Panera has discontinued this delicious vegan/vegetarian soup but you can still enjoy it with this homemade version!
Serve this easy weeknight dinner with a pan of hot buttermilk cornbread or a bowl of tortilla chips!
Table of Contents
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🗝️ Key takeaways
- This hearty soup is both a delicious and a budget friendly recipe!
- Since it's even better the second day make a big pot of it on the weekend and have a quick weeknight meal ready anytime.
- This is a vegan soup but don't let that stop you! It's full of delicious flavors. Have to have some meat? Crumble bacon over the top just before serving.
Busy weeknights call for a quick dinner to get on the table fast. This simple soup recipe can be made in the slow cooker or on top of the stove. It's full of nutritious vegetables and wholesome ingredients, too.
Make this Panera favorite right at home tonight! All of the southwestern seasonings will leave your mouth dancing a jig.
🧾 Ingredients
📖 Variations
- I like to use a mix of green, yellow, and red bell pepper.
- Use red beans or black-eyed peas instead of black beans.
- Add a sliced jalapeno for extra spicy heat.
- Not vegetarian? Add some crispy bacon.
- Or add some diced ham.
- Sprinkle red pepper flakes on top for some extra heat.
- Add one or two more garlic cloves.
🔪 Instructions
Note: This is an overview of the instructions. The full instructions are in the green recipe card below. Click on the image to see it full size.
Chop veggies.
Saute.
Add remaining ingredients.
Simmer for 30 minutes
What's soup without crackers? They're definitely a must with soup and you'll love this homemade saltine crackers recipe.
🥫 How to store leftovers
This copycat Panera soup can be stored for up to 5 days in the refrigerator if it's tightly covered. In fact, it's even better the next day!
Let it come to room temperature and add it to an airtight container ( a canning jar works great).
You can freeze it for longer storage - up to 6 months. Be sure to leave ½-inch headspace in the freezer container.
🎥 Video
Expert Tip:
If you dice the vegetables all the same size they will cook more evenly.
💭 Things to know
- This easy black bean soup recipe is vegan as long as you don't garnish with sour cream, cheese, or other dairy products or add meat.
- I use canned black beans to save time but you could soak and cook dry black beans to use if you wish. Just make sure they're cooked before you start the soup.
- Garnish with lime wedges - they give the soup a burst of flavor.
- It's thickened by blending a few cupfuls of the soup in the blender or with an immersion blender and adding it back to the pot. For a thinner soup skip the blending step, for a thicker soup blend more until you get the consistency you want.
- For a smoother consistency puree soup with an immersion blender.
- If you don't have a regular blender you can use a potato masher.
- If you don't like it spicy, substitute plain diced tomatoes for the Ro*Tel diced tomatoes with chiles.
- If you can't find diced tomatoes with chiles you can chop up a jalapeno or two and add it in with the vegetables.
- This is one of those dishes that gets better as it sits.
- For a non-vegetarian version of this soup, you can use chicken broth. Be sure to use vegetable stock for the vegan/vegetarian version.
- Add a second squeeze of lime juice just before serving to brighten it up.
If you love soup and sandwich dinners as much as we do try pairing this with creamy ranch chicken sandwiches.
👩🍳 FAQs
Here are the questions I am most frequently asked about this recipe.
Corn bread, tortilla chips, baguette—just about anything! A salad is nice to serve on the side, too. You can also serve it with your favorite sandwich.
Yep! This is thickened by blending up some of the soup and adding it back into the pot rather than thickening with flour. So it's gluten free.
Let it cool completely, and then put it in gallon-size ziploc bags. Freeze them flat on a cookie sheet. When they're frozen you can stand them up like books and they take up very little room. You can also spoon it into a canning jar, leaving a ½-inch head space.
📚 Related recipes
🍽️ Serve with...
Copycat Cracker Barrel corn muffins are hearty and delicious. They're just perfect thick soups like this one!
Guinness Irish soda bread is slightly sweet and hearty with whole grains. It's a quick bread and super easy to make. Plus it's delish with this spicy black bean soup.
Buttery and garlicky, these garlic knots rolls hold up to this spicy soup!
📞 The last word
This vegan black bean soup is hearty and filling. It's a great recipe with plenty of veggies, and you can even sneak in more if you want to.
You might also want to give this copycat Subway Broccoli Cheddar Soup a try!
If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need.
If you love this recipe please comment below and give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📖 Recipe
Black Bean Soup
Print Pin Recipe Save Recipe Rate RecipeIngredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 cups onion , diced
- 1 cup carrots , sliced
- 1 cup celery, diced
- 1 red pepper, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 45 ounces black beans, drained
- 30 ounces Ro*Tel diced tomatoes with chiles, do not drain
- 32 ounces vegetable broth
- ¼ cup cilantro
- ½ teaspoon salt, more to taste
- 1 ½ teaspoon cumin
- ¾ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- ½ lime
Optional Toppings
- Cilantro
- Pepper Jack Cheese, leave off to keep it vegan
- Lime slices
Instructions
Stove Top
- Add the oil to a stock pot.
- Heat until it's shimmering then add the vegetables and garlic.
- Saute until softened.
- Add the beans, tomatoes, seasonings, cilantro, and broth.
- Stir well and add a squeeze of lime.
- Bring to a boil, turn down heat, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove about 2 cups of the soup and add to a blender. CAREFULLY blend until smooth.
- Stir back into the soup to thicken it.
- Ladle into bowls and top with more cilantro, a lime slice, and Pepper Jack cheese if desired.
Slow Cooker
- Add all ingredients (except optional toppings) to the slow cooker.
- Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.
- Remove about 2 cups of the soup and add to a blender. CAREFULLY blend until smooth.
- Stir back into the slow cooker with the remaining soup to thicken.
- Serve topped with favorite toppings.
Notes
- If you dice the vegetables all the same size they will cook more evenly.
- This black bean soup recipe is vegan as long as you don't garnish with sour cream, cheese, or other dairy products.
- It's thickened by blending a few cupfuls of the soup and adding it back to the pot. For a thinner soup skip the blending step, for a thicker soup blend more until you get the consistency you want.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This recipe has been tested several times. If you choose to use other ingredients, or change the technique in some way, the results may not be the same.
First published March 15, 2021. Last updated March 11, 2024 for more information and improved editorial content.
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candis says
Great made with black eye peas/ I prefer dry bean prepared not canned.
I will substitute fresh tomatoes with diced peppers / jalapeños or Serranos
Love soup the next day flavor !
Marye says
Always better on day 2, right?!
Suze says
So delicious! Will def make again!
Debbie says
This looks delicious, wish I could make it but would be eating it for weeks since my husband doesn't like anything with beans!
Emily Gallup says
I'm planning to use the slow cooker version of this recipe. Should I still saute the vegetables? Thank you!
Marye says
No need to. It does give a bit more flavor though.
Sarah B says
I cannot stop making this!!
I’ve been so bummed since Panera discontinued my favorite soup, but I now make this 2-3 times per week.
Thank you so much!! 🤗
MrsSW says
Sounds good.
Ingredient list says: 1 tablespoon teaspoon oregano
Sheila
Marye says
1 teaspoon oregano. 🙂