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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.
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.
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.
Ingredients for cuban black bean soup
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
- Sauté onion, green bell pepper, garlic, salt, cumin, coriander, oregano and crushed red pepper together.
- Add the bay leaves, black beans and water.
- 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.
- Natural release will help the beans cook a bit further. Remove the bay leaves.
- Blend up using a blender or a hand blender.
- 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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Cuban Black Bean Soup
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
- 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.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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This was one of the first things we tried with our new Instant Pot, and it was delicious! I think we’re going to make it again next week…
My parents liked it too, even though they were suspicious that it had no meat.
love hearing this! haha.
Mmmm I’m drooling! Looks yummy! Btw, I love such soups with beans so much because they must be very nutritious having such a high level of protein. I would like to make it of vegetable or meat broth.
Thank you for sharing this recipe, Adrianna! I add it to my bookmark list. I’m gonna cook it soon. Can’t wait to try!
FANTASTIC! Super easy and the flavor is deep and warm and tastes like it has been cooking all day. So happy I tried this. So is the family.
love it!
How would you make this recipe if you don’t have an Instantpot??
Woah. This is so delicious! The only change I made was adding chicken base. It’s definitely not too runny once you blend it up. This is everything I hoped it would be!
Miami, Florida is far and away the best place in the world for Cuban restaurants and bakeries.
These were amazing.
I tried this soup tonight along with the arepas. I think the liquid measurements are entirely off. I followed them to the letter and in both cases the recipes were so watery, I could barely use them. I’m really disappointed as fixing them will waste even more ingredients.
hmm that is so strange. did you use an instant pot? did you blend the soup up? before i blended it up, it was super watery, but blending it thickened it up!
and the beans won’t hurt your stomach if you don’t soak?! I’m IN!
Hi,
I never tried black bean soup.
I m sure this would taste amazing if cooked well, would like to try making this at home.
Thanks for sharing such different recipe…