DINNER TONIGHT: 30 MINUTE BLACK BEAN SOUP

Want a filling dinner recipe that’s easy enough for a week night, but feels special enough for a weekend? Allow me to introduce you to our 30 MINUTE BLACK BEAN SOUP. Now, if you have more time at home and want to use dried black beans (which doesn’t add to the hands-on time and is my personal fave), I’ll include the option for that. I always love hearing how you like our recipes in the comments or over @raeannkelly.

30 MINUTE BLACK BEAN SOUP

You’ll Need:

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 shallots, diced (can sub with 1 onion)
3 cans black beans (with liquids)
4 cups chicken broth
1 bunch cilantro (chop for topping but reserve 6-10 stems for simmering)
2 limes, juiced (plus more for garnish)
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 tablespoon cumin
Salt and pepper, to taste
TOPPINGS: we love having cotija cheese, sour cream, chopped avocado, sliced jalapeno, pico de gallo, cherry tomatoes halved, lots of cilantro, fried eggs, and tortilla chips!

Here’s How:

In a large pot or dutch oven (our fave), warm olive oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic and onion and sauté until softened. Add cans of black beans, including their liquid, and the chicken broth.*
Add 6 to 10 stems of cilantro, chili powder, cumin, and juice from both limes. Stir to combine and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Remove Cilantro stems, dish, and add toppings!
OPTION: for a thicker consistency you can use an emersion blender to puree some of the beans, but as my Latina friend, Maria likes to say, “only white girls do that”, lol. She also gave me a hard time for using canned beans instead of dried black beans so I’m sharing her recipe for authentic homemade Mexican black beans below… THEY ARE SO GOOD!

*HOW TO MAKE THIS SOUP USING DRIED BLACK BEANS: this option takes a couple hours longer but doesn’t require more hands-on time. You can also ditch the chicken broth, canned black beans, and the liquids when making this way.

In a large pot or dutch oven, add 7 cups of water and bring to a boil. Rinse 1 pound (16 ounces) of dry black beans then add to pot. Reduce heat and simmer. Add garlic, chili powder, cumin, a generous pinch of salt, cilantro stems, and an onion (don’t dice it, just remove the ends and peel outer layer). Cover and simmer over medium until beans have softened, about 2 hours. Once done, add juice from limes (DO NOT DO THIS BEFORE BEANS ARE DONE!). Add salt and pepper to taste.