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This delicious and comforting Mexican Black Bean Soup with Tortillas is full of authentic Mexican flavors. Easy, healthy, and versatile, this soup can be made vegan and gluten-free.
We have been making a lot of soups in our house lately. Mainly because: as a busy parent, they are such easy go-to-one-pot meals; soups are super easy for kids to eat (thanks to them being relatively soft); and soups are perfect in cold weather!
I got this recipe from my sister-in-law, who has turned this soup into a bit of a family favorite. Kids love it, babies love it, and husbands/partners love it too 🙂
The best part about tortilla soup is you can add any mix-ins you like, all of which are delicious and healthy. Some of our favorites include: avocado (1 tbsp per bowl), diced red onion, chopped cilantro, a couple of tortilla chips - crumbled, and shredded Mexican cheese (1 tbsp per bowl).
Tools and Equipment You'll Need For This Recipe
How to Make Mexican Black Bean Soup - Step by Step
Step 1: Sauté peppers, onions, and garlic in 1 tsp olive oil until the peppers and onions are slightly translucent.
Step 2: Add the spinach and cumin when the pepper mix is done cooking. Cook an additional 5 minutes.
Step 3: Add tomatoes, green chile peppers and broth - bring to a boil and cook 10-20 minutes until the ingredients are soft enough to puree.
Step 4: Blend with immersion blender until the soup is smooth. Season with salt to taste.
Step 5: Add whole corn & black beans and simmer on low/med-low heat for 10-20 minutes until all of the ingredients are cooked through.
Step 6: Serve with toppings and enjoy!
What makes this Mexican Black Bean Soup healthy?
- High in Protein: The black beans and cheese in this soup make it high in protein at 12.6 grams per serving.
- Rich in Vitamins and Nutrients: This soup is chock full of veggies with the onions, peppers, garlic, and spinach. The added spinach is a superfood, because it's high in vitamins A, C and K, magnesium, iron and manganese.
- Low in Fat and Calories: One serving of this soup has 150 calories and 6 grams of fat - which means that you can go back for seconds and thirds and still end up with a light yet filling meal.
- High in Fiber: The black beans, corn, and other veggies make this soup high in fiber with 11.6 grams. That's 40% of your daily recommended fiber in one bowl of soup! Including fiber in your diet is important for digestion and is what makes this soup hearty without being high in calories.
Will kids enjoy this Mexican Black Bean Soup?
Kids love this soup because it's flavorful yet mild in spice. Soup is excellent to serve to kids and toddlers because it's easy for them to eat. Kids enjoy making this soup their own by adding their own favorite toppings and sprinkling in crushed tortilla chips.
How do you thicken Mexican Black Bean Soup?
If you'd prefer a thicker base to this soup you can add one can of black beans to the base of the soup and blend it into the broth. Another option is to stir in a tablespoon of cornstarch with water to create a paste, and stir that into the soup.
Can you freeze Mexican Black Bean Soup?
I love batch cooking soups as they are great to freeze. Simply let the soup cool completely after cooking and then pour into a sealable freezer container or portion into ziplock bags. The soup will keep for 3 months in the freezer, fully defrost before gently reheating.
What do you serve with Mexican Black Bean Soup?
Add a variety of topping to this soup. Some of our favorites include.
- Avocado or guacamole (1 tbsp per bowl)
- Diced red onion
- Diced tomatoes or pico de gallo
- Chopped cilantro
- Crumbled tortilla chips
- Lime wedges / lime juice
- Shredded Mexican cheese (1 tbsp per bowl)
- Plain, whole milk Greek yogurt
In addition to this soup you can serve...
- Vegetarian tacos
- Side salad
- Nachos
- Fresh cut veggies
- The soup will keep for 2-3 days in a sealed container in the refrigerator.
- If you want to freeze this soup, cool it down first, then transfer it to an airtight container and freeze. It will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months! When you're ready to serve it, either place on the stove or defrost in the microwave using the defrost setting.
- I used frozen corn for ease, but you can use fresh.
- Feel free to throw any veggies into this soup that you have on hand. Carrots, squash, zucchini or even sweet potatoes would taste great pureed into the soup!
- Always use the freshest ingredients you can and preferably organic.
- To make this recipe vegan, just omit the cheese as a topping.
Top tips for making Mexican Black Bean Soup
Be sure to try these other healthy, vegetarian soups!
If you have tried this Mexican Black Bean Soup recipe, or any other recipe on my blog, then please rate it and let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST to see more delicious, healthy, family friendly food!
