Cuban Black Bean Soup

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This Cuban Black Bean Soup makes a delicious, flavorful weeknight meal. This soup is plant-based and vegan and so flavorful. Top it with vegan (or non) sour cream, sliced avocado and diced red onion. Below you’ll find two ways to make it: in the Instant Pot and on the stove top. Serve it alongside my other Cuban favorites like Cuban Picadillo and Ropa Vieja.

Instant Pot Cuban Black Bean Soup

This recipe is fire for so many reasons! But before we dive into the recipe let’s talk about why I love this soup so very much.

Cuban black beans might be my favorite food to get in all of Florida. They truly are the food of South Florida. While my family isn’t Cuban, we spent a lot of family celebrations at Cuban restaurants. They were our go-to. And the black bean soup was always a favorite (along my other favorites like pastelitos de guayaba and lechon asado.

Instant Pot Cuban Black Bean Soup

The most critical part of Cuban black bean soup?

The sofrito. In this instance it’s a combo of red onions, green bell pepper, garlic and some spices that give the beans some good flavor. Beans by themselves are notoriously bland so you definitely have to gussy them up with lots of spices and a healthy amount of salt.

Traditionally Cuban black bean soup is made with a ham hock or pieces of bacon, but I wanted it to be vegan/vegetarian. I’m trying to incorporate more plant-based recipes into my diet and this is a nice addition to my rotation of healthier recipes that I like to make during the week.

Instant Pot Cuban Black Bean Soup

Ingredients for cuban black bean soup

  1. Black beans – This is essential. And could you probably do a shortcut version and use canned? Probably but this recipe uses dried black beans. It’s the most economical and delicious way to infuse them with flavor.
  2. Sofrito – The combination of onion, green bell pepper and garlic are what make up the sofrito. This is sauteed in olive oil to make a delicious base to the soup.
  3. Spices – This adds nice depth of flavor to an otherwise simple soup.

For the rest of the ingredients, please refer to the recipe index card below.

How to Make Cuban Black Bean Soup

  1. Sauté onion, green bell pepper, garlic, salt, cumin, coriander, oregano and crushed red pepper together.
  2. Add the bay leaves, black beans and water. 
  3. Turn the Instant Pot to “high pressure” and set the time to 40 minutes. If you’re doing it on the stove-top, you want to bring the mixture to a simmer and cover the lid. Bring the heat down to medium-low.
  4. Natural release will help the beans cook a bit further. Remove the bay leaves.
  5. Blend up using a blender or a hand blender. 
  6. Divide amongst bowls and garnish with sour cream, avocado, diced red onion and serve with lime wedges.

TIPS AND TRICKS

  • Can you use canned beans for this recipe? Absolutely. I would drain them and proceed with the recipe. I recommend cutting each cooking time (whether it’s for the Instant Pot or Stove Top) in half. You want the beans to soften so they can be blended easily.
  • Can you cook this on a stove top in a pot? Yes! The directions are below.
  • Bell Pepper substitutions – You can use red, green or yellow bell peppers.
  • Onion substitutions – If you don’t have red onion, use a yellow onion or white onion in its place.

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4.92 from 35 votes

Cuban Black Bean Soup

Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 2 hours
Blending Time: 5 minutes
Total: 2 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 4
Cuban Black Bean Soup made in an Instant Pot or on the stove. This Cuban favorite is made vegan for all to enjoy. Super quick and easy weeknight meal that's great for leftovers. 

Ingredients 

Cuban Black Bean Soup:

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 red onion, peeled and roughly chopped (a tablespoon reserved for garnish)
  • 1 green bell pepper, roughly chopped
  • 6 garlic cloves, peeled
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt , plus more to taste
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 2 teaspoons ground coriander
  • 1 teaspoon Mexican or Italian dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 2 dried or fresh bay leaves
  • 1 pound dried black beans , (that have been soaked in water for at least 4 hours)
  • 4 1/2 cups water

For Garnish:

  • 1 avocado, pitted and sliced
  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • Cilantro Leaves
  • 1 lime, quartered

Instructions 

To Soak the Beans:

  • Pour the black beans into a large bowl. Cover with filtered water. I like to add about three times the amount of water than the beans. This will allow space for them to expand. Let them soak for at least 4 hours. I like to do this overnight for optimal softness. Drain the beans and then proceed with the recipe.

To Make the Cuban Black Bean Soup on the Stove:

  • In a medium to large pot, set over medium heat, add the olive oil. Add the onion, bell pepper, garlic, salt, ground cumin, coriander, oregano and crushed red pepper. Cook until softened and fragrant, about 5 minutes. 
  • Add the bay leaves, black beans and water. Stir until combined. Bring to a simmer and bring the heat down to medium low. Cook for about 2 hours, until the beans are tender.
  • Remove the leaves of bay leaves and discard. Using an immersion blender, blend the black beans until they’re smooth and cohesive. This will thicken the soup quite a bit, going from kinda watery to a good soup consistency. 
  • Divide amongst bowls and garnish with avocado, a dollop of sour cream, some of the reserved red onion and cilantro leaves. 

To Make the Instant Pot Cuban Black Bean Soup:

  • Turn your Instant Pot to the "medium sauté function." Add the olive oil and when warm, add the red onion, bell pepper, garlic cloves, salt, ground cumin, coriander, oregano and crushed red pepper. Cook until softened and fragrant, about 5 minutes. 
  • Add the bay leaves, black beans and water. Stir until combined. Place the lid to the Instant Pot on and press “cancel." Then, turn the Instant Pot to “pressure cook” and set the timer to 40 minutes. Make sure the pressure knob is on “seal.” 
  • When the Instant Pot comes to pressure the timer will begin. When the timer goes off, do not do a quick-release. Allow the machine to do a natural-release which will continue cooking the beans further. 
  • When the natural release is done, you’re welcome to remove the lid, making sure you do it pointing away from yourself. Remove the leaves of bay leaves and discard. Using an immersion blender, blend the black beans until they’re smooth and cohesive. This will thicken the soup quite a bit, going from kinda watery to a good soup consistency. 
  • Alternatively, you can transfer this to a blender in batches. 
  • Alternatively, you can transfer this to a blender in batches. Divide amongst bowls and garnish with avocado, a dollop of sour cream, some of the reserved red onion and cilantro leaves. 
  • Soup lasts up to 1 week when stored in an air-tight container in the fridge. 

Notes

Tips and Tricks: 
  • Can you use canned beans for this recipe? Absolutely. I would drain them and proceed with the recipe. I recommend cutting each cooking time (whether it’s for the Instant Pot or Stove Top) in half. You want the beans to soften so they can be blended easily.
  • Can you cook this on a stove top in a pot? Yes! The directions are below.
  • Bell Pepper substitutions – You can use red, green or yellow bell peppers.
  • Onion substitutions – If you don’t have red onion, use a yellow onion or white onion in its place.
Equipment: 
Le Creuset Dutch Oven | Instant Pot | Silicon Spatula | Kitchen Utility Towels

Nutrition

Serving: 4g | Calories: 240kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 24mg | Potassium: 4mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 100IU | Vitamin C: 1.7mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American, Cuban
Like this Recipe? Please Rate & comment below!

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42 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    So glad I found this recipe – I love Cuban black bean soup and this delivered. I used dried beans in the Instant Pot and only blended a cup or so at the end and mixed it back in. Easy and really delicious.

  2. 5 stars
    Delicious!! This was so easy to make, affordable, and most importantly: so tasty. I’m already looking forward to leftovers tonight! This is my first recipe from your site, and I’m excited to try more.

    1. I forgot to mention that I tend to garnish with a lot of cilantro and instead of dried coriander, lately I have been chopping up the cilantro stems super finely and adding those. Same delicious taste.

  3. 5 stars
    This was absolutely the best black bean soup I’ve ever had. Thank you for the recipe. Because of health issues, I did not use oil to sauté the onion/garlic/pepper/spices and I put the salt in to taste after the soup was completed (using less than the recipe). I will probably put in a little cayenne pepper to taste the next time (oh yes, there will be many more next times) I make this.

    Thank you again!

    PS. My nutritional values are different from yours but for one serving, my sodium = 400mg which sure beats any canned soup.

  4. 5 stars
    Hi there, this soup is delicious. I was reading the nutrition information, though, and noticed that the size of one serving is 4 grams. This can’t be accurate. 4 grams is about 4 beans! Can you clarify how much a serving is via weight or volume? Manny thanks!

  5. 5 stars
    I agree with Laurie! I have tried other black bean soup recipes, but when I saw the spice list, I knew I was on to something!! If one doesn’t like heat from the red pepper flakes, they may want to cut it in half or omit altogether. I will probably cut the red pepper flakes in half. Not as much a criticism as just letting others know. My niece is married to a first generation Cuban and tells me Cubans don’t do heat. I feel bad for them. Thanks for giving me what I have been asking for; my search for the perfect Cuban Black Bean Soup is over?