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A bowl of this easy Slow Cooker Black Bean Soup is the perfect weeknight meal! This vegan recipe is a cozy bowl full of plant-based protein requiring minimal prep work.
this RECIPE
Vegan Slow Cooker Black Bean Soup
An ode to black bean soup…
So warm and so cozy for long winter nights. You taste so good with avocado and rice. All of the beans make you so hearty. This soup makes me want to throw a big party.
Ok, seriously impressed by my rhyming skills there. But I’m even more impressed by the new photos I shot for this 4-year-old black bean soup recipe!
That’s right—I posted this recipe back in November 2015, and it quickly became a reader favorite. From then until now, 212,517 people have visited this post to get this delicious slow cooker recipe. WOWZA that’s a lot of people visiting my little slice of the Internet.
This recipe really has withstood the test of time. It’s a classic recipe you’ll keep in your dinner repertoire for years, because it’s healthy, made with affordable ingredients, and made in a slow cooker aka you have to do, like, no work.
What’s in this black bean soup recipe?
Black beans, of course! Dry beans are some of the cheapest foods in the grocery store, plus they’re full of fiber and plant protein. I’d say that’s good value. Add in some veggies and a ton of spices and you’re set! Here’s everything you need:
- Dry black beans. We’re using one pound for this recipe.
- Vegetable broth. I recommend low sodium so that you can control the salt level to be just how you like it.
- Veggies. Yellow onion, red bell pepper, jalapeno and garlic are all going in!
- Salsa or diced tomatoes. Salsa will add a little more flavor (and it’s easier – win win!), but if you’re making this in the summer, there’s nothing better than fresh peak-season tomatoes!
- Spices. You’ll want chili powder, ground cumin, paprika, cayenne, salt and pepper. If you’d prefer a milder soup, you can leave out the cayenne.
- Toppings. Avocado, fresh cilantro, vegan cheese, vegan sour cream and tortilla chips are all DELISH!!
Note: I really like serving this black bean soup over cilantro lime rice topped with avocado and cilantro. To die for.
Slow cooker recipes for the win
Do you own a slow cooker? Truth be told… I don’t! But I do have a pressure cooker which has a slow cooker function, which is nice because #consolidation and #lessthings.
This slow cooker is only $25, but I would just get this 8-in-1 pressure cooker for $100 (we use this so much!).
You could prep the ingredients for this vegan slow cooker recipe at night, throw the ingredients in the pot of your slow cooker, set it to cook in the morning before you leave, and then BOOM… you come home to cozy smells of perfectly spiced black bean soup.
Then, blend the black bean soup to make it smooth, but leave a little bit of texture. This blender is great if you want to splurge, but this $50 food processor does the job!
How to make slow cooker black bean soup
Add beans to the pot of your slow cooker with vegetables like onion, bell pepper, and jalapeños, and a ton of spices. That’s basically it! Truly, there’s really not much more to it than that.
You will want to soak your black beans overnight and then rinse them in the morning before making the soup. Once everything is added to your slow cooker, set it to high for 6 hours and let it work its magic! You can then serve it as is, or throw half or all of it in the blender for a creamier soup. I love to do half blended, half as is to create a bit of a textural difference.
More vegan slow cooker recipes
No like this black bean soup is probably my one of my all time favorite vegan slow cooker recipes. Looking for more slow cooker recipes to get you through the winter? I got you! Check out these:
- 13 Vegan Slow Cooker Recipes You Need to Make This Winter
- Chickpea Peanut Stew
- Sweet BBQ Meatballs
How to make:
Vegan Slow Cooker Black Bean Soup
A bowl of this easy Slow Cooker Black Bean Soup is the perfect weeknight meal! This vegan recipe is a cozy bowl full of plant-based protein requiring minimal prep work.
Prep Time:
10 mins
Cook Time:
6 hours
Total Time:
6 hours 10 mins
Yield:
6 servings 1x
Rating: 5 from 11 reviews
Print the recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound dry black beans
- 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- 1 yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
- 2 jalapeños, seeds removed and finely chopped
- 1 cup salsa or diced tomatoes
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic, about 4 cloves
- 1 heaping tablespoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper (decrease or omit for a milder soup)
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- Avocado and cilantro for topping, if desired
Instructions
- In a large bowl, place beans. Fill with water about 1 inch over the beans. Let them soak overnight.
- Drain and rinse the beans.
- In the bowl of a slow cooker, place beans, broth, onion, pepper, jalapeños, salsa, garlic, chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper, cayenne, and paprika. Stir to combine.
- Cook on high for 6 hours, until beans are completely cooked.
- When the soup is done, you can either leave it as is, process or blend half the soup until smooth and return it to the pot, or process or blend all of the soup until smooth.
- Serve warm; top with avocado and cilantro.
Notes
Storage:Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can also freeze the soup and reheat when ready to eat.
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October 21, 2019
Tagged with:
Appetizers beans black beans Dinner Gluten Free Grain Free Lunch Nut Free Sides Soups Soy Free
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98 comments
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98 comments
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Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says: I think my slow cooker needs this to happen in it ;) YUM!
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Emilie says: Definitely! I just had it for lunch and it's even better the next day :)
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Dani @ Dani California Cooks says: I pinned this immediately. I'm always looking for ways to use my crockpot that aren't just shredded chicken. I love that you pureed half of the soup for added creaminess but still kept the texture with the rest of it!
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Emilie says: Thanks so much Dani! I definitely need to use my slow cooker more often; it's so handy! The texture is so amazing, especially the day after cooking. Ahhh the creaminess! So glad I have leftovers for the week :) I spy chocolate mint truffles....#treatyoself?
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Cailee says: Oh my goodness! This looks amazing! And yes please to more food! I love love LOVE soup... especially this time of year. It can be so healthy and nourishing and flavorful all at the same time... just like this recipe here! Thanks so much for sharing!
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Emilie says: Soup is my favorite during winter! It makes me want to cozy up on the couch and do nothing :) Thanks for stopping me, Cailee!
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Nora (A Clean Bake) says: I love my slow cooker!! Especially for dishes like this, where you just put all the ingredients in and let it go to town on making you dinner.
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Emilie says: Right?? It's the ultimate lazy girl dinner :)
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Rebekah says: I had a man accuse me of being lazy when I had my kids out on a homeschool field trip around lunch time...he asked us where we were going to eat and I said home, I have lunch in the crock pot. Eating out would have been lazier and most likely less nutritious...We're not lazy we just plan ahead! ;-) The soup looks wonderful, I believe that will be our lunch today!
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Kerri McGrail says: i LOVE black beans and have been wanting to try out making a soup. I've done mexican soup with a tomato broth, but never black bean. I need to hop on this bandwagon asap!!
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Emilie says: It's SO good! And super simple since you just have to throw it in a slow cooker. Hope you love it, Kerri!
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Crystal says: I came across this recipe on Pinterest yesterday and made it today, seriously one of the best soups I've ever had, so good!! Husband loves it also and requested I make this often. I made some brown rice and seasoned it with the same seasonings in the soup and poured the soup over the rice. Amazing!
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Emilie says: You totally made my day, Crystal!! I'm so happy you both loved it. Aren't slow cooker recipes the best? :)
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dana says: I dont have a slow cooker, how would you recommend i cook this on a regular stove? Please let me know! Thanks
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Emilie says: Hey Dana! What I would do is sauté all the ingredients EXCEPT the black beans and broth (like the veggies and seasonings) for 5-7 minutes until they soften, then add the beans and broth. Bring to a boil; cover the pot. Let it simmer for 1 hour to 1.5 hours, until the beans are fully cooked. You may need to add more liquid, so just watch it. Then you can either leave it as is or blend it like the instructions say! Let me know if you try it.
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Beth says: I use my regular oven to slow cook at 250-275 degrees...it's the same principle as a crockpot.
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Jennifer says: I made this last week, and I already want to make it again! It's so good and has a nice spicy kick to it. Loved it!!
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Emilie says: You don't know how happy that makes me! Such a great soup - and it cooks itself, which is such an awesome thing. :)
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JAYNE OWEN says: Wouldnt have dreamed of making a soup with black turtle beans, tasty and filling, a real hit in our house :-)
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Emilie says: So glad you enjoyed it!
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Mary B. says: Best black bean soup, EVER! Made this yesterday and it was fantastic. Just the right amount of heat. I warmed it up for lunch today and it's even better!
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Emilie says: This makes me so happy!! It's the perfect easy meal. Glad you could add it to your recipe box. :)
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Lea says: Would the recipe change at all if I used canned beans?
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Emilie says: Hey Lea! The only thing that would change is the amount of liquid, since the beans don't need to absorb the liquid to cook since they're already cooked. Maybe reduce it to 2 cups and see how that works!
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Sharon says: Made this soup today. We love spicy, so I didn't remove the jalapeno seeds and used a nice spicy salsa. I used smoked paprika rather than sweet paprika. Used an immersion blender to make it fairly smooth. Served with avocado and cilantro. Hit all the right notes! Thank you!
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Emilie says: Sounds delicious! I love a little bit of spice too. ;)
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Anjy says: this was delicious. The only thing I changed, was sautéing the onions, peppers and seasoning in a pan before putting it in the crock pot. I enjoy that deepened flavor! And it is SO EASY!
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Amy says: This was delicious. I'm making it again this week. This time, I will use canned diced chilis and omit the jalapenos as my kids thought it was too hot when I first made it (it was fine with me though!) The salsa in place of the tomatoes really increases the flavor. Thanks for the great recipe.
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Karen says: How long would you cook this in the instant pot? And if use canned beans
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Emilie says: Hi Karen! I have never used an instant pot, so I can't really offer any advice. If you're using canned beans, they don't need to be cooked - so you need less liquid. You'll have to play around with it!
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Logan says: We made this last night, with canned black beans and we added peppers. It was really good. I would suggest Karen to start with half the amount of broth and then increase to your liking. Does anyone know the appx calorie count for the soup, I track my meals and this would be a great help. Thanks -- making it again for sure!
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Christina says: Hi! This looks very yummy. I want to make it for a nutrition class I'm taking. Do you have the nutritional information available per serving? I did not see it on the recipe.
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Emilie says: Hi Christina! I do not provide nutritional information, but you can plug it in to the following website to figure it out: https://www.caloriecount.com/cc/recipe_analysis.php
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Emilie says: I'm so happy you enjoyed it, Logan! And thanks for the tips. You can plug in the recipe to the following website to get the nutritional info: https://www.caloriecount.com/cc/recipe_analysis.php
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Christie says: Making this soup tonight! I am so excited. For anyone who wants to know nutritional info, I calculated it for 1 serving. (Recipe makes 6 servings total) Calories: 318 Fat. 1.4g Carbs 57.6g Sugar 2.8g Protein 19.7g
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Emilie says: Thank you for that info! Let me know how you liked it. <3
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Sarah says: This is such a good recipe. I NEVER take the time to comment on these pages, but DAMN, this is definitrly going on my favorite recipient board!! Thank you for sharing!!
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Emilie says: Aw thank you so much Sarah! SO happy you loved the recipe!
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Emily says: Hi, how many cups of canned beans are in a pound? I do not have a food scale
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Emilie says: Hey Emily! I would use 3 cans.
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Liridona Aliu says: Hello Emily, I've been meaning to make this soup for a while now because I love black beans. I finally found the time to make it however, I just realized how that the beans have to sit overnight. How can I cook the beans faster?Thank you!
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Emilie says: Here's a way to quick-soak dry beans - http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-quicksoak-dried-beans-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-198610
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Paula says: Do you think this would work without the tomatoes? My husband has in intolerance to tomatoes. Any thoughts on a replacement? Thanks!
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Emilie says: Yes it'll work! You can really sub any vegetable you like.
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JF says: Thanks, it's really good. As to beans, I presoak and cook them in super large quantity and just freeze them flat in freezer plastic bag. A lot cheaper than buying cans, easy, and super convenient.
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Emilie says: Those are great tips, JF. Thank you!!
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mike says: Ive read that cooking beans in a slow cooper is not safe, as the termperature needs to get high enough to denature the phytohemagglutinin that can make you sick.
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Emilie says: Thanks for letting me know, Mike! I've never heard about that, but found this article about it: http://www.choosingvoluntarysimplicity.com/crockpots-slow-cooking-dried-beans-phytohaemagglutinin/. Seems that red kidney beans seem to be the biggest culprit! With other beans, it seems that you just need to make sure to soak them first, and cook them all the way through.
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Bren says: Made this tonight trying 2 of the alternative methods mentioned in the above comments, canned beans and on the stovetop. I used a conversion chart for dry to canned beans and ended up using 2.5 15 oz cans. I also then reduced the stock to only 2 cups and the consistency was perfect after mostly blended with an immersion blender. The only problem was it was SALTY! I used barely 2 scant teaspoons of salt and it was way too much for me. Maybe because there was less stock the salt should have also been reduced? I tried to save it before blending by watering it down with 2 more cups stock, stirring, and then straining out 2 extra cups of liquid and that helped a bit. I topped with fresh pico de gallo to add some chunk back into it (fresh squeezed lime and avocado too). I will make again but probably with only 1/2 tsp salt and add more to taste as I go. I also only got about 3 meal-sized servings out of it the way I made it.I recently switched to a vegan diet and it cured my asthma, so thanks for posting vegan-friendly recipes!
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Emilie says: I'm glad you were able to make it work for you, Bren! I usually serve this with rice or another grain, so it usually makes more servings that way. I'll definitely keep the salt issue in mind and test the recipe again. Thanks for the feedback, and feel free to look around for more!
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Isabelle says: Hi Emilie, I would love to make that soup tonight but I have canned black beans. Can I still do it over stove top? Maybe 30 minutes of simmering and less liquid? What do you think?
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Emilie says: Yes you won't need as much liquid since the black beans are cooked! I'd say probably 2 cups. Let me know if you try it so I can make that note in the recipe!
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Lauren says: Hi Emilie - I just made this soup and it is by far the best black bean soup I have ever had. Thank you for this awesome recipe! We will be eating this often.
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Emilie says: So happy you loved it, Lauren!
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Savannah says: I made this on the stove and it turned out great! Thank you for sharing 🌻
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Kim A says: Oh. My. Gosh. This was so stinking good! Perfect for this cold, winter day! Will definitely make again!
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Jane Saunders says: Made this tonight. It was so absolutely delicious!!
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Kim says: Had this soup yesterday! The only problem is there isn't any left. My family loved it. So good and do easy!!
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Emilie says: Aw yay this makes me so happy! Thanks, Kim!
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Emily says: If you go the salsa route, do you recommend draining any of the liquid off or just tossing it in as is?
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Ashley says: Can you use canned black beans? Would it change the cooking process?
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Emilie says: You wouldn't need as much liquid - maybe half of what the recipe calls for!
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Melissa says: Hi! This recipe looks great, I only have a bag of dry mixed beans(kidney,pinto, black beans), do you think that would work instead of just the black beans? Thanks!! I think I will go ahead and try it anyways!!
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Emilie says: You definitely need to make sure the black beans are cooked through! I recommend soaking dry beans before going in the slow cooker.
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Laurie says: This soup is so delicious. I love it. I always put a dollop of Greek yogurt on top as well as some pumpkin and sunflower seeds. So easy to put together. Nothing after than everything done in the crock pot.
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Emilie says: Awesome!! Slow cooker recipes are the best, aren't they?!
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Noah says: Im allergic to tomatoes (just found out) and so being Vegan has started to become difficult for me. Will this taste good without salsa?
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Katie says: love this soup! Making it for the second time today. double batch so i can freeze half!
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Emilie says: Great idea!
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Paula C Caravelli says: You show the black beans with what appears to be sour cream. Is that a vegan alternative? it's a bit There is no mention of it in your recipe or ingredients.
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Emilie says: Yes, it's a vegan sour cream! Grocery stores tend to sell this in the dairy alternatives section.
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Agie says: This recipe is delicious!! this is the second time ive made it in 10/days. Do you have the NUTRITIONAL information for servings?Thank You!
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Emilie says: Thank you! I'm working on adding nutritional facts to all of my posts!
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JR says: One of the most flavorful black bean dishes I have made. I Love slow cooker beans. I will add that there is NO need to soak the beans overnight. Just add a little more time in the slow cooker. Perfection.
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Emilie says: Thank you so much for sharing!
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cheg says: These look absolutely delicious!
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cheg says: These look absolutely fabulous
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Irene says: Absolutely amazing! This has become our go-to recipe for chili. We use a mix of beans, or just pinto, and omit any hot spices, for little mouths.
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Toria says: So DELICIOUS! I made it x4 today to freeze for after my baby is born. Sauted the veggies, then pressure cooked in my instant pot for 30 minutes. I omitted the jalapeño and reduced the cayenne because ONE of my kids is super sensitive to spicy stuff.
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Emilie says: Congratulations! Glad you liked it - it definitely works well for meal prepping and stashing in the freezer!
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Jane says: Because I was going to be gone all day, I cooked on low for 10 hours. When I came in tonight, smelled wonderful. Unfortunately, My beans were not cooked through. I've now been cooking for an additional 3+ hours. Maybe the low/high made the difference but typically it hasn't with other recipes. Could the beans be bad? They looked good. Soaked overnight so not sure what went wrong. Willing to try again.
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Emilie says: Hi Jane! It's possible that your beans might be a little old. The appearance of dried beans won't change much as they get older so it can be hard to tell when they've started to get too old. They can much longer to cook the older they get and depending on how old they are, they may never become completely tender. They're still perfectly safe to eat if they've been sitting in the pantry, and a trick that often works well to help soften them is to add 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda to the soaking liquid before you cook them. I hope that trick works for you!
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Jan White says: I USED CANNED BLACK BEANS AND ADDED 2 ANAHEIM PEPPERS CHOPPED. I DID NOT USE JALAPENOS, CAYENNE PEPPER, PAPRIKA, NOR THE RED BELL PEPPER. I ADDED GROUND CORIANDER AND DRIED OREGANO. I DECIDED TO BLEND THE WHOLE BATCH AND DEFINITELY LIKED IT BETTER - MIGHT BE THAT THE FLAVORS WERE MORE PRONOUNCED THAN NOT. WHAT I WOUULD LIKE TO KNOW IS WHAT DOES "1 BOWL" EQUATE TO? I AM A TYPE 1 DIABETIC AND THIS IS CRITICAL INFO FOR MY INSULIN DOSAGE - ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT NET CARBS OF 43 GRAMS! I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY MANY RECIPE PROVIDERS PUT "PER SERVING" AND "6 SERVINGS" WHICH DOESN'T TELL ME WHAT IS NEEDED.
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Jan White says: I meant to also say I used the slow cooker even though I used canned beans.
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Emilie says: Hi Jan - I love that you were able to make tweaks to the recipe to make it your own! A serving if you're eating this soup as a side would be about 1 cup. A meal-sized serving would be 1.5 - 2 cups. I hope that is helpful!
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