Souped-Up Canned Black Bean Soup
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I like shortcuts and I also like the ability to build upon them. Black bean soup is one of my favorite things to order at a restaurant, but it never tastes the same as when you get it out of a can. So each time I had it, I took mental notes and thought about what it might be missing.
From that was born my Souped-Up Canned Black Bean Soup recipe, which adds in portobello mushrooms, carrots and red pepper. What’s great about it is that it’s easy to make and the flavor and texture might surprise you. It is made with canned black bean soup and canned black beans, but those added ingredients amp up the flavor.
Prepping the Ingredients
A lot of soups start with onion, celery and carrot, but this recipe uses onion, carrot, red pepper and portobello mushrooms. Their combination adds flavor, texture and color.
To start, thinly slice the onions with a 7-5/8″ Petite Chef.
Next, slice the carrots. You can grate them if you want, but if you don’t have a grater, you can use a 6″ Vegetable Knife to cut thin matchsticks and then cut them smaller.
For another shortcut, you could buy carrots already cut to matchstick size and cut them in half or thirds.
Use the same knife to chop the red pepper.
To prep the portobello mushrooms, clean them by wiping the tops off with a dry paper towel and use a spoon to scrape out the gills under the cap. Then, use a 4″ Paring Knife to finely dice the mushroom.
The portobello mushrooms add an earthy, umami flavor to the soup. That, for me, is something other black bean soups always seem to be lacking.
The last thing to prep is the garlic. You can either mince it or paste it. The more you break down garlic, the more intense the flavor, so the paste will offer a bolder garlic flavor to the soup.
Along with the canned black bean soup, the recipe calls for canned black beans, which are mashed. They’ll act as a thickening agent for the soup.
Before mashing, drain and rinse the beans because you don’t want that thick film they are canned in to be in the soup. When ready, mash the beans with a Potato Masher.
Making the Soup
The vegetables are sautéed in a medium-size soup pot and then sprinkled with cumin to cook another minute, until the cumin becomes fragrant. The garlic is added and everything is cooked for about another 30 seconds.
Stir in the canned soup, mashed beans, stock and sherry. Water is listed in the ingredients list, but don’t add it right away. Wait to see if you need it to thin the soup or not. Bring the soup to a boil and cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until the vegetables are cooked through.
Souped-Up Canned Black Bean Soup is vegetarian-friendly since it uses vegetable broth and is packed with plant-based protein from the beans. If you’re not worried about making it vegetarian, you can use chicken stock, which is what I usually use at home.
An added bonus is that this soup is freezer friendly.
Serve it with things like chopped avocado, chopped red onion or a dollop of sour cream.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion (medium), thinly sliced
- 1 carrot, thinly sliced or grated
- 2 portobello mushroom caps, cleaned, gills removed* and diced fine
- 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped or pasted
- 2 cans (15-ounce) Goya black bean soup
- 1 can (15-ounce) black beans, rinsed then mashed
- 2 cups vegetable stock
- 1 cup dry sherry
- 1-2 cups water (depending on desired thickness)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
For garnish (optional):
- Avocado, chopped
- Red onion, chopped
- Sour cream
Directions
- In a medium soup pot over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the sliced onions and cook, stirring occasionally until the onion starts to caramelize for about 4-6 minutes.
- Add the carrot, mushroom and red bell pepper. Cook stirring occasionally until the vegetables start to soften for about 4-5 minutes.
- Sprinkle the cumin over the vegetables. Stir and wait until the spices become fragrant. This usually takes about one minute. Then add the garlic and stir for 30 seconds.
- Stir in the soup, beans, stock and sherry. Wait to add any water to see if needed to thin the soup or not.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Increase heat to medium-high to bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook for about 15-20 minutes or until the vegetables are cooked through.
- To serve, garnish with avocado, chopped red onion and a dollop of sour cream.
*Tip: Clean the mushrooms by wiping the tops off with a paper towel. Then, use a spoon to scrape out the gills under the cap before dicing.
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