Black Bean Soup with Chorizo
Inspired by Yucatecan flavors, this easy Black Bean Soup with Chorizo features mashed and whole black beans, onion and tomatoes, citrus juice, and of course, Mexican chorizo. What’s more is that it provides a perfect healthy base for salsa macha, avocado, pickled onions, sour cream, etc. It’s a great black bean soup recipe to utilize your well-stocked pantry and a few fresh ingredients on a busy weeknight!
👩🏻🍳 Tamara Talks – About Healthy Black Bean Soup with Chorizo
Recently when working on my salsa macha recipe, I felt compelled to create a healthy way to use this spicy Mexican condiment. Of course it’s great on tacos and breakfast potatoes, but given our sub-freezing temperatures in Black Mountain lately, I really wanted to drizzle it on a steaming bowl of soup!
This version of black bean soup includes chorizo. I can’t get lean chorizo in North Carolina (like I did in Texas), so I always make it. We package it in 4 ounce portions, and 1 package is plenty to flavor this healthy soup recipe. Chorizo is quite easy to make, and the ingredients aren’t difficult to find.
When we lived in McAllen, Texas, I had multiple options for purchasing chorizo. Lean pork or chicken chorizo is typically found in the butcher/meat department in a tray with plastic wrap, and should look like reddish-orange ground meat. Avoid the fatty chorizo in a tube that is mostly grease.
Black beans are a staple in southern Mexican and Central American cooking, and they’re so healthy when prepared in a healthy way. I hope you’ll give this healthy black bean soup a try!
📋 Ingredients Notes
Here is a quick look at the ingredients in the recipe – it’s handy to use at the grocery store or as a summary of what you need. Skip to the recipe for quantities.
- black beans – This easy black bean soup starts with cooked beans. I love to start with dried black beans, but I also keep canned beans on hand for quick meals.
- chorizo – This black bean soup requires Mexican chorizo (as opposed to cured Spanish chorizo). If you have a favorite lean chorizo, use it. Typically, a lean chorizo comes in a tray covered with plastic wrap. Avoid the brands that are pork and enclosed in a casing. I have found chicken chorizo links that are fine, but the pork links I have tried are just orange grease. You want the texture of ground meat.
- onion
- garlic
- tomatoes – I specify canned tomatoes, but they get blended so tomato sauce is fine.
- citrus – I like a combination of orange and lime juice. It comes close to the flavor of Seville/sour oranges used in Yucatecan cooking. If you don’t have an orange, a good squeeze of lime is fine.
- chipotles – I specify 1 chipotle with a tablespoon of adobo, and I almost always have them on hand. In a pinch, substitute a teaspoon of ground chipotle powder.
- oregano – I keep dried Mexican oregano leaves in my spice cabinet. Dried Mediterranean oregano leaves are fine. I have also used a couple of sprigs of fresh oregano. Be sure to remove the sprigs before puréeing the soup!
- ground cumin
- garnishes – As shown in the photo below, avocado, pickled onions, sour cream, crema, or plain yogurt, lime wedges, chopped cilantro leaves, salsa macha are all good options.
🔪 Step-By-Step Instructions
We start this black bean soup by sautéing the ingredients that will get puréed – onion, garlic, ground cumin, Mexican oregano, tomatoes, chipotle, and half of the black beans. The soup is finished with the browned chorizo, half of the remaining beans (left whole), and broth or stock.
- Starting with oil in a dutch oven over medium-high heat, sauté the onion for 2-3 minutes before adding the garlic and ground cumin. Stir an additional 1-2 minutes. Add one can of black beans (rinsed and drained), the chipotle with adobo, and the tomatoes.
- Stir in the broth/stock. Cover and simmer while you brown the chorizo (about 5 minutes).
- Brown the chorizo over medium-high heat, breaking it up as you would ground beef. NOTE: My chorizo has essentially no fat. I spray the pan with cooking spray.
- Purée the black beans that have cooked with the aromatics and broth/stock until smooth. Add the second can of rinsed and drained black beans, the cooked chorizo, and the citrus juices. Simmer until heated through. Serve with chosen garnishes and enjoy!
chopped cilantro, avocado, and pickled onions.
❓FAQ
You can keep black bean soup in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days in an airtight container, but for longer storage, it freezes beautifully for up to 3 months, making it great for meal prep. Always cool the soup to room temperature before storing to prevent condensation and bacterial growth, then reheat gently on the stovetop or microwave.
The short answer? YES! The longer answer is that black beans are high in plant-based fiber and protein, they’re nutrient dense, low in saturated fats, and include many important micronutrients like iron, magnesium, and folate. Conversely, cooking method (ie. frying) or unhealthy ingredients (ie. cream cheese or bacon) can result in an unhealthy dish.
💡 Tips
An immersion blender really simplifies this soup recipe. Pouring hot ingredients into a blender can be messy and risky.
This is our first winter as full time residents in North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains. A warming bowl of soup really hits the spot in January with sub-freezing temperatures!
Black Bean Soup with Chorizo Recipe
Click to rate!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 15 ounce cans black beans, rinsed and drained - divided use
- 1 canned chipotle in adobo - with 1 tablespoon adobo
- 2 teaspoons dried Mexican oregano leaves - or Mediterranean oregano
- 1 can diced tomatoes - with juice
- 2 cups chicken broth or stock - or vegetable broth
- ¼ cup citrus juice - orange and/or lime juice
- 4 ounces lean chorizo - see Ingredients Notes in post
- ½ teaspoon sea salt and fresh ground pepper - to taste
Instructions
- Sauté the onion for 2-3 minutes. Add garlic and ground cumin, and cook an additional 1-2 minutes. Add one can of black beans, the chipotle with adobo, and the tomatoes.
- Stir in the broth/stock. Cover and simmer while you brown the chorizo (about 5 minutes).
- In a separate pan, brown the chorizo over medium-high heat, breaking it up as you would ground beef.
- Purée the black beans that have simmered until smooth. Add the second can of rinsed and drained black beans, the cooked chorizo, and the citrus juices. Simmer until heated through. Serve with chosen garnishes and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
NOTE: Macronutrients are an approximation only using unbranded ingredients and MyFitnessPal.com. Please do your own research with the products you’re using if you have a serious health issue or are following a specific diet.
I really enjoyed this soup. It is in fact very warming on a chilly winter evening. I kind of went crazy with the condiments and toppings, but the soup is great on its own (based on my experience having it left over for lunch the next day).