Slow Cooker Black Bean Soup with Canned Beans

My slow cooker black bean soup is made with canned black beans, carrots, celery, and onion, all seasoned with smoky spices and a little kick from chipotle chili powder for a filling, hearty bowl that comes together with minimal prep.

Crockpot Black Bean Soup With Canned Black Beans

Easy soup recipes a weekly staple in our house, and this easy black bean soup made with canned black beans is my family’s latest obsession! Trust me when I say that the flavor payoff in this recipe is INCREDIBLE, especially for something with so few (affordable) ingredients and such minimal hands-on prep time. I pretty much always have a couple of cans of black beans on hand so I can through together simple, hearty meals like this.

For this simple homemade soup, canned black beans combine with classic ingredients like celery, carrots, onion and garlic, all flavored with pantry staples like cumin, chipotle chili powder, smoked paprika, and a hint of lime juice. The result is a super satisfying, creamy, and nourishing black bean soup that is absolutely delicious. It’s one of those soups that absolutely begs for toppings, so feel free to go wild with all your favorites to make it extra special.

Think sliced avocado, sour cream, fresh cilantro, fresh lime juice, green onion, hot sauce, or even some crunchy corn chips piled high on top. So good! And for a similar slow cooker soup with even more vegetables, my slow cooker vegetable soup is a great weeknight option with the same hands-off method. Or if you love the Southwestern flavor profile here, my crockpot tortilla soup brings the same smoky, hearty character to a completely different bowl.

Testing Tips for Easy Black Bean Soup in the Crockpot

• Black beans: I use canned black beans for this recipe for the convenience factor, since they don’t require presoaking. I have not tested it with dry beans, but if you give it a try let us know how it goes in the comments!
• Chicken stock: I used homemade chicken stock for this recipe but chicken broth will also work. Be sure to use vegetable stock for a vegetarian and vegan version of this soup.
• Yellow onion: The onions are a delicious savory addition to this soup. And while you can certainly skip the sautéing step, I find it adds an extra depth of flavor that’s totally worth the few extra minutes.
• Chipotle chili powder: You can use either chipotle chili powder or canned chipotle in adobo sauce; either will add a very mild heat. If you’re very sensitive to heat I recommend leaving this ingredient out, but if you like things spicy, feel free to double the amount, as well as topping the soup with plenty of hot sauce.
• Lime juice: Don’t skip the lime juice, as it adds a much needed acid to “wake up” the flavors at the end of the long cooking time. Sherry vinegar would be a nice option as well, or even red wine vinegar in a pinch.
• With Ham: For black bean soup with ham, add ½ pound thick cut ham along with the beans at the beginning of the cook time. Remove the ham while blending, dice, and add back to the soup. Alternatively, add a ham hock to the soup at the beginning of the cook time. Remove when blending, pull any remaining meat off the bone, add back to the soup, and discard the ham bone for a simple and satisfying ham and bean soup recipe you’ll want to make on repeat.

5 stars (12 ratings)

Slow Cooker Black Bean Soup with Canned Beans

Developed and tested by Robyn Conley Downs

Servings: 5

Prep: 10 minutes mins

Cook: 4 hours hrs

Total: 4 hours hrs 10 minutes mins

Slow cooker black bean soup made with canned beans, smoky spices, carrots, celery, and a squeeze of lime. Vegan, freezer-friendly, and minimal prep.

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Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced or finely grated
• 2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• 2 teaspoons chipotle chili powder, or minced chipotle in adobo
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 cup chopped carrot
• 4 (15-oz) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 3 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock for vegetarian and vegan)

To Add at the End

• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

Equipment

• Slow Cooker optional

Instructions 

• Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan. Add the onion and cook until translucent, stirring occasionally, about 6 minutes.
• Add the garlic, cumin, smoked paprika, and chili powder. Cook for an additional 1 minute, stirring constantly.
• Carefully transfer the cooked onion and spices to a 6-quart slow cooker. Add the celery, carrot, beans, salt, and stock, stirring to combine.
• Cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours, or low for 6-7, or until the vegetables are very tender. Do not uncover during this time.
• Uncover and add the lime juice. Using an immersion blender, blend the bean mixture for 10-20 seconds. Alternatively, carefully, remove 3-4 cups of the bean mixture to a blender. Cover, blend on high, then add back to the soup, stirring to combine.
You’re looking to blend most of the soup, while leaving some beans and veggies for texture. If you want a very smooth soup blend completely, if you want a very chunky soup, just blend for a few seconds. The more you blend, the thicker the soup will be.
• Taste and add additional lime juice and salt if desired. If the soup tastes bland, add more salt, 1 teaspoon at a time, until desired flavor it achieved.
• The soup will thicken a bit as it cools, so if you prefer a thicker consistency, allow to cool for 20-30 minutes before serving.

Stovetop Black Bean Soup

• Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or lidded pot. Add the onion and cook until translucent, stirring occasionally, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin, smoked paprika, and chili powder. Cook for an additional 1 minute, stirring constantly.
• Add the celery, carrot, beans, salt, and stock, stirring to combine. Cover, bring to a rolling boil, then reduce to a low simmer. Simmer, covered, for 30 minutes, or until the vegetables are very tender, stirring occasionally.
• Uncover and add the lime juice. Using an immersion blender, blend the bean mixture for 10-20 seconds. Alternatively, carefully, remove 3-4 cups of the bean mixture to a blender. Cover, blend on high, then add back to the soup, stirring to combine. Note: You’re looking to blend most of the soup, while leaving some beans and veggies for texture. If you want a very smooth soup blend completely, if you want a very chunky soup, just blend for a few seconds. The more you blend, the thicker the soup will be.
• Taste and add additional lime juice and salt if desired. Taste and add additional lime juice and salt if desired. If the soup tastes bland, add more salt, 1 teaspoon at a time, until desired flavor it achieved. The soup will thicken a bit as it cools, so if you prefer a thicker consistency, allow to cool for 20-30 minutes before serving.

Notes

• Don’t forget to pile on the toppings! I love my go-to 4-ingredient guacamole, sliced avocado, salsa, sour cream, fresh cilantro, fresh lime juice, green onion, hot sauce, and corn chips.
• This soup is not particularly spicy, so for more heat, add more chili powder or chipotle in adobo.
• For a vegetarian and vegan version, be sure to use vegetable stock in place of chicken stock.
• This soup thickens up considerably upon cooling. When reheating, simply add a splash of water or stock to thin it back out to the original consistency.

Course: dinner, Lunch, Main Course, Soup

Cuisine: American, Mexican, Vegan

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 1 (of 5), Calories: 356kcal, Carbohydrates: 63g, Protein: 22g, Fat: 4g, Saturated Fat: 0.4g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Sodium: 867mg, Potassium: 215mg, Fiber: 25g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 4774IU, Vitamin C: 5mg, Calcium: 36mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition disclaimer

Did you make this recipe?If you do, be sure to share it on Instagram and tag me at @realfoodwholelife so I can see!

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