Slow Cooker Mexican Bean Soup
Full of vegetarian protein and tons of smoky Mexican flavor, Mexican bean soup is a comforting and healthy meal. This recipe is also vegetarian and vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free, high-protein, high-fiber, and low-fat.
Slow Cooker Mexican Bean Soup is a powerhouse of nutrition: with three kinds of beans (four if you count green beans), potatoes, corn, and tomatoes, this is a hearty soup that keeps you full for hours. It’s the perfect addition to a winter day — steamy, hearty, and has a lovely little Mexican spice kick!
This is also a fantastic recipe for a number of diets — it’s vegetarian and vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free, high-protein, high-fiber, and low-fat. It freezes and keeps in the fridge for up to a week, so this is a meal-planning dream!
This soup is not low-carb (no chance of that with 4 kinds of beans!), but it is a healthy, plant-based way to get tons of nutrients. Did I also mention that it’s cheap and makes a ton?
You can either make this soup in the slow cooker, in which case it takes about 10 minutes to throw together, and then about 4 hours to cook. You can also make it on the stovetop, where it takes about 10 minutes to throw together and between 20 and 30 to cook. Either way you make it, this soup is extremely simple. If you’re new to cooking, this is your recipe!
What do I need for Mexican Bean Soup?
Beans: This soup uses a full can of black beans, green beans (yes, I know this is technically a vegetable), and kidney beans. You’ll also need a 1/2 can of garbanzo beans (chickpeas). I like the recipe better with no salt added beans, which is also better for you, but when I can’t find those, I simply rinse off the salt-added beans. This has the same effect. If you are using dried beans, you’ll need to cook the beans first, then use about 9 oz (or 1 1/2 cups) per can.
Corn: This recipe calls for a 1/2 can of corn, which is about 5 ounces. You can also use fresh or frozen corn.
Tomatoes: I like Walmart’s Great Value chili-ready tomatoes for this. You can also use Rotel to get a similar flavor. I do prefer using a pre-flavored can of tomatoes, because it really levels up the taste of the finished product.
Potatoes: Plan old russet potatoes work here. If you find yourself without fresh potatoes, you can also use canned diced potatoes as an option.
Picante Sauce: Picante sauce is not the same as salsa. Salsa is often fresh and is chunkier, and does not work in this recipe. You want the jarred picante sauce, which will typically have a stronger, spicier flavor, and has more liquid and smaller chunks. This helps it to seamlessly melt into the soup!
Mild, medium, or hot? I personally love hot, but my kids won’t eat anything above mild. You can pick your own heat level for the soup right here, by choosing your picante sauce.
Vegetable Bouillon: Knorr brand vegetable bouillon is vegan, and is a fantastic way to add a depth of flavor and umami to this soup. For the non-vegetarians out there, you can sub chicken bouillon, which will change the taste slightly. You can also sub vegetable (or chicken) stock/broth and omit the water.
Water: You can omit this if you sub the bouillon for stock or broth.
How do I make Mexican Bean Soup?
In the Slow Cooker
Start by peeling and chopping your potatoes. Then, drain and rinse the beans and corn in a colander.
Once your ingredients are ready, place the potatoes at the bottom of your slow cooker. , then dump the beans, corn, tomatoes, and salsa in. Top with the bouillon cube and water.
Let the soup cook on high for 4 hours, or on low for 6-8. The soup is done when the potatoes are soft and can be easily stabbed with a fork.
On the Stovetop
Start by peeling and chopping your potatoes. Then, drain and rinse the beans and corn in a colander.
Once your ingredients are ready, put all the ingredients into a large pot with a lid.
Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer on ow/medium heat for 20-30 minutes.
The soup is done when the potatoes are soft and can be easily stabbed with a fork.
FAQs
You can top Mexican Bean Soup with cheese, sour cream, cilantro, crushed chips, or (my favorite) pickled jalapeños!
This soup also tastes amazing over rice. I fully recommend this Cilantro Lime Rice as a base.
For side ideas, I would recommend these:
Mile High Biscuits (this is my family’s favorite!)
Easy Mexican Salad
Easy Cornbread Recipe
You can freeze this soup for up to 3 months in a freezer safe, airtight container. This soup will also keep for up to a week in the fridge in an airtight container.
More Incredibly Easy Soups:
Mexican Bean Soup
Ingredients
- 1 can kidney beans
- 1 can black beans
- ½ can garbanzo beans
- ½ cup picante sauce
- 1 can green beans
- 1 can corn
- 1 can diced tomatoes
- 2 potatoes
- 1 vegetable bouillon cube
- 3-5 cups water
Instructions
- Drain and rinse beans and corn.
- Peel and chop potatoes.
- Place all ingredients in slow cooker, with the potatoes on the bottom.
- Allow to cook on low for 6-8 hours or 3-4 hours on high.
Video
Notes
- You can also make this on the stove top! Just put all your ingredients in a big pot, bring to boiling, then reduce the heat, cover and allow to simmer for 20-30 minutes.
- You may notice the video version differs slightly from the written recipe. The video is my super quick go-to. I substitute 1 can of mixed veggies for the potatoes, green beans, and corn. This cuts the prep time down quite a bit!
Nutrition
I was just thinking about this soup the other day! It is going on the menus for next week. I like to grill some chicken and make some rice to eat with the leftovers.
We love it over rice! This was a great find – actually, everything we ever ate on Sundays was a great find 🙂