Crockpot Black Bean Soup
A super simple and hearty black bean soup recipe that practically cooks itself in a slow cooker, perfect for busy weeknights.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 hours
- Total Time: 3 hours 5 minutes
Ingredients
Scale
Main ingredients
- 1.5 cups dried black beans (or 3 cans, drained and rinsed)
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 onion (diced)
- 2 garlic cloves (minced)
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 0 to taste salt
- 0 to taste pepper
- 0 lime wedges (for serving)
- 0 cilantro (for serving)
Instructions
- If you’re using dried black beans, rinse them well and then combine them with the vegetable broth, diced onion, minced garlic, cumin, and smoked paprika right into your slow cooker. If you’re opting for canned beans, hold off on adding them just yet – we’ll get to that!
- Cover your slow cooker and set it to low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours. The goal is for those beans to become perfectly tender and delicious.
- If you chose the convenience of canned beans, stir them into the slow cooker during the last hour of cooking. This way, they heat through without getting mushy.
- Once your beans are tender, give the soup a good stir. Now is the time to taste it and add salt and pepper until it’s just right. This step makes all the difference!
- Ladle the hot soup into bowls. I love to finish mine with a generous squeeze of fresh lime juice and a sprinkle of fresh cilantro. It’s the perfect contrast to the rich soup.
Notes
This soup freezes beautifully, making it a perfect homemade gift for friends, neighbors, or anyone needing a little edible hug. For a creamier soup, stir in a dollop of sour cream, a splash of heavy cream, or a swirl of plain Greek yogurt at the end. You can add a pinch of cayenne pepper or a diced jalapeño for heat, or diced bell pepper, corn, or carrot for extra veggies. Meat lovers can add cooked shredded chicken or chorizo.