Slow Cooker Black Bean Soup

Loaded with fresh vegetables, black beans, herbs and warm spices, Slow Cooker Black Bean Soup is a wonderful, good-for-you soup that can be customized with limitless options for toppings!

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

Last year, when the pandemic started, I stocked up on lots of pantry essentials – canned beans, dry beans, pasta, rice, and all the shelf-stable items you probably have in your pantry too.

I blew through my stash of canned and dry chickpeas in no time!

Italian Chickpea Vegetable Soup and Slow Cooker Sausage Chickpea Soup were two tasty things to come out of being holed up in the house for a long time!

I had some dried black beans that I wanted to use up, so I started making Slow Cooker Black Bean Soup.

Because they were dried beans, I definitely wanted to use my slow cooker! Dried beans and slow cookers were made for each other!

Ingredients needed to make this recipe (scroll down to recipe card for complete recipe):

Dried black beans
Carrot
Onion
Jalapeno
Garlic
Canned diced tomatoes
Canned green chiles
Vegetable broth
Spices & seasonings (bay leaves, ground coriander, cumin, smoked paprika, chili pepper, salt & pepper)
Fresh cilantro

There is so much good stuff packed into this soup, just wait until you taste it!

Besides pre-soaked, dried black beans, it has carrots, tomatoes, jalapenos, onion, garlic, canned green chiles, cilantro, and lots of warm spices.

After the soup has finished cooking, blend it to your desired consistency and add your favorite toppings!

Flavorful Eats is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

My preferred method of blending hot soup is with an immersion blender.

It doesn’t make the mess a traditional blender does, and it’s easier to create the texture you’re looking for.

If you need one, you can get an immersion blender HERE from Amazon. They’re really easy to clean and don’t take up a lot of valuable kitchen space!

Toppings for Slow Cooker Black Bean Soup:

Chopped cilantro
Sour cream
Avocado Pico de Gallo
Shredded cheese
Sliced avocado
Fresh or pickled jalapeno slices
Thinly sliced red onion
Tortilla chips

How to serve black bean soup?

This soup is naturally vegan, however, I like to add a dollop of sour cream (and sometimes shredded cheese) to my bowl of soup.

It just gives the soup a fabulous, slightly creamy flavor that elevates it to another level.

An absolute MUST is some freshly chopped cilantro; both mixed into the soup right before you serve it, and then a sprinkling on top as a garnish.

Black bean soup is a great entrée all by itself, but would be great as a small starter before the meal too!

How to store black bean soup? Can you freeze it?

Keep leftover black bean soup in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

This soup can be frozen in a freezer-safe container for up to six months.

Do you have to blend black bean soup?

Slow Cooker Black Bean Soup can be as smooth or chunky as you like it!

I prefer it to be a little smooth, but still with a some chunks for texture. However, if you want a nice and smooth soup, just blend it longer with your immersion blender.

Looking for more Slow Cooker Soup recipes? Here are some favorites:

If you love black beans, you’ll want to try my Smoky Slow Cooker Mexican Black Beans!

These smoky, spicy beans are a great addition to all your favorite Mexican dishes!