You Only Need 3 Canned Ingredients To Make This Vintage Black Bean Soup

Simply put, black beans are a whole meal in and of themselves, offering protein, fiber, and a filling base for all kinds of modifications. They're a relatively low-cost and low-effort option for mealtimes, which means they're a favorite in my household. While you can eat black beans in all kinds of ways, soup is a tried-and-true favorite, especially when you want a cozy meal. Conveniently, you really only need three canned ingredients for this vintage soup recipe: black beans, diced tomatoes, and chicken stock.

Chicken stock imparts a delicious, savory, salty, meaty flavor to whatever graces its delicious depths. It makes for a great soup base, too, since it's flavorful but not so overwhelmingly potent that you can't taste the other ingredients. Just simmer two cans of black beans, one can of diced tomatoes, and about a cup of chicken broth or stock to start. The canned beans you should always have in your pantry make up the bulk of the dish, but the diced tomatoes add that little pop of acidic freshness. 

Once it's all heated through, which will likely take around 10 or so minutes, you can puree it with an immersion blender or, after it has cooled slightly, a standard blender. You can warm it back up to your preferred serving temperature, thinning with more broth if necessary, and enjoy a tasty and simple soup for lunch, dinner, or, heck, even breakfast. I'm not going to tell you when to eat a good soup.

The big draw of this dish is that it only requires a few pantry ingredients and hardly any effort on your part. Still, if you have the time and desire, you can always add ingredients to spruce the soup up. Spices are a solid place to start. Chili powder, black pepper, turmeric, garlic powder, and onion powder all make for nice additions to black beans and tomatoes. You can add some heat to offset the creaminess of the beans, too, in the form of red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, or even fresh jalapeños.

You can also add some fresh vegetables instead of just relying on tinned products, though even professional chefs use canned tomatoes. I suggest reaching for some red onion, green onion, or garlic, which always makes any dish more delicious. Black beans have a solid amount of protein on their own, but if you're looking for a heartier finish, add some crumbled bacon or Italian sausage to your soup for some extra meaty goodness. Of course, you can't go wrong with a heaping handful of cheese, either. Top a bowl of this black bean soup with some shredded cheddar or a Mexican blend, and you'll be golden.