This soup has quickly become a favorite. It can easily be made vegetarian, and the butternut squash provides a silky texture. If you prefer a chunkier soup, you don’t have to puree, but we prefer to puree the butternut squash and onions and leave the black beans and greens intact. It’s another great use of butternut squash that doesn’t taste like butternut squash. If they’re out of season, you can use sweet potatoes instead.
Black Bean and Butternut Squash Soup
Servings: 8
Equipment
- Immersion blender or regular blender
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion coarsely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, or more to taste
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 chipotle chili in adobo plus some adobo liquid
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes optional
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 4 cups chicken stock, vegetable broth or water plus more if needed
- 4 cups peeled, cubed butternut squash
- 2 cups greens (kale, chard, spinach) coarsely chopped
- 1 15 oz can black beans drained and rinsed
- avocado, cilantro, tortilla chips and sour cream for serving
Instructions
- In a heavy dutch oven or stock pot, heat oil over medium heat.
- Add onion and cook until translucent but not browned.
- Add garlic, chili powder, cumin, cocoa powder, chipotle in adobo, red pepper flakes and salt and pepper. Stir and cook about 1 minute, until well combined and fragrant. Add stock or water and butternut squash.
- Bring to a simmer and cook over medium low heat until squash is very tender – approximately 25-30 minutes. Puree with immersion blender until completely smooth. If soup seems too thick, add more stock or water to desired consistency
- Add black beans and greens and cook another 15-20 minutes or so until all ingredients are well blended, greens are wilted and beans are hot. Adjust seasonings.
- Serve with avocado, cilantro and tortilla chips.