Sweet Potato Black Bean Soup (Printer version)

Creamy sweet potatoes and black beans simmered with smoky spices for a hearty, fiber-rich bowl ready in under an hour.

# What You'll Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
02 - 1 large yellow onion, diced
03 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 1 medium carrot, diced
05 - 1 stalk celery, diced
06 - 1 red bell pepper, diced

→ Legumes

07 - 2 cans (15 oz each) black beans, drained and rinsed

→ Liquids

08 - 4 cups vegetable broth
09 - 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes with juice

→ Spices and Seasonings

10 - 1 teaspoon ground cumin
11 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
12 - 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
13 - 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
14 - 1 bay leaf
15 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
16 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
17 - 2 tablespoons olive oil

→ Garnishes

18 - Chopped fresh cilantro
19 - Lime wedges
20 - Sliced avocado

# Directions:

01 - Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add diced onion, carrot, celery, and bell pepper. Sauté for 5 minutes until vegetables are softened.
02 - Add minced garlic to the pot and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Stir in diced sweet potatoes, ground cumin, smoked paprika, ground coriander, cayenne pepper, and bay leaf. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
04 - Pour in vegetable broth and canned diced tomatoes with their juice. Bring the mixture to a boil.
05 - Reduce heat to a simmer. Cover the pot and cook for 15 minutes, or until sweet potatoes are tender.
06 - Add drained and rinsed black beans, salt, and black pepper to the pot. Simmer uncovered for 5 to 10 minutes to allow flavors to meld.
07 - Remove the bay leaf from the soup. For a creamier texture, use an immersion blender to partially blend the soup, leaving some chunks intact. Adjust seasoning as needed.
08 - Ladle soup into bowls and serve hot, garnished with fresh cilantro, lime wedges, or sliced avocado as desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The sweet potatoes break down slightly during cooking, creating a naturally creamy texture without adding a drop of heavy cream.
  • On busy weeknights when energy is low, this one-pot wonder comes together in under an hour but tastes like it simmered all day.
02 -
  • Dicing sweet potatoes into uniform 3/4-inch cubes ensures they cook evenly, preventing some pieces from turning to mush while others remain too firm.
  • The soup thickens considerably as it cools, so if making ahead, you might need to add a splash more broth when reheating.
03 -
  • If you blend part of the soup but find it still too chunky, remove a cup of the solid ingredients, blend them separately until smooth, then stir back into the pot for the perfect consistency.
  • Adding a tablespoon of lime juice to the finished soup just before serving acts like salt in awakening all the flavors without adding sodium.
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