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This soup is a hearty, cozy bowl of comfort food perfect for warming up a chilly day. Black Bean Sweet Potato Soup requires some chopping, but the flavor it packs is worth a little effort.
Black Bean and Sweet Potato soup hints at being chili - lots of chili powder, hearty texture - but is so full of fresh flavors and vegetables that definitely not black been and sweet potato chili.
However, just because it's not exactly chili doesn't mean you have to skip the toppings! If you love toppings on hearty soups, try some crushed tortilla chips, creamy avocado slices, a dollop of plain greek yogurt, or even a sprinkle of fresh cilantro.
I love a meal where you cook once and eat for days. This recipe makes a lot, which means we get at least one dinner and several lunches out of one pot of soup. It's also a great ways to get eating extra veggies, and is thickened using puréed black beans making it naturally gluten free.
This is one of those recipes that's delicious the day you make it, yet it's maybe even a little better the next day. Black Bean Sweet Potato soup freezes really well, making it perfect for dividing up into air-tight containers and freezing for future meals.
What's in Black Bean and Sweet Potato Soup
- Olive oil - Choose your favorite brand or whatever you have on hand.
- Onion, Red bell pepper, Carrots - This trio is the base of our soup. We're using red bell pepper (or yellow or orange bell pepper) instead of celery for a flavor boost.
- Dried parsley - A subtle flavor addition, I love dried parsley in soups. If you prefer fresh parsley, double the amount and add it in with the tomatoes and spinach.
- Sweet potatoes - Use whatever type you have in your local grocery store or grow in your garden.
- Black beans - You need two cans - or the equivalent of 2 cans (30 oz) - of cooked black beans. Choose your favorite brand.
- Chicken broth or vegetable broth - Choose a low sodium broth for this soup. Use vegetable broth to make it a vegetarian/vegan soup.
- Tomatoes - The recipe calls for roma tomatoes because I like using them, but use whatever tomatoes are ripe and available.
- Corn - Either frozen and thawed corn or fresh corn. If using fresh corn, you'll need about 2 cobs to yield the 1 cup of corn. Cut it off the cob and add it in with the sweet potato so it has some time to cook.
- Baby spinach - Fresh spinach is important here. Skip the frozen spinach, even if it's thawed.
- Chili powder, Cumin, Nutmeg, Garlic powder - Delicious spice additions to any brothy soups. I add a dash of nutmeg to anything with spinach.
- Lime juice, Red wine vinegar - Two sneaky flavor boosters that brighten up this soup. Don't skip them.
How to Make Black Bean Sweet Potato Soup
Place 2 tablespoon olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, bell pepper, carrots and dried parsley.
Cook until onion is translucent (3-4 mins). Add diced sweet potato, a can of drained and rinsed black beans, and the broth.
Stir and cook until soup reaches a bubble. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook until carrots and sweet potatoes are tender - about 8-10 minutes.
While soup is cooking, place remaining can of black beans, remaining olive oil, lime juice, red wine vinegar, and garlic powder in a food processor.
Pulse until smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides of the food processor as necessary. Set aside.
Once carrots and sweet potatoes are tender, add tomatoes, spinach, corn, chili powder, cumin, nutmeg, salt, and black bean mixture to the pot.
Stir and cook for an additional 5 minutes or until spinach is wilted and soup is heated through. Serve and enjoy!
Enjoy Your Black Bean Sweet Potato Soup with...
An easy make-ahead addition to soup night are these Barbecue Oyster Crackers. They're a delicious snack and also pair well with this black bean soup.
Easy Cocktail Pairings
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Sweet Potato Black Bean Soup
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoon olive oil divided
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 2 large carrots peeled and diced
- 1 tablespoon parsley dried
- 1 large sweet potato peeled and diced
- 15 oz canned black beans drained and rinsed
- 15 oz canned black beans drained and rinsed
- 32 oz low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
- 2 roma tomatoes diced
- 1 cup frozen corn thawed
- 3 cups fresh baby spinach washed and roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Instructions
- Place 2 tablespoon olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.4 tablespoon olive oil
- Add onion, bell pepper, carrots and dried parsley.1 medium onion, 1 red bell pepper, 2 large carrots, 1 tablespoon parsley
- Cook until onion is translucent (3-4 mins).
- Add sweet potato, 1 can of black beans, and broth.1 large sweet potato, 15 oz canned black beans, 32 oz low sodium chicken
- Stir and cook until soup reaches a bubble.
- Reduce heat, cover and cook until carrots and sweet potatoes are tender. (About 10 minutes)
- While soup is cooking, place remaining 1 can of black beans, remaining 2 tablespoon olive oil, lime juice, red wine vinegar, and garlic powder in a food processor.15 oz canned black beans, 1 tablespoon lime juice, 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- Pulse until smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides of the food processor as necessary.
- Set aside.
- Once carrots and sweet potatoes are tender, add tomatoes, spinach, corn, chili powder, cumin, nutmeg, salt, and black bean mixture to the pot.2 roma tomatoes, 1 cup frozen corn, 3 cups fresh baby spinach, 1 tablespoon chili powder, 1 ½ teaspoon cumin, ½ teaspoon nutmeg, 2 teaspoon salt
- Stir and cook for an additional 5 minutes or until spinach is wilted and soup is heated through.
- Enjoy!
Julie Blaszak says
Made this tonight and it is AMAZING! Due to the snowstorm in my area, I made a few substitutions with what I had in my pantry. I used yellow bell pepper instead of red. 1 can fire roasted diced tomatoes instead of the romas. 2 Tbsp. champagne vinegar instead of the 1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar and 1 Tbsp. lime juice. Had no corn, but would definitely add that next time. So good! Will definitely make again!!
MittenGirl says
Such good substitutions! So glad you enjoyed the recipe. It’s perfect for a snowy night.
Cynthia Berstler says
I’ve made this several times and the only substitution I make is with the greens, whatever I have on hand, baby kale, dandelion greens, beet green, etc. Perfect soup! Delicious and so flavorful!
Katy McAvoy says
Those greens substitutions sound delicious! So glad you enjoy the recipe!