Recipe: Slow Cooker Vegetarian Black Bean Soup
Give black bean soup time to simmer low and slow, deepening and building flavor with every minute, and you’ve got a delicious meal on your hands. That’s why the slow cooker is always my top choice for making this warm, smoky classic. Drop everything in the cooker in the morning and by the end of the day you’ve got a full-flavored broth loaded with soft, tender beans and all the spiced undertones you expect from black bean soup.
Start with Dried Beans (No Soaking Necessary!)
Like any good drop dinner, this one starts with next to no prep work — meaning you get to skip the time-consuming task of soaking dried beans. An all-day simmer of eight to 10 hours in the slow cooker is ample time to soften the beans, so that by the time you’re setting the table, they’ve reached perfect tenderness.
Slow Cooker Black Bean Soup
Prep time 5 minutes
Cook time 8 hours to 10 hours
Serves 6 to 8
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
- 1 pound
dried black beans
- 1
medium onion, diced
- 1
medium red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and diced
- 3 cloves
garlic, minced
- 6 cups
low-sodium vegetable broth
- 1 1/2 tablespoons
chili powder
- 1 tablespoon
ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons
kosher salt
- 2
bay leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon
freshly ground black pepper
Optional toppings:
Fresh cilantro leaves and stems
Chopped avocado
Greek yogurt
Instructions
Place the black beans, onion, bell pepper, garlic, broth, chili powder, cumin, bay leaves, salt, and pepper in a 6-quart or larger slow cooker and stir to combine. Cover and cook on the LOW setting until the beans are tender, 8 to 10 hours.
Remove the bay leaves and serve with Greek yogurt, fresh cilantro, or chopped avocado if desired.
Recipe Notes
Storage: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.