This is a soup with two textures in one bowl. Half of it is blended smooth, so the broth is thick and creamy without any cream, and the other half stays chunky, with roasted sweet potato cubes and black beans in every spoonful. The sweet potatoes are roasted first until their edges brown, which gives the soup a deeper flavour than simmering them in the pot. Smoked paprika and cumin make it warm and smoky, and lime juice at the end keeps it bright. Crispy tortilla strips and avocado on top add crunch and colour. It is a one-pot soup for a cold November night.
Smoky Sweet Potato Black Bean Soup with Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Lime
Smoky sweet potato black bean soup with roasted sweet potatoes, tomatoes and cumin, half-blended thick and chunky, finished with lime and tortilla strips.
Ingredients
Method
- Heat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Line a baking tray with baking paper. Toss the sweet potato cubes with 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Spread them in a single layer and roast for 25 minutes, turning once halfway, until the edges are browned and a fork goes in easily.
- While the sweet potatoes roast, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, until soft.
- Stir in the garlic, cumin, smoked paprika, and chipotle chilli powder. Cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant. Toasting the spices in the oil brings out their flavour.
- Pour in the fire-roasted tomatoes and vegetable stock. Stir in the black beans. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 15 minutes.
- Take the pot off the heat. Blend about half the soup with a stick blender, straight in the pot, until smooth. Leave the rest chunky. The half-blended soup stays thick without any cream.
- Stir in the roasted sweet potatoes and lime juice. Warm the soup gently for 5 minutes. Taste and add salt, pepper, or more lime juice if needed.
- While the soup warms, toss the tortilla strips with a little oil and salt and bake them at 200°C (400°F) for 5 to 7 minutes, until crisp and golden. Serve the soup hot, topped with tortilla strips, diced avocado, and fresh coriander.
Ingredients
- 600 g sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2 cm cubes — roast them separately first, so their edges brown instead of turning to mush in the pot
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, for roasting
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, for roasting
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, for the soup
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, for the soup
- 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chilli powder — use half this amount if you prefer a mild soup
- 400 g tin fire-roasted tomatoes
- 2 x 400 g tins black beans, drained and rinsed — rinse them well, and taste before adding more salt, as canned beans vary in saltiness
- 750 ml vegetable stock
- 1 tablespoon lime juice, plus more to taste
- 2 corn tortillas, cut into thin strips, for the topping
- 1 avocado, diced, to serve
- Fresh coriander leaves, to serve
Method
- Heat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Line a baking tray with baking paper. Toss the sweet potato cubes with 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Spread them in a single layer and roast for 25 minutes, turning once halfway, until the edges are browned and a fork goes in easily.
- While the sweet potatoes roast, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, until soft.
- Stir in the garlic, cumin, smoked paprika, and chipotle chilli powder. Cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant. Toasting the spices in the oil brings out their flavour.
- Pour in the fire-roasted tomatoes and vegetable stock. Stir in the black beans. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 15 minutes.
- Take the pot off the heat. Blend about half the soup with a stick blender, straight in the pot, until smooth. Leave the rest chunky. The half-blended soup stays thick without any cream.
- Stir in the roasted sweet potatoes and lime juice. Warm the soup gently for 5 minutes. Taste and add salt, pepper, or more lime juice if needed.
- While the soup warms, toss the tortilla strips with a little oil and salt and bake them at 200°C (400°F) for 5 to 7 minutes, until crisp and golden. Serve the soup hot, topped with tortilla strips, diced avocado, and fresh coriander.
Mistakes, Substitutions, Serving and Storage
- Common mistakes: simmering the sweet potatoes in the pot instead of roasting them, so they turn to mush; blending the whole soup, so it loses its chunky texture; adding salt before tasting, as canned black beans vary in saltiness.
- Substitutions: use sweet potato and butternut squash mixed, if you like; use kidney beans instead of black beans; leave out the chipotle for a mild version, or use a pinch of chilli flakes instead.
- Serving ideas: serve with warm tortillas, crusty bread, or a grilled cheese sandwich. A spoonful of sour cream or Greek yoghurt on top is good too.
- Storage and reheating: refrigerate for up to 4 days. The soup will thicken as it sits, so add a splash of stock when reheating. Reheat gently over low heat. Freeze for up to 2 months and add the tortilla strips, avocado, and coriander fresh when serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Why roast the sweet potatoes first? Roasting browns their edges and gives them a deeper, sweeter flavour. Sweet potatoes simmered in the pot go soft and can turn to mush before the soup is ready.
- Why blend only half the soup? Blending half makes the broth thick and creamy without any cream, while the rest stays chunky, so every spoonful has roasted sweet potato and black beans in it.
- Why rinse the black beans? Canned beans sit in salty liquid. Rinsing them removes extra salt and starch, so you can season the soup yourself and it tastes cleaner.
- Can I make this soup ahead? Yes. Make the soup up to 2 days ahead and keep it in the fridge. Make the tortilla strips fresh and add the avocado and coriander just before serving.
