Black Bean Soup Recipe

Recipe source: Elise Bauer / Simply Recipes. The historical TastyMaza posting byline is not a claim of original recipe authorship. The ingredient quantities are retained from the historical post. The functional instructions and editorial notes below were written for this update on 2 November 2026; they are not recovered historical prose. TastyMaza has not independently kitchen-tested this editorial version.

This historical soup contains pork in the form of a smoked ham hock or shank; it is not vegetarian. Cook the beans until fully tender before blending any portion. The two separate salt entries belong to different cooking stages.

Historical ingredient list

  • 1 pound dried black beans (about 2 cups), rinsed, soaked in 4 quarts of water overnight or 6 hours, drained
  • 1 lb smoked ham hock or shank
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 5 cups water
  • 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 4 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 large yellow onion, chopped fine
  • 1 medium sweet potato, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces (can substitute 2 large carrots)
  • 1/2 carrot, chopped fine
  • 1 celery rib, chopped fine
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 4 medium garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 Tbsp ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon chile powder
  • 2 cups chicken stock
  • 1 Tbsp molasses
  • 1 red bell pepper, roughly chopped
  • 3 to 4 Tbsp lime juice (can substitute lemon juice)
  • Salt
  • Chopped fresh cilantro
  • Sour cream
  • Avocado, peeled and chopped

Preparation — current editorial instructions

  1. Rinse, soak and drain the dried beans as listed. Boil with ham, bay leaves, 5 cups water, baking soda and the first salt portion; cover and simmer until beans are tender, checking around 75–90 minutes. Remove bay leaves and ham; reserve the meat.
  2. In a larger pot, soften onion, celery, carrot and sweet potato in oil with the second salt portion. Add garlic, cumin and chile powder briefly.
  3. Add beans with their liquid, stock, molasses and bell pepper. Simmer for 20–30 minutes.
  4. Purée part of the soup using equipment suitable for hot liquids. Return it with the ham meat; add lime juice and season. Serve with the listed garnishes.

Handling and ingredient notes

Check the ham label for raw versus ready-to-eat status and follow its cooking instructions. Smoking alone does not establish that meat is ready to eat. Do not seal hot soup in a blender not rated for hot liquids; follow the appliance instructions.

Allergen and dietary check: Contains pork. Optional sour cream contains milk; check stock labels for allergens.

Use the FoodSafety.gov temperature chart, cold-storage chart and handling guidance for current safety checks.

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