Slower Cooker Black Bean Soup

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For this recipe, we combined two things we love: soup and the slow cooker!

This week in the Women of Today Test Kitchen we decided to make this warm and hearty black bean soup in the slow cooker — Because is there anything better than a good slow cooker meal?!

If you don’t have a slow cooker, don’t worry! This is an easy and simple recipe and can be made in a slow cooker or Dutch oven. To swap an ovenproof Dutch oven, assemble your ingredients on the stovetop and pop in a 300-degree oven for 4-6 hours or until the beans are soft.

You throw all the ingredients in and pretty much let the slow cooker do its thing. Bonus: the slow cooker equals light cleanup.

We finished the soup off by smoothing it out using an immersion blender for a creamy version. If you prefer a chunkier-style soup, you can skip that step.

The other reason we love this recipe? The toppings! You can get very creative with how you want to top your soup — Think sour cream, sliced green onions, avocado, limes… The options are pretty much endless.

Slower Cooker Black Bean Soup

Ingredients

1 tbsp oil
1 small onion or 1/2 large onion, diced
2 jalapeño peppers or 1/2 green bell pepper, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp Chipotle (spicy) chili powder or regular chili powder (mild)
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp kosher or sea salt
pinch of cinnamon
2 bay leaves
32 oz box of stock – for cooking
1 lb dried black beans (soaked overnight)
2-3 cups stock for finishing the soup

Garnish Options

sliced green onions
chopped cilantro
thinly sliced jalapeno pepper
diced avocado
sour cream drizzle
lime

Instructions

Soaky our beans the night before cooking.
If using a slow cooker that has a stovetop setting, use it when assembling the soup or turn your slow cooker on high. If using a Dutch oven, assemble the ingredients on the stovetop over medium heat.
To the bottom of the slow cooker or Dutch oven, add the oil, diced onions, diced pepper, minced garlic, cumin, coriander, salt, and cinnamon. Stir to combine and let the slow cooker or Dutch oven heat up until the onions begin to soften, and the aromatics become fragrant.
Rinse the soaked black beans and add to the slow cooker.
Add the stock and the bay leaves.
Cover your slow cooker, and let the soup cook on low for six hours. If using a Dutch oven, cover and place in a 300-degree oven for 4-6 hours or until the beans are soft.
REMOVE the bay leaves.
Using an immersion blender, pulse the soup to get a creamy/whole bean consistency. Add some of the remaining 2 cups of stock a little at a time until you get the consistency you like.