In order to be healthier, I’ve made the choice for myself, Ben, and the kids to eat meatless at least once a week. Both to cut down on our carbon footprint and because we could all use more plants, I think this is important.
Soup made with black beans is healthy, quick, gluten-free, doesn’t have any meat, and tastes AMAZING! This super simple dinner is ready in less than 30 minutes, is full of protein and fiber, and did I mention how easy it is?
Sauté garlic, jalapeño, shallots, or onions, and spices for a few minutes. Then add seasoned canned beans, chicken broth, or vegetable broth if you want to make this recipe vegan. Simmer for ten minutes. Blend part of the soup for a thicker consistency, less for a thinner soup. Sprinkle some fresh lime juice on top, and dinner is ready! Add everything but the kitchen sink, and you have a tasty, festive, and healthy meal.
Black bean soup is a hearty, protein-packed soup that is easy to make and healthy to eat But eating a bowl of soup by itself can get boring pretty quickly That’s why it’s important to serve your black bean soup with a delicious side to make it a complete meal.
In this article, I’ll share 25 of my favorite side dishes to serve with black bean soup I’ve included a variety of flavors, textures, and cooking methods so you can find the perfect match for your soup
Crunchy Sides to Contrast the Soup’s Creaminess
Black bean soup has a naturally creamy, smooth texture from blending the beans. Serving it with something crunchy adds nice contrast.
1. Tortilla Chips
You can’t go wrong with a big basket of fresh tortilla chips. The corn flavor pairs nicely with the black beans. Break up some chips right in your soup bowl!
2. Toasted Bread Cubes
Small cubes of bread toasted up with olive oil, garlic, and salt make excellent croutons to stir into your soup. I like using crusty artisan bread or baguettes.
3. Vegetable Crudités
Cut up an assortment of crunchy veggies like carrots, bell peppers, cucumbers, radishes, and celery. Serve with a bean dip or guacamole.
4. Crunchy Tacos
Warm up some corn taco shells and set out all the toppings. Let everyone assemble their own tacos to dip in the soup.
Fresh Veggie Sides for Texture
Since bean soup is such a hearty dish, fresh vegetables help balance out the meal.
5. Tomato Salad
Diced tomatoes, onion, cilantro, lime, and a drizzle of olive oil makes a fast, tasty salad. Tomatoes add a nice acidity.
6. Coleslaw
Creamy cool coleslaw with shredded cabbage and carrots complements the soup perfectly.
7. Roasted Broccoli
Broccoli roasted with garlic, olive oil, and lemon is a healthy accompaniment. The charred florets add nice color contrast too.
8. Sauteed Spinach
Sauteed spinach with lots of garlic provides essential vitamins and minerals to balance the soup.
Satisfying Starches to Make it a Meal
Starchy sides help make your black bean soup feel more like a complete, filling meal.
9. Rice
A big bowl of fluffy white rice, brown rice, or flavorful yellow rice gives you the perfect sponge for soaking up every last bit of soup.
10. Mashed Potatoes
Creamy mashed potatoes are so comforting with bean soup. Add cheese, garlic, or scallions for extra flavor.
11. Mac and Cheese
A gooey baked mac and cheese is always a crowd-pleasing favorite. The creaminess matches the soup.
12. Quinoa
Protein-packed quinoa bulked up with sauteed veggies makes a super healthy accompaniment.
13. Refried Beans
More beans! A side of refried or whole pinto beans gives you two kinds of beans in one meal.
Baked Breads for Dipping
Tear off a piece of freshly baked bread to dip into your piping hot soup.
14. Cornbread
Moist, sweet cornbread is practically required eating with black bean soup. The crumbly texture soaks up the broth well.
15. Garlic Bread
You can never go wrong with hot, garlicky, buttery bread fresh from the oven.
16. Cheesy Biscuits
Flaky, moist biscuits studded with cheddar cheese get even better when dunked in the soup.
17. Breadsticks
Crunchy Italian-style breadsticks are fun to dip into the soup between sips.
Boldly-Flavored Components to Compliment
Since black bean soup already has a strong Southwestern taste, these spicy, acidic, or herb-y sides make great complements.
18. Pickled Vegetables
Quick pickled red onions, jalapeños, or carrots lend a tangy crunch.
19. Guacamole
Creamy, cool guacamole provides a fresh contrast to the hearty soup.
20. Chili
Can’t decide between soup or chili? Why not both! A bowl of beef or turkey chili makes the ultimate soup companion.
21. Lime Wedges
Fresh lime juice brightens up the deep, earthy flavor of black beans.
22. Tortilla Soup
A second, lighter soup like tortilla soup complements the black bean soup perfectly.
23. Cilantro-Lime Rice
Zesty cilantro-lime rice adds a citrus punch. The cilantro echoes the Latin flavors.
Hearty Proteins for More Substance
Adding another protein source makes your soup into a more robust, filling meal.
24. Chicken Fajitas
Sizzling chicken fajitas with peppers and onions pair awesomely with the spicy soup.
25. Beef Empanadas
Baked empanadas filled with spiced ground beef offer another play on Latin flavor combinations.
Black bean soup may seem like an incomplete meal on its own, but served with any of these amazing sides it becomes a fully satisfying dinner! I recommend picking three or four complementary sides and letting your guests build their own plates. That way everyone can customize their favorite soup and sides combo. As you try out these different pairings, you’ll discover your perfect matches with black bean soup.
Tips for Making Black Bean Soup
- Customize the spice level. This recipe is mild to medium-spicy as written, with one jalapeño and mild chili powder. What does that tell you? My 17-month-old loves it! If you want to make this Black Bean Soup recipe more spicy, you can add more minced jalapeño, use hot chili powder, or crush red chili pepper flakes.
- What to serve with it. I believe that the toppings make black bean soup taste even better. I put fresh Pico de Gallo, crushed tortilla chips, diced avocados, and the recipe below for Cilantro Lime Rice on top of mine. It tastes great with sour cream, green Tabasco sauce, and lime wedges. Sour cream is especially good if you make the soup very spicy. I wouldn’t hate a piece of cornbread on the side.
- Prep ahead of time. Don’t forget to make the toppings ahead of time for this recipe. Every day before dinner, I like to chop the garlic, shallots, and jalapenos and get the Pico de Gallo ready. That way, dinner is ready FAST.
- Do you want the soup to be thicker? You decide how thick it should be. Some people like their Black Bean Soup thick and creamy, while others, like me, like it more on the brothy side. Blend at least two ladlesfuls of beans from the soup pot and then stir them back in. This will make the soup naturally thicker. Just blend one ladleful of beans and broth to get the slightly thicker texture seen in these pictures.
Oh my gosh, I’m getting hungry just looking at this spoonful. This soup has just the right amount of spice, and the spicy beans really bring out the flavor. I can’t wait for you to try it!.
How to Make This Recipe
To begin, cook chopped shallots or small onions and minced jalapenos in extra virgin olive oil for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add minced garlic then saute until very fragrant, another minute or so. This soup will be mild with just a touch of heat from one jalapeno. If you want it to have more of a kick, add another one!
Next, add cumin and chili powder (I use mild chili powder for the kids). Sauté for one more minute.
Now add chicken or vegetable broth plus canned seasoned black beans that have been drained but not rinsed. Raise the heat until the soup starts to bubble. Then lower the heat to medium or medium-low and let it cook for 10 minutes.
I use and love these seasoned beans from Bush’s. They are gluten-free and give the soup a great Tex-Mex taste.
Now it’s your turn: you can serve the soup as is, with a lot of broth, or you can blend some of it to make it thicker and creamier. Personally, I like to blend a few ladles of broth with one ladle of beans and then add it back to the soup. This keeps it soupy but a little thicker. Blend at least 2 ladlefuls of beans plus a few ladlefuls of broth for a thicker soup.
The last step is to taste it and add more fresh lime juice and salt and pepper if needed. It really wakens this soup up! Start with a little – you can always add more. At this point, you can also add more chicken or vegetable broth to get the soup to the consistency you want.
That’s all she wrote! Scoop the Black Bean Soup into bowls then top with ALL your favorite fixin’s. Of course, my bowl has to have Cilantro-Lime Rice (recipe below), diced avocado, fresh Pico de Gallo, and crushed tortilla chips. However you eat it, I hope you love this healthy, easy recipe – enjoy!.
BLACK BEAN SOUP is a vegetarian soup that’s SO DARN good!
FAQ
What do you eat with bean soup?
What can I use to thicken black bean soup?