Kidney Bean Soup

This Kidney Bean Soup is rich and hearty and made in just one pot! Topped with avocado, queso fresco, and fried ripe plantains, it’s sure to bring some warmth to a cold fall night!

Pair with a tall glass of Blackberry Juice and some cornbread and chorizo for a delicious dinner night in!

Kidney Bean Soup

I found this recipe for Kidney Bean Soup in my old Colombian cuisine cookbook. It’s one of those more obscure recipes so I was curious!

The cookbook soup wasn’t extremely flavorful (it’s okay, it’s an older recipe) so I recipe tested until I got a soup that was hearty, rich, comforting AND packed with flavor to fall in love with, keep making on fall nights & to share with you guys!

Why you’ll love this soup:

• Wholesome main dish packed with veggies and beans.
• Rich and hearty.
• Light – no need for lots of milk or cream!
• 1 pot meal.
• Keeps for days in the refrigerator!
• Naturally gluten free.
• Unique flavor with ripe plantains, avocado, queso fresco but welcoming of substitutions!

Ingredients for Kidney Bean Soup

Oil. Use any vegetable oil of your choice, I used canola. You can also do butter or half butter half oil.

Green onions. This is one of the go-to ingredients in Colombian cooking because along with white onion, tomato, and garlic, it’s the base of a good hogao which is basically a sofrito used in many dishes!

White onion. Minced.

Tomato. Chopped.

Garlic, minced.

Cilantro, minced. I used some for the base of the soup and then added more fresh cilantro for serving for extra freshness!

Beef broth. You can use homemade beef broth or store-bought hehe!

Kidney beans. This recipe uses cooked beans so you can either cook your own beans (soak the night before, then cook the next day with some green onions, white onion, garlic, and bay leaves) or just used canned beans which is what I did for this soup! You can also use cargamanto beans.

Milk, optional. I added a tiny amount but you could skip it.

Sugar. Optional but recommended. All good Colombian beans from Antioquia have some panela in it (or brown sugar if you want hehe) so I had to add some brown sugar to this soup to add more flavor! It doesn’t make the soup sugary or sweet, don’t worry!

Bay leaf, add a tiny leaf or half of a medium leaf because you don’t want too much!

Avocado, for topping.

Fried ripe plantains. I highly recommend you add these but you can skip them and just do avocado and cheese! Here’s how to choose the perfect ripe plantain and how to fry it, if you’re not familiar with them!

Queso fresco, quesito or feta cheese, for topping.

How to make Kidney Bean Soup

STEP ONE: Saute the veggies. Heat the oil in a medium pot over medium heat, once hot add the green onions, white onions, and garlic and saute for about 10 minutes or until the veggies are very soft.

Season with salt, pepper and cilantro, add a splash of water and saute for another 5-10 minutes or until almost creamy (add more water, if needed).

Make the soup. Pour in the broth, mix, then add in the beans and mix until combined again. Add the milk, if using. Bring the soup to a simmer, then add sugar, paprika, and bay leaf. Cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes or until it thickens.

Meanwhile, you can fry the ripe plantains (if using), use my Ripe Plantain Guide for more tips and instructions! To keep the recipe 1-pot, fry these before you saute the veggies and keep some of the oil for the veggies.

STEP THREE: Serve! Serve warm and top with fried ripe plantains, avocado, queso fresco (or quesito or feta cheese), and cilantro!

Variations Inspo

Spicy: add a few teaspoon of Colombian Aji or tabasco.

Zesty: add a splash of lime juice or sour cream.

Vegeterian Kidney Bean Soup: use veggie broth instead of beef broth.

More proteins: add bacon or diced Colombian-style chorizo on top.

Expert Tips from My Kitchen

• Blend the beans in a food processor with some of the broth for quick & easy, they don’t need to be fully blended just enough for the soup to be creamy!
• To keep the recipe 1-pot, fry the ripe plantain in the same pot you plan on using for the soup before you saute the veggies then keep some of the oil for the veggies!
• If you’d like a thicker or creamier soup, you can make a slurry with 2-3 tablespoon of cornstarch mixed with room temperature or cold water, mix well, stir into the soup and cook for another 5-10 minutes!
• Use my Ripe Plantain Guide for how to buy the perfect plantain and how to fry it, if you’re not familiar with them!

Make-Ahead and Storing Instructions

Make-Ahead Instructions. This is a great make-ahead soup! Make up to 1-2 days ahead of time and store covered in the refrigerator. Do not add the toppings ahead of time!

Storing Instructions. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days but don’t store with toppings.

PS: Please leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ if you make it! Your comments make my day!! You can also tag me on Instagram @itsdamnspicy 🌈💘

More recipes you'll love:

• Fall Corn Chowder with Roasted Pumpkin
• Or check out all my other Colombian recipes!