Smoky, spicy black beans and tender sweet potatoes are the perfect match in this satisfying black bean and sweet potato recipe. Any time the heat builds, the sweet roots come in to mellow everything out. Plus, it's so inexpensive and scratches those takeout cravings for a while! Print it out or screen shot it - you'll want to make this one again later!
Why you'll love this Vegan Black Bean Soup Recipe
- Ready in about 40 minutes start to finish
- Makes 6 servings, so plenty for the whole family or leftovers for days
- Made with inexpensive, simple ingredients (great for hungry foodies on a budget)
- The flavors build over time, so you'll want to make this one for meal prep!
- Serve it with your favorite toppings to make it your own and adapt to different dietary preferences
- Makes a satisfying main meal or a hearty side dish
- Great recipe for Meatless Monday, Veganuary, or for highlighting how flavorful vegan food can be to your friends and family
Sweet Potato Black Bean Soup Ingredients
This sweet potato black bean soup relies almost exclusively on pantry staples and storage ingredients. Gather your canned goods from the pantry, rifle through the fridge for the veggies and you're ready to get cooking. No fancy ingredients required.
- Olive oil - Or your favorite cooking oil.
- Aromatics - Saute diced onion, carrots, and celery to release their flavors into the broth.
- Sweet potatoes - These offer just enough natural sweetness and a soft, tender texture. You can also substitute the sweet potato cubes with diced butternut squash or even carrots. Any sweet, firm root veggie or squash will work.
- Frozen corn - For color and extra flavor.
- Crushed tomatoes - These add more texture than regular tomato sauce and are ideal for hearty, cozy soups.
- Cans of black beans - Dry beans work well, but canned black beans are so convenient and affordable.
- Seasonings - For plenty of heat and flavor, season with smoked paprika, chipotle chile flakes, dried oregano, and sea salt. The smoky flavor will come from the paprika and chipotle, so don't skip 'em! If you don't have dried chipotle peppers, you can use chili powder or red pepper flakes instead.
- Garnishes - Top each bowl with fresh cilantro, sliced avocado, and fresh lime juice.
Bonus tip: This soup makes the best leftovers! Feel free to make a double batch and freeze half for easy meals during busy times of the year.
How to Make Black Bean Soup with Sweet Potatoes
Using canned beans and tomatoes speeds up this recipe, making it easier and faster than ever to enjoy a rich, layered soup without spending hours in the kitchen. Put on your favorite music, prep your veggies, and get into the groove a bit. By the time it's done, you'll feel like yourself again.
- In a large pot over medium heat, heat the oil and then add the onions and cook for 2-3 minutes until fragrant
- Next add carrots and celery and cook for 2-3 minutes
- Then add sweet potatoes and cook for 5 minutes stirring often to avoid sticking
- Add water, tomatoes, black beans, corn, smoked paprika, optional chile, salt and oregano.
- Bring to a boil and cook for 20 minutes until all veggies are fork tender.
- Finish by adding cilantro to the soup and taste for salt. Add more to taste.
- Serve with lime wedges, cilantro and avocado.
- Enjoy for up to 5 days when cooled properly and stored in the refrigerator or up to 3 months frozen.
Tips for Making the Best Soup
- Add more veggies. The best thing about this black bean sweet potato soup is that it can easily absorb more vegetables, if you'd like. Add in some bell peppers, white potatoes, butternut squash, or extra carrots and onions.
- Use dry beans. Feel free to use dried beans instead. Just know that you'll need to cook them separately, which can take some time.
- Try different garnishes. Need some more ideas for decorating your bowl of soup? Add tortilla chips, hot sauce, pickled jalapenos, sliced green onions, vegan sour cream or yogurt, a hunk of crusty bread, and anything else you'd like! It's also nice served over a bed of brown rice to make it even more satiating.
- Freeze the leftovers. This black bean stew freezes wonderfully. Just let it cool to room temperature, then fill freezer bags or your favorite freezer-safe containers with the soup. Leave at least once inch of space for the soup to expand, then freeze for 3 months. Thaw in the fridge, then warm on the stove before serving. Super simple!
FAQs
Although you can, I prefer for my soups to have a little texture to them. If you blend it, you'll lose those little bites of corn, sweet potatoes, and black beans, which make it feel more like a meal. If you prefer a thicker soup, consider blending 1-2 cups of the soup with an immersion blender then adding it back to the pot. You'll get a thicker, creamier soup with plenty of texture. It's the best of both worlds.
Absolutely! You'd perhaps want to call this soup something else, but it's great with any types of beans, like red kidney beans, pinto beans, etc.
This recipe calls for a lot of water, but you can use vegetable broth if you prefer. You'll start by basically making your own vegetable stock, which allows you to save money and avoid the packaging waste of buying pre-made broth (as well as the preservatives, colors, and stabilizers).
Other Delicious Vegan Soup Recipes
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Vegan Black Bean and Sweet Potato Soup
Equipment
- soup pot
Ingredients
For the soup
- ½ onion diced
- 3 carrots peeled and diced
- 3 stalks celery diced
- 3 sweet potatoes peeled and chopped
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 1 15- oz can crushed tomatoes
- 2 15- oz cans black beans
- 10 cups water
- 2 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp chipotle chile flakes optional
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 2 tsp salt plus more to taste
- 2 tbsp olive oil
To garnish
- ½ cup cilantro chopped
- 2 avocados optional; quartered and diced
- 2 limes sliced into wedges
Instructions
- In a soup pot over medium heat, heat the oil and then add the onions and cook for 2-3 minutes until fragrant
- Next add carrots and celery and cook for 2-3 minutes
- Then add sweet potatoes and cook for 5 minutes stirring often to avoid sticking
- Add water, tomatoes, black beans, corn, smoked paprika, optional chile, salt and oregano.
- Bring to a boil and cook for 20 minutes until all veggies are fork tender.
- Finish by adding cilantro to the soup and taste for salt. Add more to taste.
- Serve with lime wedges, cilantro and avocado
- Enjoy for up to 5 days when cooled properly and stored in the refrigerator or up to 3 months frozen.