Creamy Black Bean Soup (Printable Version)

Smooth black bean soup with crispy bacon and tangy lime crema, blending smoky and fresh flavors.

# What You Need:

→ Meats

01 - 6 slices bacon, chopped

→ Vegetables and Aromatics

02 - 1 medium yellow onion, diced
03 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 1 medium carrot, diced
05 - 1 celery stalk, diced
06 - 1 jalapeño, seeded and minced (optional)
07 - 2 (15 oz) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
08 - 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
09 - 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth

→ Spices and Seasonings

10 - 1½ teaspoons ground cumin
11 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
12 - ½ teaspoon chili powder
13 - ½ teaspoon dried oregano
14 - Salt and black pepper to taste

→ Lime Crema

15 - ½ cup sour cream
16 - Zest and juice of 1 lime
17 - Pinch of salt

→ Garnishes

18 - Chopped fresh cilantro
19 - Extra lime wedges

# How-To Steps:

01 - In a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, cook chopped bacon until crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving approximately 1 tablespoon of bacon fat in the pot.
02 - Add diced onion, carrot, celery, and jalapeño to the pot. Sauté for 5 to 6 minutes until vegetables soften.
03 - Stir in minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
04 - Add ground cumin, smoked paprika, chili powder, and dried oregano. Cook for 30 seconds to release aromatic compounds.
05 - Add drained black beans, diced tomatoes, and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes.
06 - Using an immersion blender, blend soup directly in pot until smooth and creamy, or leave partially chunky as preferred. Alternatively, blend in batches using a standard blender, then return to pot.
07 - Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in half the cooked bacon, reserving remainder for garnish.
08 - In a small bowl, whisk together sour cream, lime zest, lime juice, and a pinch of salt until combined.
09 - Ladle soup into serving bowls. Swirl with lime crema, sprinkle with reserved bacon and chopped cilantro, and serve with lime wedges.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes like you spent hours simmering, but honestly takes less time than most people spend scrolling before dinner.
  • The lime crema swirl feels fancy enough to impress but comes together in the time it takes to find a clean spoon.
  • Bacon makes everything better, and this soup proves that rule isn't exaggerated.
02 -
  • Don't skip rinsing the canned beans, because the thick starch coating is what makes soup taste canned and one-dimensional.
  • If your immersion blender starts splashing soup everywhere, you're blending too vigorously; let the blender do the work while you keep the blade submerged.
  • The lime crema is the difference between soup that's good and soup that people remember, so don't treat it like an afterthought.
03 -
  • Don't be timid with the lime crema swirl; it's not just decoration, it's the flavor that makes people ask for seconds.
  • If the soup seems too thick after blending, stir in broth a quarter cup at a time until you reach the consistency you want, because every blender works differently.
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