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Smoky Black Bean Soup With Sweet Potato & Kale

Name: Smoky Black Bean Soup With Sweet Potato & Kale
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 490 min
Total time: 630 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 6 cups chicken broth; 3 tablespoons chipotle chiles; 1 pound black beans; 2 tablespoons ground cumin; 1 bunch kale; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1 onion; 6 servings salt & pepper; 3 lbs sweet potatoes

This soup brings together smoky chipotle, tender black beans, and sweet potato, all brightened by fresh kale. It's a hearty pot that comes together with a bit of simmering time. You'll start by soaking the beans overnight, then building the soup in layers, from sautéed aromatics to a final swirl of puréed beans for body. The chipotles add a gentle heat and a deep, earthy smoke.

Recipes.zone

August 29, 2026

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9 steps · 10h 30m total

Sort Beans

Spread the dry beans out on a baking sheet and pick out any pebbles or debris you find.

Soak and Cook Beans

Place the sorted beans in a big soup pot, cover with water by 3 inches, and allow them to soak overnight or for 6-8 hours. Once soaked, discard that water.

Return the soaked beans to the pot and cover with 3 inches of fresh water again. Bring this to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and let them cook until the beans start to get tender but are still firm, which should take about 1 1/2 hours.

Drain Beans

Drain the cooked beans.

Sauté Onion

Heat the olive oil in a soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion along with a pinch of salt and sauté until it has softened and turned golden.

Simmer Beans and Prep Vegetables

Stir in 1 tablespoon of ground cumin, then add the drained beans along with the chicken broth. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for 30 minutes.

While the soup simmers, peel and chop the sweet potatoes. Wash the kale, remove the tough stems, and chop the leaves.

Cool Half the Beans

Remove about half of the beans and their liquid from the pot and set them aside to cool a bit.

Add Vegetables

Add the chopped sweet potatoes and kale to the pot, along with some salt and pepper. Cover and cook for another 10 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are tender.

Blend and Season

Transfer the cooled beans and liquid to a blender and purée until smooth, then return the purée to the pot. Stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon of ground cumin.

Now, add 1 tablespoon of the chipotles in adobo. Taste the soup and continue to add more chipotles, a little at a time, until it has a spice level that you like. Adjust the salt and pepper as needed.

Serve

Serve the soup with a dollop of sour cream on top.

Smoky Black Bean Soup With Sweet Potato & Kale