Puerto Rican-Style Black Bean Soup
A hearty, spiced soup featuring slow-simmered black beans, sofrito, and a hint of citrus for authentic island flavor. This Puerto Rican-inspired soup recipe (vegetarian), ready in about 55 minutes, pairs black beans, sofrito base, chicken broth for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 320 calories and feeds 6, so it slots cleanly into a weekly meal plan and pairs well with a quick salad or grain on the side. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.
Ingredients
- 2 cans (15 oz each), drained and rinsed black beans
- 1 cup (onion, bell pepper, garlic, cilantro, all finely chopped) sofrito base
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- 1, sliced avocado
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Equipment for this recipe
Tools this recipe's steps call for, with a link to each on Amazon.
Instructions
- Step 1: In a large pot, combine 2 cans black beans (15 oz each, drained and rinsed), 1 cup sofrito base, 4 cups chicken broth, 1 tsp cumin, 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, and 1 bay leaf. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat.
- Step 2: Cover and simmer for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until beans are tender and flavors meld.
- Step 3: Remove bay leaf, then stir in 2 tbsp lime juice and simmer for 5 more minutes. Adjust seasoning with salt if needed.
- Step 4: Ladle into bowls and top with 1 sliced avocado per serving, allowing the creamy avocado to balance the spicy-savory broth.
