Black Bean Soup with Lime Crema and Cilantro Chimichurri
The most incredible, hearty black bean soup, served with a homemade lime crema and cilantro chimichurri
Prep Time5 minutes mins
Cook Time25 minutes mins
Total Time30 minutes mins
Servings: 8 servings
For the soup:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium red onion
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 small jalapeno seeded and diced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- 3 15-ounce cans black beans
- 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 bay leaf
For the cilantro chimichurri:
- ¾ cup fresh cilantro leaves
- ¼ cup fresh parsley leaves
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup chopped red onion (from soup recipe)
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
For the lime crema:
- ½ cup sour cream
- ⅛ teaspoon fresh lime zest
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
For the soup:
Peel, halve, and dice red onion. Scoop 1/4 cup and set aside for chimichurri sauce. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large Dutch oven or stock pot. Add remaining diced onion and cook until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add minced garlic and diced jalapeno and cook for another 2 minutes.
Add tomato paste, salt, cumin, and chili powder. Stir until the mixture is combined and veggies are covered in tomato paste. Add beans and broth and stir to combine. Add bay leaf, and bring mixture to a boil and then reduce to medium-low so it can simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes or until soup has thickened to your desired consistency.
Remove bay leaf. Using an immersion blender, blend soup for about 10 seconds or until you reach desired consistency. Serve immediately
For the chimichurri:
Add reserved chopped onion, parsley, cilantro, salt, lime juice, vinegar, garlic cloves, and red pepper to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until mixture is all chopped up. Scrape down the sides of the bowl if necessary. With the processor on, drizzle in olive oil until it has all been added. Turn off processor. Chimichurri is now ready for use! Drizzle a little into each bowl of soup. Refrigerate leftovers.