This delicious Southwest black bean soup with tortilla chips is a super easy recipe that you can have ready and on the table in just 30 minutes! A simple but flavorful black bean soup with fire roasted tomatoes and cripsy tortilla chips is the perfect meal for busy weeknights. And it’s especially yummy during the chilly Fall and Winter seasons! You’re going to love this soup! Next, you’ll have to check out another easy Mexican soup called “sopita“.

I recently made this insanely easy southwest black bean soup and it was such a hit with the family that I want to share it with you guys!
The day I made this I almost went grocery shopping or ordered out but I decided not to and told myself I need to use up the food I already have in the house.
That’s how I created this simple but flavorful soup!
Southwest black bean soup ingredients
This recipe was so inexpensive for me because it’s made mostly from ingredients that are staple items in my home.
Recipes for this soup will vary between cooks but these are the ingredients I used in my version:
- corn tortillas
- diced onion
- minced garlic cloves
- canned black beans
- fire roasted tomatoes
- chicken bouillon
- ground cumin
- salt
- black pepper
- Mexican oregano
- chipotle peppers in adobo
- olive oil
- vegetable oil
- water
- fresh cut limes
Some other ways I use canned black beans are by cooking them with sofrito or putting them on tostadas.
Is this a spicy soup?
For us, this soup isn’t spicy but if you are sensitive to spice you may find it spicy. You can always reduce the amount of chipotle peppers in the recipe which will bring down the spice level.
How to make it
First I start by making the crispy tortilla strips. For that I put the tortillas in a stack and I cut them into small strips as shown below.

Heat up enough vegetable oil for frying in a skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is hot fry the strips in batches of 2-3 depending on how big your skillet is. Fry each batch for about 1-2 minutes. You’ll want to do this in batches so as to not crowd the skillet.

Once the strips turn a golden color and are crispy transfer them to a paper towel lined plate to drain. Then fry the remaining batches.

Heat up the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot add the diced onion. Season with salt and black pepper. Let it cook for about 3 minutes. Next add the minced garlic cloves and let cook for another minute.

Now add the can of beans and tomatoes to the skillet. Don’t drain them! Also add the chicken bouillon, cumin and oregano. Stir well. Then add the water. Bring to a boil over medium high heat then reduce heat to medium low and let simmer for about 10 minutes.

Add about 1 cup of the simmered bean and tomato mixture to a blender along with 3 chipotle peppers.

Blend for about 30 seconds or until smooth. This is what’s going to thicken up the soup just a bit.

Pour the blended mixture into the skillet and stir. Let it cook for a few more minutes then it’s ready to serve.

What do you eat with southwest black bean soup?
The best part of southwest black bean soup are the garnishes. We like ours with chopped cilantro and diced avocado.
For us fresh cut limes for squeezing into the soup are a must! It really helps to bring out the flavors.
Some other options include sour cream, shredded cheese and green onions.
This was a simple and easy soup that I put together very fast and it was amazing!
Like I said earlier there are many variations of this black bean soup. So, feel free to get creative. You can totally use this recipe as a base and tweak it to your liking.
One good tweak would be adding a can of sweet corn. Like I said, make it to your liking!

Looking for more delicious soup recipes? Try these:
Easy southwest black bean soup recipe
This is one of the easiest soups I’ve ever made. It’s also one of the most delicious too! If you’re looking for an easy dinner recipe to add to your repertoire this one’s it. I hope you’ll give it a try and I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.
Let me know what you think of this recipe in the comments below and don’t forget to leave it a rating. Thank you so much for visiting, I’ll see you soon!


Southwest Black Bean Soup
This super easy Southwest black bean soup will become a new family favorite for it's easy and deliciousness.
Ingredients
- 8 corn tortillas
- 1/2 white onion diced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 15 oz can of black beans
- 14.5 oz can of fire roasted tomatoes
- 2 tsp chicken bouillon
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- 1/2 tsp Mexican oregano
- 3 chipotle peppers in adobo
- 2 tbs olive oil
- vegetable oil enough for frying
- 5 cups water
- fresh cut limes for squeezing into the soup
- cilantro for garnishing
Instructions
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Put the tortillas in a stack and cut them into small strips.
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Pour in enough vegetable oil for frying in a large skillet over medium heat.
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Once hot fry the strips for 1-2 minutes or until they are golden and crispy. Do this in two batches. Then transfer them to a paper towel lined plate to drain.
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In another large skillet heat up the olive oil over medium heat.
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Add the diced onion. Season with salt and black pepper. Let it cook for 3 minutes. Next add the minced garlic and cook for another minute.
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Now add the can of beans and the can of tomatoes to the skillet. Then add the chicken bouillon, cumin and oregano and stir well.
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Then add the 5 cups of water to the skillet. Bring to a boil over medium high heat then reduce heat to medium low and let it simmer for about 10 minutes.
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Next add one cup of the simmered bean and tomato mixture to a blender along with the chipotle peppers. Blend for about 30 seconds or until smooth.
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Pour the blended mixture into the skillet and stir. Let it cook for 2-3 more minutes.
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Serve and top with the crispy tortilla strips and more of your favorite garnishes and don't forget the lime juice!
Vickie
Tuesday 25th of October 2022
The title (and ingredient list) say it's black beans. But the photo shows red kidney beans. Is it to be black beans or red beans?
Carissa
Thursday 27th of October 2022
They are black beans.