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    Home ยป Partnerships ยป Spicy Black Bean Soup recipe

    LAST UPDATED: October 16, 2020 โ€ข FIRST PUBLISHED: November 25, 2016 By Toni Dash 32 Comments

    Spicy Black Bean Soup recipe

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    This post may include affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    A lightly spicy, soul-warming soup for a chilly winter’s day, Spicy Black Bean Soup is easy to make and vegan too! And you’ll never guess where I got the idea to make it!

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    Spicy Black Bean Soup. In bowl

    This post is brought to you in partnership with Johnson & Wales University. All opinions are my own.

    Have you ever gone out to eat and had a dish that stays with you afterwards? You think about it. You wish it was in your refrigerator. You plot when you’ll be able to have it again. Today I’m sharing my latest recipe obsession for Spicy Black Bean Soup. In my case, the soup was superb (and I sort of regret not licking the bowl) but it was the opportunity that facilitated me HAVING the soup that has lingered on.

    Centenial Hall Johnson and Wales University Denver CO
    Centennial Hall at Johnson &  Wales University Denver is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and was recently restored for the 2015-2016 school year. It includes classrooms, faculty offices, dining options, an outside terrace, auditorium and loads of fascinating history. The refurbishment thoughtfully recycled doors and woodwork from the original interior.

    Last week my high school senior daughter and I had the chance to tour Johnson & Wales University in Denver. You may know of ‘JWU’ (jay-woo) for their exceptional Culinary Arts and Hospitality programs. Or perhaps for their origins as a business school having been founded over 100 years ago. That was my association before touring this beautiful campus, on what began as a gorgeous fall day.

    The visual of the private, nonprofit, accredited university campus reminded me of the East Coast or Europe for the impressive historic buildings. A sprawling grassy commons area lies between the buildings, dotted with large shade-bearing trees giving the grounds the feel of having been long established despite the JWU’s occupancy only being 16 years old. The historic campus was originally founded by the Colorado Women’s College in the late 1800s.

    Founders Hall   Johnson and Wales University Denver CO
    Founders Hall at Johnson &  Wales Denver is a sophomore residence hall newly renovated for the 2015-16 school year.

    Our tour was led by Andrew, a graduating senior with sights set on a career in software sales in New York City. As he wound us through the different curriculum areas such as Criminal Justice (with their own full size courtroom on campus for practicing mock trials and leveraging the local FBI field office for regular guest lectures), Fashion Merchandising (which had created a hip Día de los Muertos window display) and the School of Business, Andrew described the close-knit student-teacher community. How he had taken courses from many of the same professors over his four years, and that he felt they were invested in his success.

    Bookstore - Johnson and Wales University

    Most of the majors require students to do internships (or ‘externships’ as one student referred to them) in their field of study. It was obvious Johnson & Wales expertly integrates with the professional community to leverage resources being involved with on-campus activities (teaching, mentoring, guest lecturing) and aligning students with meaningful experiences which help to clarify their future professional interests and acumen, as well as instilling work experiences to make them readily employable as graduates.

    Are you wondering where the soup comes into this?  Unquestionably a favorite experience of our visit was lunch. I knew we’d be having lunch prepared by a class but did not realize we’d be PART of the class experience. We dined at a table of 7 where the students in a ‘front of the house’ dining course served us food prepared by an International Cuisine class.

    Culinary Arts class Johnson and Wales University Denver CO

    My daughter and I were joined by two faculty members and three senior culinary students. We each were instructed to order something different on the menu to allow the serving students to experience the serving requirements of each menu item.

    Culinary Arts Johnson and Wales University Denver CO

    I was fortunate to be first, having the entire menu for the picking. I enjoyed a spicy black bean soup (that I truly can’t stop thinking about) and a beautiful African stew with blackened tilapia and mussels. The meal moved at a swift pace with the students shuttling us through three courses and serving the check at the end.

    African Stew Johnson and Wales University Denver

    The three senior students lunching with us each had different paths at Johnson & Wales. One was there to pursue the art of butchery. Another enjoys the pastry arts, would love to have a restaurant one day (with a partner to attend to the business side of things not feeling that aspect to be her preferred arena) and plans to write a cookbook upon graduation.

    Chocolate Truffles from Johnson and Wales University Denver CO

    The third student had gone through college receiving an electrical engineering degree and learned he did not love working in an office. After being laid off he came to Johnson & Wales for their Garnish Your Degree program to add some culinary background to his resume with a plan of going into culinary sales. He shared an idea for a fantastic sounding meat smoker to which one of the faculty at our table reminded him of their annual ‘Sharkfest’ event held on campus for student entrepreneurs to get feedback and potential funding for ideas from business professionals in the community.

    Culinary Arts class Johnson and Wales University Denver CO
    Culinary Arts class Johnson &  Wales University Denver

    Being focused on ensuring I was properly participating in the class lunch, and not sure how quickly we needed to eat or how much, I did not finish my soup. When we emerged from lunch to finish our tour, the golden fall day had succumbed to a full-on snow storm. The campus was visually transformed into a winter wonderland with students who were seeing snow for the first time, frolicking coat-less in flip flops outdoors, having just finished their finals. The chill in the air, and the regret of leaving one drop of that soup in my bowl inspired me to develop my own version as an homage.

    Spicy Black Bean Soup with ingredients

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    Recipe

    Spicy Black Bean Soup. In bowl

    Spicy Black Bean Soup

    This comforting soup is full of vegetables and spices to perk up the flavor and warm the senses. It is not overly spicy and can be made more so by adding crushed red pepper flakes or hot sauce for individual servings.
    5 from 1 vote
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    Course: Soup
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes
    Servings: 5 cups soup
    Calories: 216kcal
    Author: Toni Dash
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    Ingredients

    • 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
    • 1 large Yellow Onion , peeled and chopped
    • 4 medium Garlic Cloves , peeled and chopped
    • 2 large Celery Stalks , scrubbed and chopped
    • 1 large Carrot , ends removed, scrubbed and chopped
    • 1 small Jalapeno Chile Pepper (2 inches long), stem removed and chopped
    • 1 15- ounce cans Black Beans , drained and rinsed
    • 4 cups Low Sodium Vegetable Broth (chicken broth also may be substituted though it won't be a vegan soup)
    • 1 tablespoon ground Cumin
    • 1 tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar
    • 1 tablespoon Lime Juice
    • ¼ cup fresh Cilantro
    • 1 tablespoon Adobo Sauce (can be taken from a can of Chipotle en Adobo)
    • Kosher Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper , to taste
    • 1 medium Jalapeno Pepper , stem removed and finely diced
    • Garnish suggestions: crushed tortilla chips , diced red pepper, red pepper flakes, torn cilantro leaves, sour cream

    Instructions

    • In a large Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, celery, carrot and chopped jalapeno. Sauté for 5 minutes until the vegetables begin to soften.
    • Add the beans, vegetable stock, and cumin to the Dutch oven and stir to combine. Allow to come to a simmer, then lower the heat to Low and allow to simmer for 30 minutes.
    • Stir in the apple cider vinegar, lime juice, cilantro, and adobo sauce. For a chunkier texture: use an immersion blender to blend the soup in the pot to desired texture. _For smoother soup: add the soup into a blender in batches and puree to desired texture (also some may be pureed and some not to have a combined texture)._ Return the soup to the Dutch oven is passing it through the blender.
    • Salt and pepper to taste before serving. The second diced jalapeno pepper may be added to the bottom of the serving bowls for additional texture and heat, or used as a garnish. Optional garnish (any or a combination): crushed tortilla chips, diced red pepper, red pepper flakes, torn cilantro leaves, sour cream

    Nutrition

    Calories: 216kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 1395mg | Potassium: 465mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 2640IU | Vitamin C: 11.6mg | Calcium: 60mg | Iron: 2.9mg
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    Wildcat Johnson and Wales University Denver CO
    The Wildcat is not only the JWU mascot but carries the spirit of the university in its inscription. An artist created four identical wildcat sculptures, one for each of Johnson &  Wales University campuses.

    We learned so much during our time at Johnson & Wales University in Denver (note: there are three additional campuses in Providence, RI, North Miami, FL, and Charlotte, NC.). Here is what I loved about JWU:

    • Everyone really seemed to care. From the President of the University, to the faculty I met and the students, they have cultivated a community committed to a rich, unique learning environment.
    • The professor and student bond. Many students have the same professor for different classes over their time at Johnson & Wales, coupled with smaller class sizes, allowing the professors to truly know the students.
    • Mixed instruction mediums of in-class live instruction and some online course options allow students to tailor an approach that works best for them.
    • JWU’s ‘Experience Your Future Now’ motto, espouses a commitment to mesh practical experience with academic learning. Students gain skills and clarity on working in their major to make good choices when they graduate AND get a job.
    • The excellence in the Culinary Arts and Hospitality industry majors are only the start of the Johnson & Wales offering. JWU Denver students have access to degrees in arts and sciences, business, culinary arts, nutrition, hospitality, and health science.

    Johnson and Wales University Denver CO

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Sarah Bailey says

      November 28, 2016 at 3:57 pm

      This looks like such a beautiful place to visit! That soup also looks amazing and like it would hit the spot.

      Reply
    2. Kiwi says

      November 28, 2016 at 2:00 am

      Looks very delicious and rich! You also took some amazing recap pictures I really enjoyed it!

      Reply
    3. Brianne says

      November 27, 2016 at 8:19 pm

      This entire post is beyond perfect. The soup with the snow sounds absolutely dreamy! I am definitely going to try out this recipe!

      Reply
    4. Erin @ Stay at Home Yogi says

      November 27, 2016 at 6:30 am

      5 stars
      What a beautiful campus! ๐Ÿ™‚ I love those buildings. I also love love love black beans so this soup is something I will definitely try! Pinning for later ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
    5. Rosey says

      November 27, 2016 at 6:04 am

      Black Beans are my fave. I love them with a touch of spicy too!

      Reply
    6. Ann Bacciaglia says

      November 26, 2016 at 6:28 pm

      Looks like you had a great time visiting the culinary school. The soup looks pretty good. Your photos are great.

      Reply
      • Toni Dash says

        November 26, 2016 at 6:45 pm

        It was fun Ann but I’ll admit the lunch was a bit stressful! I didn’t want to do anything wrong, wasn’t sure how long we had with each course and didn’t want to be rude by just eating and not talking to others at our table! It’s a lot of work for those students too. Makes me appreciate restaurant employees more.

        Reply
    7. Tammi Roy says

      November 26, 2016 at 6:25 pm

      I love soup in the fall and winter. This spicy black bean soup sounds delicious and a soup that I need to try.

      Reply
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    Welcome! Iโ€™m Toni Dash. Iโ€™m a Certified Nutrition Coach and the professional writer/blogger, photographer, recipe developer and creator of Boulder Locavoreยฎ. Iโ€™m so glad you are here!

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