Sopa de frijoles – Mexican Black Bean Soup Recipe
Sopa de frijoles is a thick, hearty black bean soup that in Mexico is eaten both for lunch and dinner. It has a deep, slightly smoky flavour thanks to the spices and sautéed onion, and is topped with a little cheese and lime. It’s a bit like Polish bean soup, but with a distinct Mexican character.
This sopa de frijoles has the character of a typical Mexican “all-evening” soup – thick, warming and full of smoky aroma from cumin and smoked paprika. Black beans give it a deep, almost chocolatey colour and a creamy texture, contrasted by fresh lime, salty cheese and crunchy tortilla strips. It’s a great example of how to build a complex, layered flavour from just a few simple ingredients.
Chef's tips
Make sure the vegetables at the beginning only soften and turn translucent rather than brown – this way the soup will have a clean, deep flavour without bitterness. Beans cook at different speeds depending on how long they were soaked, so don’t stick rigidly to the time – start tasting the beans after about 40 minutes and cook until they’re tender but not falling apart. If you want a creamier consistency, blend not one but two ladlefuls of soup, but do it in batches so you don’t burn yourself.
How to serve
Serve it as a standalone dish with tortillas or nachos – at my place it works great on Friday movie nights instead of the usual pizza. It pairs well with a light lager, lime water or homemade citrus agua fresca. If you want to turn it into a bigger, informal meal, put bowls of extra coriander, hot salsa and avocado pieces on the table so everyone can season their soup to their liking.
Ingredients
- dried black beans soaked overnight - 250 g
- onion medium - 1 piece
- garlic - 3 cloves
- carrot medium, peeled - 1 piece
- celery stalk optional - 1 stalk
- vegetable oil for frying - 2 tablespoons
- bay leaf - 2 pieces
- ground cumin - 1 teaspoon
- smoked paprika powder adds a smoky aroma - 1 teaspoon
- hot paprika powder or less, to taste - 0.5 teaspoons
- vegetable stock homemade or from a cube - 1.2 l
- salt or to taste - 0.75 teaspoons
- ground black pepper - 0.5 teaspoons
- feta or Balkan cheese for sprinkling, crumbled - 60 g
- fresh coriander chopped, for serving - 2 tablespoons
- lime cut into wedges for serving - 1 piece
- wheat or corn tortillas cut into strips and fried or baked - 2 pieces
Preparation
- Drain the beans soaked overnight, rinse under running water and set aside for a moment.
- Peel the onion and dice finely. Peel the carrot and cut into small cubes. Slice the celery stalk into thin pieces. Peel and finely chop the garlic.
- Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot and celery and fry for 5–7 minutes, stirring, until the vegetables soften and become slightly translucent but not browned.
- Add the garlic, cumin, smoked paprika and hot paprika. Fry for about 1 minute, stirring constantly, until the spices become very fragrant.
- Add the beans and bay leaves and pour in the vegetable stock. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover the pot with a lid and cook for 45–60 minutes, until the beans are tender. Stir from time to time and add a little water if needed.
- When the beans are soft, remove the bay leaves. Ladle out a scoop of the soup into a separate bowl, blend it until smooth and pour it back into the pot – the soup will become thicker but will still contain whole beans.
- Season the soup with salt and pepper and cook for another 5 minutes on low heat so the flavours meld together.
- Cut the tortillas into thin strips and fry in a dry pan for 1–2 minutes on each side, until crispy and lightly browned.
- Ladle the hot soup into bowls, sprinkle with crumbled cheese and chopped coriander. Top with tortilla strips and serve with lime wedges for squeezing over just before eating.
Storage
This soup keeps well in the fridge for up to 3 days and also freezes nicely. Reheat gently, adding a splash of water or stock if it has thickened too much, and add the cheese, coriander, tortilla strips and lime only when serving.
