced garlic. I served it with sour cream, shredded monterey jack cheese, fresh cilantro and crispy tortilla strips that I whipped up. It was AMAZING! I think the key lime juice adds a TON of flavor! Thanks for the basis of a great recipe!!!
     
  3. This was a huge hit with everyone. I added fresh squeezed lime juice (1/2 lime), 1 tsp. cilantro, some frozen corn, and 2 cloves of garlic. Definitely go with medium salsa - hotter if you want some spice.
     
  4. This recipe is an absolute winner! I added other ingredients as suggested by others (e.g., corn, garlic, celery, lime juice). I also substituted the beef broth for veggie broth. It is really good all by itself, however, the optional sour cream does kick up a notch. This is definitely one of my favorite soups. Thanks for the recipe, Wendy!
     
  5. Wow, for something so simple, this is seriously amazing! I followed the very good advice of the other reviewers and added the juice of one lime, fresh cilantro, a small can of chopped green chiles, little sea salt and fresh ground black pepper, and about a tsp of garlic powder. I also used a can of sweet corn and a can of refried black beans instead of mashing up a third can of beans myself. I love cheese but I prefer this soup without cheese, with just a drop of sour cream. I think the cheese would make it too rich. The texture and thickness was perfect - if you follow the recipe, adding corn starch is totally unnecessary. This soup is DELISH! Will definitely make it often!
     
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Tweaks

  1. Wow, for something so simple, this is seriously amazing! I followed the very good advice of the other reviewers and added the juice of one lime, fresh cilantro, a small can of chopped green chiles, little sea salt and fresh ground black pepper, and about a tsp of garlic powder. I also used a can of sweet corn and a can of refried black beans instead of mashing up a third can of beans myself. I love cheese but I prefer this soup without cheese, with just a drop of sour cream. I think the cheese would make it too rich. The texture and thickness was perfect - if you follow the recipe, adding corn starch is totally unnecessary. This soup is DELISH! Will definitely make it often!
     
  2. This was good but I didn't follow the recipe exactly and had to add a lot of spices so I'm not giving it a star rating yet. Instead of salsa I used a can of Rotel tomatoes. I think this may have contributed to the blandness once the soup had simmered. I ended up adding a couple different kinds of chili powder, garlic powder, dried cilantro, salt, pepper, and lemon juice. We mixed in sour cream and crushed tortilla chips in our bowls and really enjoyed the finished product. I know I've made a soup recipe similar to this one before and used salsa and never needed to add all that other stuff - next time I'll make sure I have salsa in the fridge!
     
  3. Wow so easy and delicious I went out and bought more beans to make it again. Made it for my vegetarian daughter so I used vegetable broth instead of beef but otherwise stuck to the recipe. My meat loving husband ate 2 bowls! We sprinkled some cheddar cheese on top of our bowls rather than sour cream and when that ran out my husband used blue cheese which he said was delicious too! Like KC cooker said it's perfect for a cold day. Thanks.
     
  4. Great, easy recipe! I used chicken broth instead of beef broth (personal preference) and a mild black bean-corn salsa. I also sauteed the onion with minced garlic and chopped green peppers before adding the broth. The dollop of sour cream and sprinkle of 4 cheese blend on top made an excellent presentation. Thanks for a keeper!
     
  5. I thought this recipe was phenomenal, however, I added a few extra things that I think add an awesome punch to this soup. I used 1 can refried beans instead of mashed black beans as per another reviewer, and to that I added key lime juice, fresh cilantro, chili powder and cayenne (We like the spice!), creamed corn and green chiles. To the onion and broth I added minced garlic. I served it with sour cream, shredded monterey jack cheese, fresh cilantro and crispy tortilla strips that I whipped up. It was AMAZING! I think the key lime juice adds a TON of flavor! Thanks for the basis of a great recipe!!!
     

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