Black Bean and Rice Soup

Black Bean and Rice Soup can be made in the slow cooker or on the stove, and this tasty vegetarian soup has been a hit. The soup only has a small amount of rice, and the addition of lime and cilantro makes it extra tasty! 

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I first made this Black Bean and Rice Soup in the slow cooker when black beans had been on my mind, and this recipe was one of those intuitive ones that swirled around in my brain for a few days and then suddenly I found myself in the kitchen making it. This has happened to me for years, but luckily when I started blogging I learned to write the recipes down.

The soup was flavorful and delicious, with earthy beans, sour lime juice, and spicy cilantro all combined in a healthy soup without a drop of fat, salt, or gluten, and although I used chicken broth, it could easily be vegetarian or vegan if you used vegetable stock. I’ve made this recipe so many times for parties when I wanted a vegetarian option and it’s always been a hit. And now there are also stovetop instructions if you prefer to make it on the stove.

What ingredients do you need for this recipe?

What if you’re not a cilantro fan?

If you’re someone with the tastebuds that make cilantro not appealing, just use more thinly-sliced green onion instead of the cilantro.

Do you prefer to use dried beans instead of canned?

If you prefer not to use canned beans, just cook dried black beans in the slow cooker or the Instant Pot for this recipe. Two cans of beans is equal to 3.5 cups of cooked beans.

How to Make Black Bean and Rice Soup:

(Scroll down for complete recipe with nutritional information.)

1. In a 3.5 Quart Slow Cooker (affiliate link), combine beans, tomatoes, chicken or vegetable stock, onions, garlic, cumin, oregano, Ancho chile powder, and Chipotle chile powder. 
2. Cook on low 6-8 hours (or on high 3-4 hours.)
3. When beans and tomatoes are very well done (even starting to fall apart), it’s time to add the rice. You might be tempted to use more rice, but trust me, 1/4 cup will be perfect. 
4. If you were cooking on low, turn the slow cooker to high.
5. Cook on high for about 30 minutes, or until the rice is tender.
6. Then stir in the fresh lime juice and chopped cilantro and cook about 5 minutes. 
7. Serve hot, with more lime and cilantro to add at the table.
8. Check the complete recipe below for stovetop instructions.

More Tasty Soups You Might Like:

The Top Ten Low-Carb Soup Recipes on Kalyn’s Kitchen
Slow Cooker or Pressure Cooker Soup Index 

Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
Soup like this Black Bean and Rice Soup with a lot of low-glycemic ingredients and just a little rice is a perfect choice for Phase 2 or 3 of the original South Beach Diet. Use Uncle Ben’s Converted Rice (affiliate link) or brown rice to keep this South Beach friendly. Soup with beans and rice would be too high in carbs for a stricter low-carb diet plan.

Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Soup Recipes to find more recipes like this one. Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to Follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there. Click here for more Slow Cooker / Pressure Cooker Recipes on my other site!

Historical Notes for This Recipe:
Black Bean and Rice Soup was updated February 2013 with better photos and instructions. The recipe was last updated with more information in 2021.

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