Sweet Potato Black Bean Soup (Printable)

Creamy sweet potatoes meet black beans in this warming, spice-infused comfort bowl. Vegetarian and gluten-free.

# What You 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, optional
14 - 1 bay leaf
15 - 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
16 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
17 - 2 tablespoons olive oil

→ Garnishes

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

# Step-by-Step Guide:

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

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It comes together faster than you'd expect, turning humble pantry staples into something that tastes like you spent hours on it.
  • The spice blend is perfectly balanced so even people who think they don't like spicy food find themselves going back for seconds.
  • You can make it chunky or creamy depending on your mood, and it freezes beautifully for those weeks when cooking feels impossible.
02 -
  • Don't skip the initial five-minute sauté of the base vegetables; this is where the real flavor development happens, and rushing it leaves the soup tasting flat.
  • If you use an immersion blender, do it gently and only partially so you create creaminess without making soup that feels like wallpaper paste.
03 -
  • Taste the broth you're using before you add it; if it's bland, your soup will be bland, so starting with something you actually like drinking matters enormously.
  • The immersion blender is optional but makes a real difference in texture, and using it for just twenty or thirty seconds rather than blending the entire pot creates the best results.
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