Reviewed: Feb. 14, 2008

This recipe was actually too spicy for me, though my boyfriend (less of a spice wuss) LOVED it. I added the tomatoes with chiles as some users suggested, but didn't feel that it added anything. When we got tired of having soup, we drained it and put the beans into burritos with guacamole, which made it easier for me to handle the spice. Overall, very very good.

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Sandra G.

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Reviewed: Feb. 10, 2008

delicious spicy soup.I added the spices slowly. Starting with 1/4 tsp of spices and went up to 1 tsp. That worked for me. I used 1 cup of chicken broth not 6. I am keeping this recipe.

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Maureen v.V.

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Reviewed: Feb. 4, 2008

I love how simple and flavorful it is, and how easy it is to tailor to what's in my fridge. Here's what I did: I used red beans (dried--I had them in my cupboard), and left out the jalepenos (didn't have any). I boiled the beans in the broth for a minute and transfered to the slow cooker (high 4 hrs, low 6 hrs). Then I drained the liquid, and boiled 1lb of frozen cauliflower in it, and then pureed it. I added this to the beans and it came out hot, creamy and delicious!

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Margot

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Reviewed: Jan. 23, 2008

I altered this recipe slightly, and it was DELICIOUS. I used one can of chopped green chiles in place of the jalapeno and omitted the cayenne (two small children in the house!). I also added a pint of homemade salsa at the end of the cooking time and ran my hand blender through it a couple of times. This didn't make it smooth, just thickened it somewhat. I served it with sour cream, cheddar, and tortilla chips. Leftovers were awesome!

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mpainter

Home Town: Renick, West Virginia, USA

Living In: Spencer, West Virginia, USA

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Reviewed: Jan. 18, 2008

I love the flavor here and I'll be using this recipe (with changes) a lot. As is, this is ridiculously watery, but since practically everyone else has mentioned that, I feel kinda silly for not reducing the liquid to 4 c on the first try. I did mash up the beans by hand a bit at the end. Anyone who thinks this is lacking flavor might want to check the freshness of their spices or quality of their chicken stock.

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Joyousfreee

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Cincinnati, Ohio, USA

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Reviewed: Jan. 8, 2008

I used this recipe to make a good taco salad (just pureed some of the beans to make it thicker). The recipe was very easy and tasted good, but nowhere near as good as my husband's black beans (and he will not share the recipe!). Definitely worth your time to try.

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MichellesVegKitchen

Cooking Level: Intermediate

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Reviewed: Jan. 6, 2008

This is VERY spicy, a little to spicy for a soup. At least for everyone who tried it when I made it. But great for other things. I pureed it all and put small amounts in plastic baggies and put then in the freezer so all I do is pull one out and let defrost and I cut the corner off and squeeze it out to make a great quesadillas! I am going to make more when I run out to have on hand! Thanks!

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mistyp

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Reviewed: Jan. 5, 2008

I wish there was a 4.5 star rating for this recipe. I had to make it without the jalepenos, since I did not have any on hand. On tasting the soup, I was glad I had omitted them. This soup is quite spicy - you have been warned! My teen age daughter was unable to eat her "heartburn soup", my 6 year old wouldn't touch it. My husband, teen age son and I thought it was good and liked the "zing". It was quick and easy to throw in the crock pot and the underlying flavor was very good. (And we love black bean soup with some crusty bread!) I used a potato masher when the soup was done to mash up about 1/2 of the beans and thicken it a bit. I will make it again, but next time I will use minced garlic rather than powder, add a chopped onion and a can of diced tomatoes. I will definitely cut the cayenne and the hot pepper sauce in half if I am serving it to the kids (or company).

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KARINOK

Cooking Level: Expert

Living In: Longmeadow, Massachusetts, USA

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Reviewed: Dec. 29, 2007

Wow! This soup is so good! I served it with sour cream, cheese, and green onions with tortilla chips on the side. Also, this is seriously one of the easiest recipes I have ever made. I did puree the soup at the end of the cooking time with a stick blender and I also added a couple of tablespoons of corn starch to thicken it up. I did not add the diced tomatoes like other reviewers suggested--I didn't think the soup needed it. Also, I did soak my beans overnight and then followed the cooking times exactly and the beans turned out soft just like they should. I will definitely be making this soup again and again. Thanks!

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katie385

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Reviewed: Dec. 20, 2007

Sorry but this soup just didnt work for me and the taste was terrible. I soaked my beans overnight and boiled them and still after cooking in the crockpot for 5 hours, it was just broth with semi-hard beans floating in it. Also, it didnt have much flavor. I love spicy food and this wasnt even near spicy enough for me. I put a whole chopped Jalapeno in it too. I ended up having to puree the whole batch, thinking I could save it. It looked like bad baby food and tasted even worse. So I ended up throwing a whole crock pot of beans away. I will try another black bean soup recipe next time.

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thisgurlluvs2cook

Cooking Level: Expert

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Reviewed: Dec. 20, 2007

Too hot for me even when I didn't use the jalapenos. It just wasn't enjoyable that hot. Will use what is left to serve over rice to try to tone down the hottness.

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LAURAMATTNSHAINA

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Reviewed: Dec. 20, 2007

YUM! This was so good and exactly what I was looking for! I did make some changes, so it would be exactly like the black bean soup that I had in mind. I added garlic cloves, an onion, carrots, and a can of tomatoes. I also decreased the spicy spices just a tad. And I pureed the whole thing with my immersion blender. This one will be made again and again!!

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Jennifer

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Reviewed: Dec. 16, 2007

I followed the changes as suggested by StephanieV, and I also changed the chicken broth to vegetable stock to make it vegetarian. We all loved it. I also made (recipes from this website) "Colorful Vegetable Fajitas" and "Guacamole". It was a great meal.

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Sarah

Cooking Level: Expert

Living In: New York, New York, USA

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Reviewed: Nov. 17, 2007

Made this soup today. I cut the spices in half...still too spicy for me, but I'm kinda wimpy on the heat level. I like spicy, but not hot, which, I know, is completely subjective. I added a can of Amy's Vegetarian Organic Refried [Black] Beans. Now just right for me. (November 2007)Help me understand why reviewers lower the rating when they don't follow the recipe? The logic escapes me.

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Thisni Caza

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Hamilton, Kansas, USA

Living In: Topeka, Kansas, USA

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Reviewed: Nov. 17, 2007

This recipe is excellent as is. My only modification, a bit more chili powder and I use fresh Jalapenos (2 diced), not canned.

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RogerB

Cooking Level: Expert

Home Town: Houston, Texas, USA

Living In: Clear Lake Shores, Texas, USA

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Reviewed: Nov. 11, 2007

Very good soup, but I agree that some of the beans must be pureed to thicken it up. Didn't find it to be at all too spicy. Very good flavor. :-}

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DEANA

Cooking Level: Expert

Living In: Richmond, Virginia, USA

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Reviewed: Nov. 5, 2007

This is a good recipe to start with, but I felt it needed a little something. I added some beef base for a little extra flavor and some tomato paste to thicken it. Really good with the "Navajo Fry Bread"

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KITTYfang

Cooking Level: Expert

Living In: Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

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Reviewed: Oct. 30, 2007

GREAT STARTER RECIPE!! I gave only 4 stars b/c I made some modifications as follows: no diced chili peppers or pepper sauce, 4 c chicken broth, 3 cloves fresh garlic, 1 T cumin, 1.5 c sauteed onions, 1/2 of a fresh green pepper for flavor removed prior to eating, pieces of ham chopped up & ham bones for flavor, added 1 can of petite diced tomatoes w/mild green chilis 1 hour prior to serving, I also pureed about 1/3 of the beans and added back. Topped each serving w/ Mexican cheese & sour cream...DELICOUS! Leftovers can easily be heated up or used in burritos or tacos!

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