Creamy Butternut Squash Black Bean Soup

5 from 15 votes

Creamy Butternut Squash Black Bean Soup

This Butternut Squash + Black Bean Soup is a personal feel-good staple in our house (especially when paired with a grilled cheese *drool*). Hearty, super easy to make with convenient canned black beans, frozen or fresh butternut squash + canned tomatoes, this naturally vegetarian soup is blended creamy smooth (or left a bit chunky, if you like!) and can be made on your stove top, in your slow cooker or Instant pot! Oh, and the leftovers? Magical!

Prep Time5

Cook Time20

Total Time25

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegetarian

Keyword: black bean soup, vegan soup, vegetarian soup, veggie-loaded soup

Servings: people

Calories: 197kcal

Author: Taesha Butler

Ingredients

1 Tablespoons avocado oil
½ medium red onion minced
3 cloves garlic minced and to taste
1 Tablespoon cumin or to taste
1 ½ teaspoon chili powder or to taste
3 cups cooked black beans drained and rinsed (about 2 cans)
14 ounces can fire-roasted tomatoes with juices
3 cups peeled and cubed butternut squash cut into 1 inch cubes. Can use frozen if desired. About 12 ounces
3 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1 teaspoon kosher salt or to taste

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

For Stovetop

Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat and add the oil.
Once oil is hot, add the onions, garlic, cumin, and chili powder. Sauté for a few minutes until onion and garlic are fragrant. About 3 minutes
After you sauté the onions, garlic and spices, add the remaining ingredients to the pot and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat and let the soup simmer for about 20 minutes or until the squash is fork tender.
Using an immersion blender, puree the soup. If you do not have an immersion blender, you can puree the soup in batches in your blender. But be careful, as the soup will be incredibly hot. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired.
Serve warm topped with sour cream, grated cheese, extra red onions, avocado, chips, salsa or whatever you desire. Store leftovers in fridge for up to 4 days.

For Instant Pot

Turn the sauté function of your Instant Pot on and add oil. Once oil is hot, add the onions, garlic, cumin, and chili powder. Sauté for a few minutes until onion and garlic are fragrant. About 3 minutes
Turn off sauté function and add remaining ingredients to the pot.
Place lid on your Instant Pot and lock into play. Be sure valve is turned to sealing. Cook on HIGH pressure for 5 minutes. It will take your Instant Pot about 10 minutes to get up to pressure. Once cooking time is up, carefully quick release the pressure and carefully remove the lid.
Using an immersion blender, puree the soup. If you do not have an immersion blender, you can puree the soup in batches in your blender. But be careful, as the soup will be incredibly hot. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired. Serve warm and garnish with suggested toppings.

For Slow Cooker

Optional step: Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add onions, garlic and spices to the skillet + sauté for 3 minutes. This is an optional step but adds a good deal of flavor to the soup.
Scoop the sautéed onions, garlic and spices into your slow cooker. Add the remaining ingredients to your slow cooker, cover and Cook on HIGH for 4 hours or LOW for 6 hours. It is important to note that every slow cooker cooks a bit differently, so you'll know your soup is done when the butternut squash is fork tender.
Using an immersion blender, puree the soup. If you do not have an immersion blender, you can puree the soup in batches in your blender. But be careful, as the soup will be incredibly hot. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired. Serve warm and garnish with suggested toppings.

Notes

Suggested Adaptations

Use frozen butternut squash. Don't feel like you have to stick to fresh. Grab a bag of frozen, pre-cut butternut squash and make the prep for this even easier!
Use butternut squash puree. If you have a can of that kicking around, totally feel free to add that instead of the cubbed. I mean, the soup is going to be pureed anyway, so knock yourself out! I would say 1 1/2 cups of puree should do!
Sub the butternut squash with sweet potato or pumpkin. Not a butternut squash fan? Or maybe you just don't have any on hand? Sub equal amounts cubed sweet potato or pumpkin in this recipe for an equally tasty soup!
Crank up the spice! I made this mellow in the spice department because I was serving it to a little one with sensitive tastebuds. But if you and your crew love a little extra heat, I totally suggest upping the amount of chili powder in this recipe to fit your personal taste! Also, when buying your diced tomatoes, grab some with green chilis for an extra punch of heat!

Nutrition