The Old-School Black Bean Soup You Can Make With 3 Canned Ingredients

Black beans are rich in fiber, protein, antioxidants, and essential vitamins and minerals. Black bean salads and soups are quick, easy summer meals that don't require a lot of prep work or time fussing over a hot stove. In fact, you can adapt an old-school black bean soup recipe and simplify it even further by using just three canned ingredients and a few spices.

All you need is two cans of black beans, two cups of chicken or vegetable broth, one can of diced tomatoes with chiles, one tablespoon of ground cumin, one teaspoon of garlic powder, and salt and pepper to taste. Put all of your ingredients in a sauce pan and bring it to a simmer for about five minutes, and then remove it from the heat. Pour about half of the soup into a blender or a food processor and blend it, then add it back into the rest of the soup in the pan.

Before serving, garnish each bowl of soup with a few slices of avocado and a dollop of sour cream or a sprinkling of grated cheddar cheese. Serve the soup with cheesy garlic bread, warm homemade flour tortillas, or green chile and tomatillo corn bread. If you have any left over, let it chill in the fridge for 24 hours and then use it as the base for a spicy black bean dip recipe.

There are many simple ways to personalize or add a little extra oomph to this black bean soup. Add a can of drained corn to the soup, then, before serving, squeeze a couple of lime wedges over each bowl and crumble some tortilla chips onto the top. Turn it into a three-bean soup by replacing one of the cans of black beans with ½ can of navy or cannellini beans and ½ can of kidney beans.

You can kick up the protein content by using some simple add-ins. Mix in some shredded chicken or sauteed tofu, or add ¼ cup of plain Greek yogurt to the soup before blending. Cook some quinoa in chicken or vegetable broth and add it to your soup after blending for extra protein and texture.

If you're up for chopping some veggies, you can turn up the heat and make a spicy black bean soup. This recipe is very customizable without being complicated or fussy. To make it, you'll need the ingredients above along with a yellow onion, red bell pepper, celery, carrots, lime, cilantro, and garlic as well as some extra spices.