I have several black bean soup recipes that have floated into my kitchen over the years. Some with a splash of orange juice, others with a bit of pork stirred in. I like the chunks of sweet potato in this version — and using my Homemade Taco Seasoning, which is always at the ready in my pantry. If you’re eating vegan or gluten-free, this recipe’s got you covered. It’s also a winner for wintertime local eating as it features sweet potatoes and onions, which can be easily stored from a summer garden or trip to the farmers market.
Recipe inspired by tosimplyinspire.com
Makes 6-8 meal-sized servings
Ingredients
- 4 sweet potatoes, washed and dried
- 2 cups dry black beans or 2 15-ounce cans
- 2 cups vegetable or chicken broth (use homemade if you’ve got it)
- 2 cups water
- 1 tsp. fine sea salt
- 1 Tbsp. coconut or olive oil
- 1 sweet onion (2 cups), diced
- 1 green pepper (1 cup), diced
- 3 tsp. (3-4 cloves) minced garlic
- 1 1/2 Tbsp. Homemade Taco Seasoning
- 1 cup fresh cilantro, minced
- avocado slices (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Bake sweet potatoes for 30 minutes. This will make them easier to dice and will speed up your time on the stovetop. But don’t cook too long or they will become mush in your soup.
- Rinse dry black beans and place in a large soup pot. Pour in the broth and water, covering the beans. Bring to boil for 1 minute then cook on low, about 1 hour.
- Heat oil in cast iron skillet. Add onion, pepper and garlic. Cook until just tender. Add onion mixture to beans once they are done cooking.
- Take sweet potatoes from the oven and remove skin. Cut into 1-inch chunks.
- Stir potatoes into the bean mixture. Add taco seasoning.
- Cook on low until beans and potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes.
- Continue cooking until you reach your desired liquid level for soup and texture for beans and potatoes.
- Serve hot, with minced cilantro and avocado slices on top.