This vegetarian Southwest Black Bean and Corn Soup is a spicy black bean soup made easy in the slow cooker or the instant pot. It’s a hearty and delicious meal for a cold night.

Filled to the brim with Southwestern ingredients like corn, green chiles, and chili powder, this soup is certainly not lacking flavor. Feel free to add extra veggies or seasonings to make the soup just how you like it.

Slow cooker southwest black bean and corn soup.

Slow Cooker Black Bean and Corn Soup

This spicy Southwestern Black Bean and Corn Soup recipe is one of my favorite vegetarian soups. It’s filled with beans, corn, tomatoes and other southwest flavors we all love. 

When served with a dollop of sour cream, shredded cheese, and a few tortilla strips, it really is an entire meal on its own.  Best of all, it can easily be made in a slow cooker or instant pot.

Serve with homemade bread like these Breadsticks, Focaccia Bread, Dinner Rolls, or these Cheesy Breadsticks.

Key Recipe Ingredients

  • Beans– You can use black beans, pinto beans or kidney beans.  It also works great to use a mixture of these.
  • Tomatoes– Crushed tomatoes work best.  You can use whole or diced tomatoes too but you’ll want to give them a quick blend in the blender before you add them to your slow cooker.
  • Broth– If you want to keep this a vegetarian meal, use vegetable broth.  If that’s not important to you, chicken broth works great here, too and adds a lot of flavors.
  • Green Chilies– diced green chilies work great.  It’s also fine if they’re fire-roasted.
  • Frozen Corn– Super sweet white corn is the best addition. It tastes so fresh and is so sweet.  Canned corn works fine too but frozen corn is preferred.
  • Green onions– just regular, thinly sliced green onions work great.
  • Chili Powder– any kind works great. 
  • Cumin– This is what gives it that smokey southwest flavor we love.
  • Minced Garlic– fresh is best, but jarred works fine too. 
A crock pot full of southwestern black bean soup cooking.

Toppings for Southwest Soup

  • Corn Chips or Fritos
  • Salsa
  • Pico de Gio 
  • Chopped green onions
  • Sliced Olives
  • Sour Cream
  • Shredded Cheese
  • Guacamole
  • Sliced Avocados

How to Make Slow Cooker Black Bean Soup

  1. Add the ingredients to the slow cooker. Add the undrained beans, crushed tomatoes, chicken broth, diced green chilies, frozen corn, green onions, chili powder, garlic powder, and minced garlic to a crockpot.
  2. Cook. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours, or on high for 4-5 hours.
  3. Serve. Top with sour cream, shredded cheddar, and tortilla chips. Enjoy!
A white serving bowl full of vegetarian black bean soup with corn, topped with sour cream and shredded cheese.

Recipe Variations To Try

Here are a few ideas for simple recipe variations to make your Southwest Soup your own:

  • Sweet Potato: Include diced sweet potatoes for a touch of sweetness and added heartiness.
  • Pumpkin: Mix in canned pumpkin for a creamy and autumn-inspired twist. Season with a dash of cinnamon and nutmeg.
  • Quinoa: Add cooked quinoa to the soup for extra protein and texture. Finish with a squeeze of lime and chopped fresh parsley.
  • Chorizo: Brown chorizo and add it to the soup for a savory and spicy element. Top with sliced radishes and a sprinkle of cilantro.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you freeze Black Bean Soup with corn?

Yup!  Just cool completely and transfer to freezer bags.  Lay them flat in the freezer and store for up to 3 months.

Can you make this over the stovetop instead?

Absolutely! If you would rather make this soup on the stovetop, you will follow the same directions but just cook for slightly less time. Add everything to a Dutch oven or another large pot and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for about 20 minutes, or until warm and the flavors have had a chance to develop.

Storing and Reheating Instructions

  • Refrigerator: store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
  • Freezer: cool completely and transfer to freezer bags. Lay flat and store frozen for up to 3 months. You can thaw overnight in the fridge.
  • To reheat: to reheat, either microwave or warm in a pot on the stovetop.
5 from 7 votes

Southwest Black Bean Soup Recipe

Author The Carefree Kitchen
This vegetarian Southwest Black Bean and Corn Soup is a spicy black bean soup made easy in the slow cooker or the instant pot.
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 4 hours
Total: 4 hours 10 minutes
Yields8 people

Ingredients

  • 2 15 oz cans black beans, no need to drain the beans. You can also sub in 1 can pinto or Kidney beans
  • 2 15 oz cans crushed tomatoes, (No Salt)
  • 2 cups chicken broth, (can use vegetable broth for a vegetarian option)
  • 2 4 oz cans Green Chiles, roasted and diced
  • cups Frozen Corn, super sweet white corn is best
  • 4 whole green onions, sliced thinly
  • 3 tablespoon chili powder
  • 2 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 tablespoon garlic, minced

Garnish

  • 1 cup sour cream, full fat and low-fat work great
  • 2 cups Shredded Cheddar, or any shredded cheese blend you love
  • 8 ounces tortilla chips, or tortilla strips, Fritos work great too.

Instructions
 

Slow Cooker Black Bean Soup

  • In a slow cooker add the Beans, (no need to drain the beans) crushed tomatoes, chicken broth, diced green chilies, frozen corn, green onions, chili powder, garlic powder, and minced garlic.
  • Cook on Low for 7-8 hours or on high for 4-5 hours. 
  • Serve in bowls topped with sour cream, shredded cheddar, and tortilla chips. 

Instant Pot Black Bean Soup

  • In the Instant Pot add the beans, (no need to drain the beans) crushed tomatoes, chicken broth, diced green chilies, frozen corn, green onions, chili powder, garlic powder, and minced garlic. Stir.
  • Close and lock the lid in place. Select the soup/broth and cook for 7 minutes. When the 7 minutes is finished, Let the pressure come down Natural Release. Remove the lid tilting it away from you. Stir the bean soup.
  • Serve in bowls topped with sour cream, shredded cheddar, and tortilla chips. 

Nutrition

Calories: 357kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 45mg | Sodium: 587mg | Potassium: 359mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 1418IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 310mg | Iron: 2mg
Disclaimer: Nutritional values were calculated using a third-party tool and are provided as an estimation only.
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
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More Homemade Soup Recipes

This simple black bean and corn soup is a vegetarian favorite that can be easily made in a slow cooker or instant pot. Serve with sour cream, shredded cheese, and tortilla strips for a complete and hearty meal. 

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5 from 7 votes (6 ratings without comment)

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One Comment

  1. In the instructions you state to add: ” garlic powder, and minced garlic. Stir.”
    The ingredients list does not include garlic powder. HOW MUCH???

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