This hearty southwestern black bean soup is loaded with peppers, tomatillos, corn, and tomatoes for a satisfying vegetarian dinner. Finish it with a squeeze of lime juice, slices of avocado, chopped cilantro, and a dollop of sour cream or make it vegan by skipping the sour cream.
Jump to Recipe
Want to Save This Recipe?
Enter your email & I'll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!
Want to make this recipe perfectly the first time? I want to help with that. So, check out this Table of Contents to see which sections of this post will help you the most.
Jump to:
I don't know about you, but a big bowl of chili with a side of cornbread (especially Mexican cornbread) is my idea of the perfect dinner. I can eat this meal with little variations all year round and never tire of it.
Sometimes I use a combination of kidney beans and black beans and add a plant-based meat substitute. In autumn and winter I make chili with added pumpkin puree if I have some on hand for added nutrition.
Or I top the chili with cornbread, cowboy style.
This southwestern version is a favorite thanks to the peppers, tomatillos and corn, and is easy to make.
❤️ Why you'll love this recipe
- 5 ingredients plus olive oil, salt and pepper.
- Make it in 30 minutes or less.
- Low carb dinner entree.
- Use it as a main dish or side dish for the meat lovers at the table.
🧅 Main Ingredients + Notes
The secret to many dishes often lies in the ingredients. For example, some ingredients make a huge difference to the flavor and/or texture of the finished recipe. And purchasing the right ingredients can save you valuable time in the kitchen.
This list only covers ingredients that require some notes. For all of the ingredients, measurements, and directions, go to the Recipe Card at the bottom of this post.
- Poblano chili pepper - For less heat, cut away any pith and remove all of the seeds. Also the longer it roasts, the tamer the heat. You can use canned or frozen roasted Hatch chiles as a substitute.
- Sweet red bell pepper - Any color of sweet bell peppers is fine except I find the green bell peppers to be a little too bitter. In a pinch, you can use jarred roasted red peppers. These are not as thick, hardy, and flavorful though as purchasing fresh peppers.
- Tomatillos - These are round green produce that look like green tomatoes in a thin husk. They're sticky when you peel away the papery husk, so be sure to wash them well with soapy water and thoroughly dry them before slicing them into quarters. If you can't find them at your market, you can substitute a green salsa that uses tomatillos.
- Corn - Either frozen or freshly cut from cobs works well in this recipe. There's no need to thaw the corn kernels first.
- Black beans - You can use canned, frozen, or cooked from a dried form.
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links to products and foods I use in my kitchen. This means that at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. To view my entire storefront of recommended kitchen tools and equipment, check out my shop on Amazon.
🔪 Recommended Equipment
Having the right equipment for recipes makes prepping much easier. If you want more fuss-free prepping and cooking, check out my updated list of favorite kitchen tools and equipment.
- Chef's knife
- Dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed pot suitable for making chili
- Immersion blender (optional)
⏰ Tips to Simplify and Save Time
- Use canned beans and frozen corn.
- Swap 2 small cans of chopped Hatch chile peppers or ⅓ cup of frozen and thawed from the Hatch Chile Store.
- Purchase onion already chopped. Many markets now sell it in small containers in the refrigerator cases in the produce department.
- Use roasted red peppers sold in jars.
- If you can't find tomatillos, it's fine to substitute green salsa made with tomatillos.
🧊 What's the best way to store this chili?
This chili can be made ahead and refrigerated or frozen.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
- Freeze in a freezer safe container for 2 - 3 months.
🥣 More Black Bean Soups
If you're looking for an Instant Pot Black Bean Chili (or soup) this one also has pumpkin in it, and it's delicious.
And this slow cooker black bean soup needs only about 10 minutes of prep, and then it cooks while you go live your life!
Both of these soups are great served with Mexican cornbread.
Don't have time to run to the grocery store? Order the ingredients for this recipe using Instacart (affiliate link). Just click on the Instacart button in the recipe card below, and the ingredients will all be organized for you on their site. Plug in your zip code, choose the store you prefer, and select the ingredients you want delivered to your home.
Want to Save This Recipe?
Enter your email & I'll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!
Southwestern Vegetarian Black Bean Soup Recipe
Equipment
- sharp chef's knife
- Immersion blender (optional) if you want to blend this chili a bit
Ingredients
- 1 large poblano pepper
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium red bell pepper
- 1 ¼ cups chopped white onion
- ¾ cup tomatillos, husked and quartered
- 1 cup corn kernels frozen or cut from 1 large ear of corn
- 2 cups cooked black beans or 1 (15-oz) can
- ¼ cup tomato puree or tomato sauce
- 1 large tomato coarsely chopped
- 1 ⅔ cup vegetable broth or 2 tablespoons of Better Than Bouillon with 1 ⅔ cup of water
- 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt or a pinch of sea salt, to taste
Optional Toppings
- avocados peeled, seeded and sliced
- chopped cilantro
- lime wedges
- sour cream
- grated cheddar or monterey jack cheese
- sliced scallions
- chopped red onions
Instructions
- Roast the poblano pepper under the broiler until the skin is blackened all over, turning the pepper as needed. Place in a paper bag for five minutes. Pull off the skin in strips. The skin is very thin and not all of it will come off. Slice off the top and open up the chile. Using a paring knife, remove all the seeds and white pith. Coarsely chop and set aside.
- Heat the olive oil in a medium heavy pot over medium-high heat. I use a Le Creuset. Add the onion, red bell pepper, and tomatillos and sauté until softened, about 10 minutes. Add the corn kernels and sauté another two minutes.
- Stir in the chopped roasted poblano pepper, chopped tomato, black beans, tomato puree and broth. Simmer for 15 minutes.
- Optional: Using an immersion blender, blend the soup until you reach the consistency you like. For me, it's about 10 buzzes of the blender as I move it around the pot.
- Finish the chili with lime juice and salt (if needed). If you use Better Than Bouillon for your vegetable broth, you likely won't need to add any additional salt.
- Add any optional toppings you prefer.
thesolitarycook
Been there, lost that, love this. I buy red Moleskine notebooks in the 3-pack, and use them exclusively for food notes. I actually started last summer, when I knew I'd want to keep a food (eating and cooking) journal while in Italy and France. I continued the habit at home. They're small enough to fit in a purse, and red is an easy color to find. It's greatly minimized losses.
This soup is divine! Well worth the loss of the fritatta notes. Easy for me to say!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
I see a shopping trip ahead of me. This is a great idea, for both the size and color. I'm spending the month of September in Italy and want to keep and food journal too, so this advice is timely. Thanks so much!!!
Marci
Hi Lynda,
I love how you spell your name! My daughter's name is Lyndsay!
I have a question about your Black Bean, Tomatillo and Corn Soup... how many servings does it make? I have a family of four who like to have seconds as well as enjoy leftovers for during the busy week:)
Thanks,
Marci
lizthechef
Forget the frittata - this is fabulous!!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
I'm loving the support on this!! Thanks Liz. I was so frustrated yesterday...
TasteFood
Gorgeous soup - if it means displacing the frittata, then it's worth it!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thanks so much Lynda!! It wasn't as gorgeous as your frittata you posted over the weekend, but it was really good. I'm sure the notes will turn up. Heading back to the Bay Area later today and I'll be searching there for them next 🙂 I appreciate your comment very much.
gluttonforlife
I'm inspired to make this soup, Susan! And I'm with thesolitarycook—a brightly colored notebook just might solve your problem!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
The soup was honestly really good, Laura, although I know there can be so much subjectivity around these things. And yes, Cynthia has spurred me to buy the brightest colored notebook I can find 🙂 If I lose my notes from my upcoming Italy trip, I will be a lot more than just frustrated....
Norma Chang
The 2nd and 3rd paragraph of you post described me perfectly, especially the 3rd. except I have a PC, no ipad, mac or iphone. And yes, the lovely little frittata notes will turn up, these notes always turn up when you least expect them to.
Love your soup.
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thanks Norma!! Kindred spirits. I like to think it's just a creative mind at work, but I really need to be more organized. Thanks so much for the support!
Rosemary
Susan - when you're ready to use a formal 'test sheet' let me know! But even with that, believe me, it's easy to get carried away cooking and skip the note taking. I can make myself crazy!
It takes quite the discipline.
The Wimpy Vegetarian
As you are a professional recipe developer, I bow to your experience and knowledge Rosemary!! I would love to use a formal test sheet - what a fabulous idea. I would love to see what you use. I tried to recreate the recipe in my head yesterday, but I had made it several times, and just couldn't remember the final form for sure. And I had invested way too much time into it to shoot from the hip at the last moment, and hope for the best.
Choc Chip Uru
I don't mind no frittata my friend this looks wonderful 😀
And I know exactly what you are talking about!
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thanks so much CCU - it sounds like I'm not alone in my habits 🙂 Have a great week!
Myles
I do not tire of the coffee mocha ice cream.
The Wimpy Vegetarian
I stand corrected, coffee mocha lover!! 🙂
Suzi
I know just how you feel Susan. My problem is I write on what ever is available at the moment and then sometimes tear off the bottom to use as a grocery list, LOL. Or I just use that and who ever knows what happens to it. I love this soup it really sounds delicious. I have yet to use the tomatillos though. I am going to have to remedy that one. Wonderful recipe.
The Wimpy Vegetarian
The responses to this have been sooo validating :-). And you should really try tomatillos. They add such a nice tartness and texture to dishes. It's great in salsas too!
aimee @shugarysweets
Been there. I totally know how you feel. I have three recipes in my queue waiting for the "notes" to show up!!!! However, glad you shared this soup, looks amazing. Pinning!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
How funny! I totally relate, obviously. Thank goodness we can save posts as drafts until the notes all show up :-)!!
Angie@Angie's Recipes
This is simply mouthwatering! I have been thinking of making a black bean salad, but now I will go for the soup!
Green Dragonette
Will give this a go when I get ome tomatillos in the Autumn-thank Susan!
Hannah
As much as I love frittata I appreciate you sharing this soup! It looks divine and I'm pinning it to make. And just this week I went through something similar in searching for notes on a recipe, so you are not alone!
masyoza
Your black bean, tomatillo, and corn soup looks so fresh. 🙂
I don’t mind eat this every day. LOL.
Thank you for sharing. 🙂
You can submit your black bean, tomatillo, and corn soup pics on my Food Photography site.
It is a food (and drink of course) photography site where members can submit all food (and drink of course (again) LOL ) pictures that make readers hungry.
Well, you know it’s fun to make others hungry (and thirsty)! 😀
Abby
What a beautiful (and yummy!) soup. Yep, agree with everyone else a little notebook is the way to go! I try to keep one in my purse because you never know where inspiration will hit and writing it down is the only way I'll ever remember it haha 😀
susan g
Count me in on the recipe-note-loser list! Running this problem by another blogger, another notebook user, I concluded that ONE notebook would be the answer. I have multiple notebooks, and even more pieces of 'transitional' pieces of paper. For you, one notebook that goes with you might be best. But then, you will need another notebook just for Italy! (Years ago I made a meatless spaghetti sauce, Italian sausage style, using lentils. Didn't write it down and subsequent attempts never worked. Almost learned my lesson then...)
The soup looks great, and I just made a pressure cooker full of black beans. Just need tomatillos.
Rachel
Is tomato puree just tomato paste?
The Wimpy Vegetarian
No, that would be too thick. Tomato puree is more like tomato sauce without any seasoning/spices.
Elizabeth Baxter
My family loved this! They're already demanding that I make it again. The poblano and tomatillos added a really unique flavor profile that we hadn't tried before, but I'm excited to use these ingredients in even more recipes. Thanks!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Oh I'm sooo glad it worked out so well for you and your family!! And thanks so much for letting me know!
Susansa
We made this tonight - soooo delicious and filling! We've had a bowl of tomatillos in a bowl on the counter since the last frost (months ago). So glad we found this recipe! Can't wait to check out your other recipes!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thanks so much for letting me know! I'm so glad you liked it!!
Brenda
This was delicious! First time to this website, not the last.
The Wimpy Vegetarian
I'm so glad you liked it!!! Thanks for letting me know. And welcome to my site 🙂
Melissa
I just made this recipe and very tasty. It is actually very good without the lime juice. So if you make it, sample before you put the lime juice in. Although the lime added a bit of tang, I think I will make it without lime next time. Otherwise very good recipe for a cold rainy fall day. Thank you,
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thanks so much for your comment! I'm so glad you tried it and liked it. I think soups should always be changed to suit individual tastes. I've made it with and without the lime, but am a huge fan of lime in general - so I'm prejudiced :-). Enjoy the beautiful fall!
Karen
As a few others have mentioned, I have done that same thing, pictures and a title and no recipe.
Kelly Sellas
Thank you! This soup was absolutely delicious. My husband & I loved it and will make it again.
The Wimpy Vegetarian
I'm so glad! It's one of our favorites too. In fact, I'm working on a cookbook that will be out this summer, and this is one of the few recipes from my blog that will be in it. I'm working on making it in an Instant Pot 🙂
Paul:-)
Hi Susan,
I shall definitely be cooking this soon. I love black beans Mexican stylie. I assume that tinned Tomatillos are acceptable as that is all I can get here in Britain.
I’m not sure that I’m getting the correct quantities for each ingredient, as we work in either Metric or Imperial rather than cups.
Paul:-)
Susan Pridmore
I'm not familiar with tinned tomatillos as I'm not sure they're sold that way here. But I'm sure they'll be fine in this soup / chili. On the metric issue, let me look at the recipe form. I thought it had a button to convert everything to metric so it's possible I can correct this with a simple click. Fingers crossed!