This flavourful black bean soup is a comforting (and nutritious!) one pot meal loaded with swiss chard, cumin and as much garlic as you dare. Made with fibre-rich canned black beans so it’s quicker, it’s the kind of plant-based dinner the whole family will enjoy. Ready in 45 minutes!

white bowls of black bean and swiss chard soup with gold spoon
Black bean soup with a boost of greens, this garlicky, brothy vegan soup is full of flavour.

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I’ve been a recipe developer a looooooong time. And I’m always trying to create the most flavourful, nutrient-dense recipes that you actually get excited about eating plants. Because honestly, a life spent enduring meh food isn’t actually healthy in my books. And I’ve written three of them, ha!

As a dietitian, if there’s one food I know we don’t eat enough of, it’s beans. I feel like people still don’t fully get just how good black beans are for you! We’re talking, like, even better for you than kale. 

Black beans are actually a little higher in protein and fibre than other beans. And that deep black colour comes with benefits, namely anthocyanins that have powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity. A single serving of this brothy black bean soup will net you 13g of protein, a whopping 15.5g of fibre as well as 4.5mg of iron! 

If you’ve been here a while, you know I’m a vegan in a house of omnivores…and this vegan black bean soup checks all the boxes: the ingredient list is mostly spices, it’s super flavourful and deeply comforting and the kind of dinner that sets you right after a busy workday. 

It’s also one of those recipes that doesn’t feel overtly “vegan” so the whole family can get on board. So if you’re someone who’s just trying to eat more plants, you need this black bean soup in your repertoire! 

A couple of things to help you make this black bean soup your own

Something I knew straight away is that I didn’t want to make a soup from dried beans because I wanted it to be weeknight friendly. But that presents an issue: using canned beans can result in a soup that lacks the body and richness that cooking the beans in the liquid offers. 

swiss chard, cans of black beans, bowls of red onion and spices
Use as much garlic as you dare…and shallots could work here too instead of red onion. 

I tried pureeing one version of the soup but honestly, I didn’t want it too thick either. I wanted a brothy soup that still had that richness…the fix? I’m using one full can (liquid and all) of black beans because that’s how we’re mimicking the richness of a “cooked from dried” soup.

hand slicing swiss chard stem
Don’t throw out those stems!
hand adding cumin to pot of red onion
We’re keeping it low waste – and more nutritious – by cooking the stems down with the onions.

You’ve got a little bit of flexibility here – which is what makes soup so amazing – I always use Better than Bouillon because it’s more umami, but if you’ve got broth on hand use that.

hand pouring can of black beans into soup pot
I always use no-salt-added beans so I can control the salt level.
hand adding swiss chard to black bean soup
Use the greens you have on hand, like kale, spinach or collards.

The only thing that is completely non-negotiable is the lime, you need a bit of acid to really brighten the flavour of the soup. Don’t have one? Try a tiny drizzle (maybe 1 tsp?) of apple cider vinegar. Stir, taste and adjust. Okay, so maybe that means it’s the acid that’s non-negotiable…but the lime really is awesome!!

More nourishing vegan soups:

black bean and chard soup in white bowl with gold spoon

Garlicky Black Bean Soup with Swiss Chard

4 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
This flavourful black bean soup is a comforting (and nutritious!) one pot meal loaded with swiss chard, cumin and as much garlic as you dare. Made with fibre-rich canned black beans so it’s quicker, it’s the kind of plant-based dinner the whole family will enjoy.
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Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons avocado oil, or your favourite oil!
  • 6 medium-large swiss chard leaves, leaves and stems separated
  • 1 medium red onion, finely chopped
  • 6 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 2 x 14 ounce cans black beans, do NOT drain yet!
  • 4 cups water
  • 4 teaspoons Better than Bouillon vegetarian chicken concentrate, or sub broth for water
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • lime
  • pinch dried chile flakes
  • salt and pepper, for seasoning
Imperial – Metric

Instructions 

  • Dice the chard stems and slice chard into thin ribbons. I usually slice the chard leaves in half lengthwise first so the ribbons aren't too long.
  • Drain ONLY ONE of the cans of black beans. We're gonna use the other one, liquids and all!
  • In a large soup pot, heat the oil on medium heat. Add the onion and chard stems and cook, stirring occasionally, until they soften a bit, 7-10 minutes.
  • Add garlic, cumin, coriander, garlic powder and paprika and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Season well with salt and pepper.
  • Now add the black beans, water, bouillon concentrate and tomato paste. Bring to a boil on high and then return heat to medium and let it bubble away for 20 minutes while you tidy up the kitchen.
  • Add the chard leaves, ¼ teaspoon salt and let the chard wilt, 3-5 minutes.
  • Add the lime juice, stir and taste. Need more salt? Add it now!

Notes

Wanna boost the protein? Add diced veggie sausages! Most have 20-30g of protein, so adding 2 will net an extra 10-15g of protein. You could add them in with the chard or if you want them crispy, panfry them and sprinkle them on top.
Cuisine: American
Course: Dinner, Lunch, Soup
Author: Desiree Nielsen, RD

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