Chipotle Black Bean Soup

A budget-friendly, delicious vegetarian version that gets a little kick from the adobo-style chipotle chiles. It is thick with whole black beans but has a smooth texture to the broth from smashed some of the beans.

4.67 from 3 votes

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Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 2

Total Time: 2 20

Servings: to 10 servings

Calories: 74kcal

Author: Pat Nyswonger

Ingredients

1 can 7 oz. chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 carrots peeled and chopped
2 onions peeled and chopped
1 red bell pepper diced -divided
2 jalapeño peppers seeded and chopped
4 garlic cloves grated or minced
1/2 cup red wine
1 pound dry black beens sorted and rinsed, (no need to soak)
2 quarts vegetable broth
1 tablespoon dried Mexican herb seasoning mix
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon table salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano

Garnishes

Reserved chopped red bell pepper
2 green onions green parts only, sliced
Lime wedges
Fried corn tortilla strips

Instructions

Purée the can of chipotle chiles and their sauce in a blender or mini-food processor. Transfer the puree to a small dish and reserve.
In a Dutch oven or heavy bottomed large pot, heat the oil over medium heat and when it is hot add the carrots, onions, 3/4 of the bell pepper and the jalapeño peppers. Sauté until the onions are soft, about 5 minutes; then stir in the garlic and cook an additional 30 seconds.
Pour in the red wine and boil for 1-2 minutes to burn off the alcohol. Add 1 tablespoon of the reserved puréed chipotle mixture and stir in the black beans, vegetable broth, seasoning mix, bay leaves, salt and pepper. Increase the heat and boil for 10 minutes; then reduce the heat to low and simmer, partly covered, for 1-1/2 hours, stirring occasionally until the beans are soft but not mushy. Add additional chicken broth or water as needed for a soupy consistency.
Remove 2 cups of the beans and pulse in the food processor or use an immersion blender. Add the mix back into the soup and stir to combine. Taste and add additional puréed chipotle chiles according to your personal preference.

To Serve:

Ladle soup into serving bowls and garnish with the remaining red pepper bits, sliced green onion, lime wedges and crispy corn tortilla strips.

Notes

Sort and rinse the beans, they do not need to be pre-soaked.
Spoon leftover chipotle puree onto parchment paper, or into an ice cube tray and freeze for another use.
For a thicker texture soup, increase the amount of beans to process.
To make the soup spicier add additional chipotle purée.

To make the crispy corn tortilla strips:

Use 12 tortillas, 6-inch in diameter
Stack the tortillas about 4 tortillas per stack and slice them into strips of 1/4-inch wide.
Heat 1/4 cup oil in a skillet set over medium-high heat. Working in batches, fry the tortilla strips in the oil until lightly browned and crisp. Transfer each batch of the tortilla strips to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain.