Vegan Black Bean Soup

Today I’d like to introduce you to my favorite black bean soup! This affordable and humble soup recipe is anything but boring, especially served with a variety of toppings. The flavor is spot-on delicious, with the addition of lime juice and cumin. It’s not too spicy, so perfect for kids. But if you’re anything like me, you’ll add a good squeeze of sriracha in your bowl. My daughter fell in love with the black bean soup at Panera years ago, and loves it when I make it at home. This recipe reminds me of the one they serve there, but much more flavorful. The best thing is that it’s ready to eat in just 30 minutes and is made with simple, everyday ingredients!

How do you make vegan black bean soup creamy?

The trick to making this soup creamy is to blend about 3 cups of the soup in a blender, and then return it back to the pot. You can blend more of it for a creamier, more pureed soup, or leave a lot of texture. To make things even easier you can simply use an immersion blender and blend some of the soup right in the pot, so no need to transfer to a blender. I’ve tested both ways and it doesn’t get quite as creamy with an immersion blender, but both ways are just fine.

Pile on the toppings

I highly recommend serving with this Vegan Sour Cream, or a store bought sour cream such as Tofutti brand. Other delicious toppings: Tortilla chips, diced tomatoes, diced avocado, chopped cilantro, sliced jalapeños, hot sauce, shredded vegan cheese, or Vegan Cornbread.

Can I make it in an Instant Pot?

Yes, it’s easy. Simply use the sauté feature to cook the onion, then garlic, then the carrots and celery. Turn off the IP, add the remaining ingredients (except for the lime juice and hot sauce), stir and cook at high pressure for 5 minutes. Let the pressure release, then stir in the lime juice/hot sauce, blend a little if desired and serve.