Black Bean Soup with Bacon + Beer

This Black Bean Soup with Bacon + Beer is so easy, super flavorful and perfect for a cozy day watching football! 

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You know, I was never much of a soup person for most of my life. We ate a lot of soups growing up, and something about them always felt boring and unsatisfying. When I worked as a waitress and saw people get excited over soup, it made me scratch my head. What's all the fuss about? Then I entered my thirties, and all of a sudden soup is something I crave like crazy. Is this just part of getting older? Liking soup? Does this mean I'm boring? That's a rhetorical question.

Top view of a table set with a pot and two bowls of black bean soup plus mini bowls of sour cream, cheese, and green onions.Closeup top view of a bowl of black bean and bacon soup topped with sour cream and green onions.

The soups haven't gotten any more interesting over the last decade, it's just me. I've changed. I've gone from craving excitement and new flavors to craving comfort and tastes of home, which I guess... I guess that makes me a little boring. But even in my twenties, when I was a young, sassy girl about town, there was one soup I could really get behind, and it's this one. This black bean soup with beer and bacon was arguably the first meal to become my signature for entertaining. Every year, I would bust it out on the first cool night of fall and serve it up to all my friends with a bunch of beers and a football game on the TV. I have to say, it's pretty exciting for a soup, even to a bunch of wild and crazy twenty-somethings.

There's beer. There's bacon. There's lots of fun fixins. What else could you possibly want?

I know what else you want. You want easy. And bonus! This soup has that too. It uses up lots of pantry staples like canned beans and tomatoes, common spices, and of course beer and bacon, which are ALWAYS on hand in this house.

Vertical shot of a table set with two bowls of black bean soup and bowls of all the toppings.Top view of sour cream on a bowl of black bean soup next to a bowl of shredded cheese.

Lets talk about that beer for just a minute. I've made this soup with lots of different varieties, and I've found the type really does make a big difference in the end. After performing lots of grueling, rigorous research, I've decided lighter, pilsner styles work the best. Pacifico Clara, which is a less-common-than-Corona Mexican beer, for whatever reason, makes the best version of this soup. If you can find it at your liquor store, definitely pick up a case. It's really great for drinking, too - one of my all-time favs. But as long as you stick to a lighter beer it should turn out just fine. Be sure to avoid lagers, IPAs, and don't even think about using a stout. If you're opposed to adding beer, that's cool, too. Just add in more chicken stock (or turkey stock until it's good and soupy.

Stock your fridge with beers this weekend, invite over a few friends for soup and definitely don't skimp on the fixins. This soup is seriously satisfying, and exactly what you need to get you through these last few weeks of winter. Black Bean Soup with Bacon + Beer

One Year Ago: Waffles with Maple Brown Butter

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Close up of black bean soup with bacon in a bowl and topped with sour cream.
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Black Bean Soup with Bacon + Beer

This Black Bean Soup with Bacon + Beer is so easy, super flavorful and perfect for a cozy day watching football! Great recipe for Super Bowl Sunday. Adapted from Dave Lieberman.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 421kcal

Ingredients

  • 8 slices bacon not thick cut, finely chopped
  • 2 medium onions chopped (about 2 ½ cups)
  • 6 garlic cloves finely minced
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1 can (15-ounce) reduced-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 bottle (8-ounce) or can of light pilsner style beer (recommended: Pacifico Clara)*
  • 1 can (15-ounce) chopped tomatoes
  • 2 tablespoons ketchup
  • 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 4 cans (15-ounce cans) black beans drained and rinsed
  • Salt to taste
  • Freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 1 bunch cilantro roughly chopped, for serving
  • Thinly sliced scallions for serving
  • Sour cream for serving
  • Grated cheddar cheese for serving
  • fresh lime wedges for serving
  • Tortilla chips for serving

Instructions

  1. In a large heavy pot or dutch oven over medium heat, add the bacon and stir until it starts to release its fat. Cook for about 6-7 minutes, then add in the onions. Cook while stirring until they start to turn translucent, about 6-7 minutes. Add the garlic and chili powder and cook for one minute. Add the chicken broth, beer, tomatoes, ketchup and Worcestershire, then stir in the beans. Turn the heat to high and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover and let simmer for about 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  2. Serve the soup hot with bowls of cilantro, scallions, sour cream, cheddar cheese, lime wedges and plenty of tortilla chips on the side. Leftovers keep well in the refrigerator for up to a week, and can be frozen for up to 3 months.

Notes

  • *Substitute the beer for an additional can of chicken stock if desired.

Nutrition

Calories: 421kcal | Carbohydrates: 59g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 16mg | Sodium: 512mg | Potassium: 1015mg | Fiber: 20g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 406IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 95mg | Iron: 6mg

This Black Bean Soup with bacon + beer is so easy, super flavorful and perfect for watching football! Best recipe for Super Bowl Sunday! #easy #soup #recipe #bacon #beer #football #superbowl #beans #texmex

5 from 5 votes

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10 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Thank you for this great post. Your ketchup recipe is a staple in my kitchen! I just made another batch yesterday 🙂

  2. 5 stars
    I made this soup and only did two things a bit differently. I had a red bell pepper that was about to go ... so I chopped it up and added it to the mix. Yum! Then, I used my immersion blender to smush up the beans just a little bit, "cause I like my bean soup a little thicker. This soup is now in the rotation! Thanks!

    1. Yay! I love the little things you did to customize it. It's one of my favorite soups of all time. So glad it's become one of yours, too!! 🙂

  3. 5 stars
    I happen to have a pot of black beans on the stove right now. Thanks for a couple add-ins I hadn't thought of and a good reason to pop open a beer. 😉