There’s nothing quite like a hearty bowl of homemade Cuban Black Bean Soup to warm you from the inside out. This classic soup is made from scratch using dried black beans, which are simmered to perfection with a flavorful sofrito of onions, bell peppers, garlic, herbs and spices, and a smoky, savory ham hock. The result is a rich and creamy soup with tender beans, packed with traditional Cuban flavors. Whether for a cozy dinner or meal prep for the week, this soup shines on both comfort and taste.
Why I love this soup, and hope you will, too
Omg, there are so many reasons to love this soup. The hearty soup base with melty tender beans, smoky, salty pork from a ham hock, and the irresistible earthiness of cumin and Mexican oregano. For bean soup fans, I think this is the ultimate expression of love!
I appreciate quick and easy soups as much as the next soup addict, but I also enjoy the occasional Project Soup: An afternoon of hovering over a simmering pot of soup is the exact opposite of a wasted day. I love bean soups for that very purpose.
Reasons this soup is a hit at Casa SoupAddict:
- Hearty and Satisfying: Packed with protein and fiber, it’s a meal in itself.
- Budget-Friendly: Black beans are an affordable ingredient, making this soup a great option for those on a budget.
- Easy to Make: Requires minimal hands-on time, mostly simmering on the stove.
- Perfect for Meal Prep: Make a big batch for easy lunches or dinners throughout the week.
- Freezer-Friendly: Enjoy it now and freeze leftovers for future meals.
- Versatile: Serve it as is in a big bowl, ladle over rice, and top with your favorite garnishes like sour cream, avocado, or cilantro.
- Comforting and Delicious: A classic dish that’s sure to warm you up on a cold day.
Authenticity
But, SoupAddict, is the soup authentically Cuban? Lemme rephrase the question and then address the two areas where I diverge from tradition.
Is it traditional, as in what Cuban households prepare(d)?
(1) Classic Cuban bean soup is vegetarian and prepared without meat or dairy (e.g., no dollop of sour cream on top).
(2) The soup is often prepared with a sofrito of onions, peppers, and garlic, which is sauteed while the soup is cooking and then added about halfway through.
If you’ve spent any time in Miami, you’ll know that Cuban black bean soup is ubiquitous on Cuban-American restaurant menus, and most of them use pork (if not a ham hock or pork shank, then bacon). In fact, I was surprised when I sat down to research the origins of the recipe and learned that it was usually prepared vegetarian (surprised because I don’t think I’ve ever had a pork-free version here in the U.S.).
Even then, I found lots of arguments amongst Cuban descendants as to whether ham belongs or not, and I could not find a definitive answer one way or another, except it seems that many people’s abuelas made it without ham simply because ham bones were not a common pantry item in budget-conscious households. So, respectfully, I went with the pork.
The timing of adding the sofrito is simply my preference: I add it at the beginning so that it’s part of the entire cook.
You can make your version of my recipe vegetarian simply by leaving out the ham hock.
I’ll also add that I prepare the beans according to the advice of Rancho Gordo. To soak or not to soak dried beans is an evergreen argument among bean soup fans, and sometimes even RG contradicts their own advice between their website and their packaging, depending on the heft of the bean.
However, they have some nifty advice, such as using the soaking liquid, doing a hard boil at the beginning of the cook, and also topping off the soup pot with hot water from a tea kettle, which keeps the cooking moving right along.
Main Ingredients, Preparation Notes, and Substitutions
Black beans — Buy the freshest dried black beans you can find. Inspect them through the bag, and if they’re wrinkly, just pass. Old, stale beans will have a hard time cooking down to tenderness, if they do at all. This soup is not without some effort, and you don’t want to ruin the whole batch with chewy beans.
I purchased my black beans from Rancho Gordo because they have such a fresh, high-quality product. Beans found on the bottom shelf of the grocery store might have a different performance, because they’re notoriously old.
Ham hock — A smoked ham hock adds a lot of savoriness to this soup. You can skip it, though, or replace with a small pork shank, or even bacon. Ham hocks and pork shanks used to be readily available at the grocery store — my mom used them all the time in her cooking.
I hope this is just a regional quirk, but I found exactly two ham hocks in a 10-mile radius of my house (at Meijer). Even the butcher shops here have to order them in. I bought them both because I have another bean soup on the schedule lol. Sorry, neighbors!
Water — Yes, this recipe uses water instead of broth. The pot liquor — as the broth produced from cooked beans is called — is so unique and delicious, it doesn’t really need any help from boullion.
Sofrito — Cuban Black Bean Soup gets its aromatic flavors from onions, bell peppers, garlic, cumin, and oregano. It’s a lovely, classic combination.
Vinegar & Sugar — Most soups, especially bean soups, benefit from an acidic brightening at the end of cooking. Apple cider vinegar adds that touch, and a little bit of sugar rounds off the hard edges.
Cook’s Notes
- If you have any doubts about the quality of your black beans, don’t skip the pre-soak. It doesn’t have to be overnight (unless you’re cooking first thing in the morning), but plan on 4 to 6 hours.
- This soup is easy, in the lack-of-complexity sense, but is not hands-off. Even though the cook is long, I encourage you to keep an eye on the pot, and give everything a frequent stir, adding more water as needed (the beans should always be covered by liquid). It wouldn’t be a disaster if the beans cooked down to a “bean” dish rather than a “bean soup” dish, but you definitely don’t want the beans to scorch.
- Serve some rice along with the soup if you’d like a little texture variation in your bowl. Your peeps can add rice as they please.
- Don’t hesitate to use your preferred toppings, even if they’re not traditional. Sour cream, shredded cheese, and a shower of cilantro is delicious, as is a big spoonful of chopped raw onions.
How to Make Cuban Black Bean Soup
Ready to make the recipe? Skip to the recipe card now to get the full ingredient list, quantities, prep/cooking times, and detailed instructions. Or, keep scrolling for a quick visual walk-through of making the soup.
Step 1: Soak the beans
Soaking the beans will reduce cooking time, so it’s usually a good idea to soak the beans in filtered or bottled water for 4 to 6 hours. Use a large bowl and cover the beans with water by at least two inches, because they’ll begin absorbing water and expand.
Step 2: Cook the aromatics
Saute the aromatic vegetables in some oil over medium heat until softened. Stir in the seasonings, and add the ham hock. Sear the ham on all of the flat sides for a few minutes each.
Step 3: Start the soup
Add the beans with the soaking liquid to the pot, and then add more water to cover the beans by at least an inch. Bring the soup to roiling boil and adjust the heat to maintain a hard boil for 10 minutes. This will give a head start to softening the beans.
Step 4: Cook the soup
After the hard boil, reduce the heat to let the soup come down to an active simmer (bubbling but not spitting). Skim off any foam that’s risen to the surface. Cover the pot with a lid and cook for 2 to 3 hours. Check the pot every 20 to 30 minutes to give everything a stir and check the water levels.
The beans should be covered by water at all times, but as you get close to the end of the cook, you can add less water, because the beans will absorb less. At the two-hour mark, test the beans for doneness: they should mash easily against the side of the pot with a spoon.
Step 5: Incorporate the ham hock and finish the soup
When the beans are finished cooking, reduce the heat to low, and remove the the ham hock to a cutting board. Some of the meaty pieces may have fallen off the bone into the soup during cooking. If there are any chunks of meat left on the bone, remove and cut them up.
Stir in the vinegar and sugar, plus the meat from the ham bone. Taste the soup and add salt as needed.
Soup lovers know that there are few things that can compete with the cozy warmth of soup cooking on the stove all afternoon on a chilly day. And when the reward at the end is a beautiful pot of Cuban Black Bean Soup, it’s just extra lovely.
Cuban Black Bean Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound black beans
- 1 tablespoon vegetable or avocado oil
- 1 cup diced onions (one small or half of a medium onion)
- 1/2 cup diced green bell peppers
- 1/2 cup diced red bell peppers
- 3 garlic cloves , peeled and minced
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 heaping teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 ham hock (8 to 12 ounces)
- 2 tablespoons apple cider or red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- salt to taste
- lime (optional)
Instructions
At least 4 hours before the cook:
- Pick through the black beans and remove any rocks or debris. Rinse and drain them thoroughly several times, then place in a large bowl. Cover with water by at least two inches. My preference is to use filtered or bottled water, rather than tap water, as I use the soaking liquid in the soup.
- Let the beans soak for 4 to 6 hours. Keep an eye on the bowl, and top it with water when necessary to keep the beans covered. After the beans have soaked, you can pour away the soaking liquid or use it in your soup. It’s up to you. (With filtered water and fresh Rancho Gordo beans, I use the soaking liquid because it has color and flavor).
Cook the soup:
- Heat the oil in a large 4-5 quart Dutch oven or soup pot over medium until the surface shimmers. Add the onions and peppers, and saute for 5 minutes, until the veggies soften. Stir in the cumin, oregano, and garlic.
- Push the veggies to one side and add a quick pour of oil to the cleared area. Place the ham hock flattest side down and sear for a minute or two. Use tongs to pick up the ham hock and turn it (and if necessary, hold it) to sear each side that can touch the surface of the pot. Position the ham hock with the most stable side down, and then rearrange the vegetables around it.
- Pour the black beans (and the soaking liquid if using) into the pot and raise the heat to high. Top the beans with additional water, covering them by an inch or two. Let the soup come up to a rapid boil and adjust the heat to hold it there. If the pot is spitting water all over the place, back the heat down until the bubbling is behaving in the pot.
- Let the soup boil vigorously for about 10 minutes. This, per Rancho Gordo’s advice, will help the beans soften faster. Reduce heat and let the soup settle down into lively simmer — still bubbling, but not bursting. Skim off any foam that rises to the surface. Cover the pot with a lid slightly ajar, to allow a little evaporation to occur. From this point, the soup will cook for about two hours.
- Check the soup every 20 to 30 minutes, topping with more water* to just cover the beans, and giving everything a good stir, patting the beans down below the water’s surface. Replace the lid ajar.
- The beans are fully cooked with they mash effortlessly against the sides of the pot with a spoon.
- When you reach this point, reduce heat to low, and remove the ham hock. Let it cool until you can handle it, and then remove as much of the meat from the bone as you care to add back to the soup. Much of may have already fallen off, and if that’s the case, fish through the soup and cut up any large chunks you find.
- Stir in the vinegar and sugar. You can leave the soup completely chunky, or blend some or all of it to a smoother texture. For my preferences, I like lots of whole beans in a thick base, so I remove a cup or two of the soup to a large bowl and blend it smooth with an immersion blender. Doing this separately, outside of the pot, provides better control, as sometimes an efficient immersion blender will very quickly push too many beans through its blades! You can also use a traditional blender.
- Now carefully taste the soup — it’s still hot, spoon some out and let it cool. It probably won’t need seasoning, but add more salt if you like. And if the soup needs a little more brightening, squeeze a little fresh lime juice into the pot.