This black bean and rice soup is simple, flavorful and filling. Made with black beans, rice, vegetables and the perfect amount of spice it’s easy to make in the slow cooker or on the stovetop plus vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free!
This plant based black bean and rice soup is full of pantry staples like beans and rice which makes it is easy to put together in the morning and then let the slow cooker work its magic all day! I meal prepped this in my slow cooker for a busy week and it was so nice to have dinner done and waiting for us after a busy day.
This one pot meal contains dried black beans, rice, diced tomatoes, celery, onion and spices. It has fantastic taste from cumin, chili powder and basil. The black beans and rice get ‘creamy’ in the slow cooker making this thick and hearty soup an amazing comforting dinner after a long day.
This soup tastes best with dried black beans that have been soaked overnight. The black beans will cook all day in the slow cooker and stay firm yet get tender.
Why You’ll Love This Soup
- Hearty: This black bean and rice soup is thick and filling like a stew but easily made as a soup!
- Easy to make: The slow cooker makes this soup very hands off to make or you can easily make it on the stovetop!
- Nutritious: Black beans are loaded with fiber and protein and rice a good source of complex carbohydrates.
- Delicious: The perfect amount of spices makes this a great choice for a meatless dinner or a meatless Monday!
Ingredients Needed
- Black beans: For best taste, I reccommend using dried black beans that have been soaked overnight. You could use two cans low sodium black beans though if preferred.
- Uncooked rice: White rice or brown rice can be used.
- Vegetable broth: I love to use vegetable bullion mixed with water for my vegetable broth.
- Tomatoes: You will need one can of diced tomatoes and tomato sauce.
- Vegetables and garlic: White onion and celery. Fresh minced garlic is best, but I love to use jarred garlic when in a hurry.
- Sugar: Just a small amount balances the acidity from the tomatoes.
- Seasonings: Dried basil, oregano, cumin, chili powder and salt.
How to Make Black Bean and Rice Soup
Slow cooker rice and black beans are thick and chunky and so good on a cold day!
Quick Tips for Success
- Thick or thin soup: If you like your soup thinner with more liquid add additional vegetable stock.
- Spicier: If you like your soup with more spice, feel free to add more chili powder or a dash of cayenne pepper.
- Additional vegetables: Add some bell pepper, either green or red for some more vegetables! I have even added frozen peas and carrots near the end of cooking time.
- Stovetop: Make this soup even faster on the stovetop using canned beans and precooked rice or leftover rice.
- Toppings: Eat it as is or get fancy with the toppings! Add some sliced avocados, fresh cilantro, green onions, a squirt of lime juice or even diced jalapenos. If I have it on hand, dairy free sour cream is delicious, toO!
How to Serve
This zippy vegan soup can be served right from the crockpot or can be meal prepped to enjoy on a busy night. This soup has become a favorite of ours and is a delicious vegan soup.
We love to serve this with a delicious green salad on the side. A salad with a southwest taste pairs perfectly, like this oil free cilantro tahini kale salad. This thick and hearty soup would also go well over a baked sweet potato. YUM! I think I will do that with the leftover black beans and rice soup in my freezer.
How to Store Leftovers
Store leftover black bean rice soup in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. Rice absorbs liquid so you may need to thin out the soup with broth when reheating.
Freeze leftovers for 3 months in an airtight container or freezer safe bag. Thaw and reheat on the stovetop with additional broth.
Frequently Asked Questions
How healthy are black beans and rice?
Rice and beans is a great plant based combination that can contain up to 12 grams of plant protein per serving (1 cup = serving). This healthy rice and beans combination also contains 10 grams of fiber.
Do you add cooked or uncooked rice to soup?
For this slow cooker soup, you will need to add uncooked rice. Because this vegan soup is cooked in a crockpot all day, your rice will have plenty of time to cook to a soft rice texture.
Do black beans need to be soaked before adding to the slow cooker?
I recommend soaking black beans the day before making this soup.
Could I make this slow cooker soup on the stovetop?
You could make black bean and rice soup on the stovetop. You will just need to adjust the cooking time as well as the amount of liquids added. See the recipe card for detailed directions!
More Soup Recipes to Try
- Slow Cooker Southwest Black Bean Soup
- Cannellini Kale Soup
- Tortilla Soup
- Vegan Lentil Soup with Kale
- Italian Vegetable Soup
Black Bean and Rice Soup
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups dried black beans , soaked overnight
- 3/4 cup uncooked rice , white or brown
- 30 ounces vegetable broth
- 1 can 14.5 ounces diced tomatoes , undrained
- 1 can 14.5 ounces tomato sauce
- 1 cup white onion , diced
- 1 cup celery , diced
- 2 garlic cloves , minced
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- fresh cilantro or green onions , optional
Instructions
- Soak black beans overnight, drain and rinse well.
- Rinse rice in a colander.
- Add all ingredients in 5 quart or larger slow cooker. Stir to combine.
- Cover and cook on high for 1 hour.
- Reduce heat to low and cook for 4 – 5 hours or until vegetables, rice and beans are tender.
- Garnish with cilantro or green onions. Serve with a side salad!
Notes
- I have made this adding some extra veggies near the end of cooking time! If so desired, add 1 cup frozen peas and carrots for the last hour of cooking.
- Refrigerate leftovers or freeze for up to 3 months in freezer safe containers. Thaw and reheat.
- Stovetop: If you would like to make this on the stovetop you will need to use 2 cans or 4 cups cooked black beans. Saute garlic, onion and celery in a bit of olive oil. Add remaining ingredients except garnish, plus additional 3 cups broth. Bring to boil then reduce heat slightly and cook until rice is tender about 35-45 minutes.
If I subbed wild rice for the regular I should probably add more liquid maybe? Can’t do rice
I have not tried just using purely wild rice, but you could try that and yes I would keep an eye on the liquid! You might also be able to omit rice but add in frozen cauliflower rice near the end of cooking time (I have not tried that, but now I want to!).