When you need dinner on the table fast but don’t want to skimp on deliciousness, my Smoky Black Bean and Sausage Soup has your back. This protein-packed bean soup comes together in about 30 minutes but tastes like it’s been simmering all day. The combination of smoked paprika, fire-roasted tomatoes, and smoky sausage creates layers of deep, satisfying flavor that’ll warm you right up.
Bean soups are the kick
Sometimes I go through long stretches where my cravings are laser-focused on one kind of soup. My dad ate Rice Krispies cereal for breakfast every morning for 40 years, so I’m not surprised at all that I inherited that behavior. Lol.
This bean soup phase started about a year ago, and just never let up. Even during the summer, I’d invent excuses to cook up a bean soup, even in the blazing heat. The heart wants what the heart wants!
But now that we’re back into fall and legit bean soup season, it’s time to pull out all the stops and get those beautiful beans simmering. Let’s do it!
Smoky Black Bean and Sausage Soup is —
- Ready in 30 minutes or less for easy weeknight meals.
- Packed with protein from beans and sausage to keep you full.
- Great for leftovers that taste even better the next day.
- Budget-friendly with ingredients that don’t compromise on taste.
If you love black bean soups like I do, you might also enjoy my Cuban Black Bean Soup, my BBQ Black Bean Soup, and my Sweet and Smoky Sriracha Black Bean Soup. All hearty, meal-level soups!
Key Ingredients
Canned black beans — Canned beans keep this recipe simple and quick-cooking. Draining the cans, rinse, and then draining again will help reduce the salt content somewhat, if that’s a concern.
Smoked sausage — I love the convenience of a packaged rope of smoked sausage. It’s fully cooked and simply needs slicing up. Today — and I’m sure this will change (hello, constant shrinkflation) — most brands package smoked sausage in 14-ounce weights. Which is a lot for a soup. Happily, smoked sausage freezes beautifully, so I use about 12 ounces for this soup and stash the rest in a freezer zipper bag. The odds and ends come in handy for things like omelets, pizzas, and stews.
Aromatics — In addition to the usual onions, celery, and garlic, I cranked up the smoky flavors with roasted red peppers and fire-roasted tomatoes. You can definitely substitute the two later with their regular counterparts. The soup will just be a little less smoky.
Seasonings — I went hard on the smoky theme with smoked paprika, chili powder, and Worcestershire sauce for a boost of savory umami. And then I finish the soup with fresh green onions for that extra oniony bite.
How to Make Smoky Black Bean and Sausage Soup
Ready to make the recipe? Skip to the recipe card now to see the full ingredient list, quantities, prep/cooking times, and printable, detailed instructions. Or, keep scrolling for a visual walk-through of making the soup.
Prep notes
Here’s a quick guide for prepping the ingredients, if you need it (not including anything that simply needs to be measured out of a container, such as dried herbs and liquids).
- Slice the smoked sausage into 1/4″ disks and then halve or quarter the disks. I do this by making a long slice down the sausage link, then rolling it a quarter turn and, holding the link together, make another long slice down the center. Then cut the four lengths into 1/4″ slices.
- Peel the onion and remove the stem and root ends. Chop into small dice.
- Clean the celery ribs, getting down into the concave crevice, and chop into small dice.
- Peel the hard outer layer of the garlic bulbs and then mince finely.
- Rinse the green onion stalks, pat dry, cut off the root end, and then slice the stalk thinly.
- Pluck the cilantro leaves from their thick stems, rinse, pat dry, and chop finely.
Saute the smoked sausage and aromatics
Smoked sausage is already fully cooked, so you simply need to heat it through in some oil (to prevent sticking). I like to notch it up a little by sauteeing it long enough to take on golden edges. This will take about five minutes. Spoon out some of the sausage to top the soup with later. Then stir in the onions, celery, and red peppers, and continue sauteeing until the onions have softened.
Add the seasonings, tomatoes, and beans
Stir in the spices, Worcestershire sauce, and garlic, mixing well. Pour in the cans of tomatoes and beans, and top with the broth. Stir everything well.
Simmer the soup
Raise the heat to bring the soup to a simmer: small bubbles breaking the surface. If a light colored foam forms on top of the soup (shown left), skim it off with a shallow spoon.
Finish the soup
Reduce heat to warm. Top the soup with the cilantro and plenty of green onions. You can add the reserved sausage slices now, or let your diners add them to their soups when serving.
Storing
Like most bean soups, this one stores beautifully in the fridge for up to 5 days. It’s also a great freezer soup, so make extra for effortless future meals!
This soup has become a reliable go-to recipes when I need something quick, filling, and spot-on perfect every time. If you give it a try, let me know how it went — I love hearing from you! Share your soup creations with me on Instagram or tag @SoupAddict so I can see your bowl.
Smoky Black Bean and Sausage Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or avocado oil
- 12 ounces smoked sausage rope , sliced into quartered rounds
- 1/2 red onion , diced (about 3/4 cup)
- 2 ribs celery , diced
- 1/2 cup roasted red peppers , diced
- 3 cloves garlic , minced
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon chili powder (use your favorite)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 can fire-roasted diced tomatoes with their juices (about 14 ounces)
- 2 cans black beans , drained
- 3 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro leaves
- 1 green onion , sliced thinly
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a 4- to 5- quarter soup pot or Dutch oven over medium until the surface shimmers.
- Add the smoked sausage and saute until the slices start to turn golden and crisp a little bit. Remove about a third of the sausage to a bowl and set aside.
- If the pot is dry, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil.
- Add the onions, celery, and peppers to the sausage and saute until the onions have softened (about 5 minutes). Stir in the garlic until fragrant (just 30 seconds or so).
- Sprinkle the spices, salt, and Worcestershire sauce over the vegetables and stir well.
- Add the tomatoes, black beans, and chicken broth, stirring well.
- Raise the heat to medium-high and bring the soup up to an active simmer. Cook for 10 minutes. Bean soups like to foam up; skim off the foam with a shallow spoon.
- Reduce heat to low. Add back the reserved smoked sausage and mix them in along with 1 tablespoon of the cilantro.
- Serve with green onions and the remaining cilantro for toppings.