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This Panera style Black Bean Soup Recipe is a knockout cozy soup. It’s easy and one of the most flavorful vegetarian soups I have had! It’s full of fiber and savory flavor from peppers, onions and seasonings. This soup keeps well and makes a great meal prep since the leftovers get better and better.
Why You Will Love This Black Bean Soup
I can go on and on, being a big soup lover, this checks all the boxes for me. It’s a great cozy winter staple in my home.
- Vegetarian. It’s a great way to mix in a vegetarian meal throughout the week, but if you want some meat, shredded chicken pairs great.
- Easy to make. Just chop everything up, dump it in a pot and simmer.
- Great Texture. It’s thick, creamy but also has a lot of whole black beans mixe din for texture.
- Save Money! This soup is similar to the Panera Black Bean Soup Recipe and it yields 4x the servings. Pair it with my Green Goddess Caprese Melt (another Panera fave!)
Ingredients Needed
All other ingredients and measurements can be found in the recipe card towards the bottom of this post.
- Black Beans. I use canned black beans to make this Panera Bread Dupe. You can also use raw black beans however you will need to add a lot more time to the cooking time and cook according to the package.
- Veggies. Celery, Garlic, Bell Peppers, Jalapeños
- Chicken Bullion. This is optional but it adds LOADS of flavor. A little goes a long way.
- Broth. Veggie broth (low sodium) works best. If you want to cut back on the sodium in the recipe, you can skip the broth and just use water.
- Corn Starch. This will be mixed with water to make a slurry, add it to the soup to thicken it!
- Toppings. Cilantro, shredded cheese, tortilla chips, you name it!
Steps To Make Black Bean Soup
Ready to cook this soup? Let me walk you through the recipe. For your convenience, there is a full ingredient list and detailed instructions in the printable recipe card below.
- Step One. Chop all ingredients. Keep some bell pepper to the side for toppings! In a 3-4 qt pot, combine, bell peppers, onion, garlic, celery, broth, bullion, water, seasonings.
- Step Two. Simmer for 10-12 minutes. Add one can of beans (drained). The other can will be added later for texture!
- Step Three. Puree soup (I use an immersion blender which makes it easy to do it right in the pot) if you don’t have one, use a blender (photo 2).
- Step Four. Combine the cornstarch with 1.5 tablespoons of water. whisk well. Add it to the blended soup. Simmer for 5 minutes until the black bean soup thickens.
- Step Five. Add in the other can of black beans, bring it to temp and serve! Sprinkle with chopped cilantro, leftover bell peppers and optional jalapeños.
What To Pair With Black Bean Soup
This Panera Copy Cat Black Bean Soup Recipe is great with toasted baguette or a simple grilled cheese. You can keep it simple and enjoy it for a lighter lunch or pair it with some yummy Mexican meals like:
Black Bean Soup Tips
- Keep plenty of canned beans and diced peppers to the side to add later for extra yummy texture.
- Make this recipe lower in sodium buy skipping the broth and replacing with water!
- Jalapeño is optional for spice.
- Taste as you go! You may want more salt or spice, always taste as you go to adjust to your liking.
Black Bean Soup
This Panera style Black Bean Soup Recipe is a knockout cozy soup. It's easy and one of the most flavorful vegetarian soups I have had! It's full of fiber and savory flavor from peppers, onions and seasonings. This soup keeps well and makes a great meal prep since the leftovers get better and better.
Equipment
- large 5-8 qt pot
- blender or immersion blender
Ingredients
- ½ onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 red bell pepper, fine diced , *keep some to the side for topping
- 3 celery ribs, diced
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp chipotle powder
- ½ tsp cumin powder
- 2 -14 oz cans black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 -14 oz can veggie broth, low sodium
- 1 cup water
- 1 small chicken or veggie bullion cube , *add extra seasonings if you do not have a bullion cube
- 2 Tbsp cornstarch , *to make a slurry and thicken the soup more
- 1 jalapeño, diced , optional for topping
- chopped cilantro for topping , optinal
Instructions
- Chop all ingredients. Keep some bell pepper to the side for toppings and the jalapeño is for topping!
- In a 3-4 qt pot, combine, bell peppers, onion, garlic, celery, broth, bullion, water, seasonings.
- Simmer for 10-12 minutes. Add one can of beans (drained). The other can will be added later for texture!
- Purée soup (I use an immersion blender which makes it easy to do it right in the pot) if you don't have one, use a blender.
- Combine the cornstarch with 1.5 tablespoons of water. Whisk well. Add it to the blended soup. Simmer for 5 minutes until the black bean soup thickens.
- Add in the other can of drained black beans, bring it to temp and serve! Sprinkle with chopped cilantro, leftover bell peppers and jalapeños if using.
Notes
- Keep plenty of canned beans and diced peppers to the side to add later for extra yummy texture.
- Make this recipe lower in sodium buy skipping the broth and replacing with water!
- Jalapeño is optional for spice.
- Taste as you go! You may want more salt or spice, always taste as you go to adjust to your liking.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can freeze these for up to 2 months.
Nutrition
Serving: 1.5 cup of black bean soup | Calories: 127kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 0.3g | Saturated Fat: 0.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 449mg | Potassium: 192mg | Fiber: 22g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 1209IU | Vitamin C: 41mg | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Leave a comment below!
I hope you love this delicious fiber full soup!