018 / 75 · Soups, beans and broths

Black Bean, Orange and Cumin Soup

Name: Black Bean, Orange and Cumin Soup
Prep time: 13 min
Cook time: 13 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 2 soup bowls plus 40 g/1½ oz soft whole-wheat bread per person
Ingredients: 240 g (8½ oz) canned ready-to-eat black beans, drained and rinsed; 200 g (7 oz) canned chopped tomatoes with their juice; 60 g (2 oz) peeled onion, finely chopped; 10 ml (2 tsp) olive oil; 350 ml (about 1½ US cups) ready-to-use lower-sodium vegetable stock; 60 ml (¼ cup) freshly squeezed orange juice, seeds removed; 1 g finely grated orange zest (about ½ tsp), colored peel only; 1.5 g ground cumin (about ¾ tsp); 0.25 g mild chili flakes (about ⅛ tsp), or omit; 0.5 g fine salt, a small pinch, or omit if the stock is salty; 80 g (2¾ oz) soft whole-wheat bread, divided into two 40 g portions

2 soup bowls plus 40 g/1½ oz soft whole-wheat bread per person · Active 13 min · Cook 13 min · Total 30 min

Print recipe · PDF

Orange is useful in a savory soup when it is measured like a seasoning. Here it loosens a coarse black-bean base and sits beside cumin, tomato and a little chili. Some beans stay whole while others make the broth feel substantial. Soft bread goes alongside; this recipe does not ask the microwave to produce toast.

Jump to ingredients

Black bean and orange soup with soft whole-wheat bread.

Mash just part of the beans

A few presses with a potato masher release enough starch to thicken the soup. Stop while recognizable beans remain. Work in the large bowl so the bean liquid is not lost in a second container. A smooth purée is a different texture and would need a different piece of equipment.

Keep the orange recognizable

Finely grated zest brings the citrus aroma; juice supplies a little sweetness and acidity. Both go in after the bean-tomato mixture has heated. Give the finished soup a brief final warming rather than a long cook that dulls the zest. Use only the colored peel, because a heavy scraping of white pith can taste bitter.

Ingredients

240 g (8½ oz) canned ready-to-eat black beans, drained and rinsed
200 g (7 oz) canned chopped tomatoes with their juice
60 g (2 oz) peeled onion, finely chopped
10 ml (2 tsp) olive oil
350 ml (about 1½ US cups) ready-to-use lower-sodium vegetable stock
60 ml (¼ cup) freshly squeezed orange juice, seeds removed
1 g finely grated orange zest (about ½ tsp), colored peel only
1.5 g ground cumin (about ¾ tsp)
0.25 g mild chili flakes (about ⅛ tsp), or omit
0.5 g fine salt, a small pinch, or omit if the stock is salty
80 g (2¾ oz) soft whole-wheat bread, divided into two 40 g portions

Set out

1000 W microwave with turntable, Kitchen scale and measuring jug, Knife and cutting board, Spoon, Oven mitts, Two serving bowls, Microwave-safe bowl, at least 2 L/about 2⅛ US qt measured capacity, about 20 cm/8 in inside diameter and 9 cm/3½ in deep, Microwave-safe vented cover, Potato masher or sturdy fork, Fine grater and citrus juicer, Can opener and sieve, Two side plates, Food thermometer for leftover reheating checks

Allergens

Wheat. Check labels and substitutions.

Make it

Put the onion, oil, cumin, chili if using and 15 ml/1 tbsp of the stock in the 2 L bowl. Cover with the vent open. Microwave at 1000 W full power for 3 minutes, stirring halfway, until the onion is softened. This is a softening stage, not a browning stage.
Add all the beans, tomatoes, remaining 335 ml stock and salt. Stir, cover with a vent and heat at full power for 6–8 minutes, stopping after 3 and 6 minutes to stir the bottom and center. The soup should be bubbling gently and thoroughly hot.
Using the masher or fork, press roughly half the beans against the side of the bowl; leave the rest whole. Keep hands clear of steam. Stir in the orange juice and zest. Cover with a vent and heat for 1–2 minutes at full power, stirring after 1 minute, until the added juice is hot and the soup is steaming throughout.
Stand covered for 2 minutes. Stir, divide the complete soup equally between two bowls and serve each with its 40 g bread portion. Serve the bread soft alongside; no separate crisping step is needed.

Use the can contents correctly

Only drained bean weight enters the soup; the chopped-tomato juice is included. Those two different states matter to the thickness.

No toast promised

The bread is served soft. Crisping it would require different equipment and is not part of this one-appliance method.

Ingredient labels

Whole-wheat bread contains wheat/gluten and may contain soy, sesame or milk. Stock can contain celery or other allergens. Choose label-compatible bread rather than treating a substitution as automatically allergen-free.

A useful detail

The 30-minute plan allows 8 minutes of preparation, up to 13 minutes of heating, 2 minutes to mash, the 2-minute stand and serving. Times are starting ranges at 1000 W. The final orange stage is short, but the soup must become hot throughout after the cool juice is added.

Another way

For less chili heat, omit the 0.25 g chili flakes; keep the cumin, juice and zest. The soup remains savory rather than becoming an orange dessert.
Replace the black beans with 240 g/8½ oz drained ready-to-eat kidney beans from a commercial can. Do not substitute soaked or raw dried kidney beans; their preparation is outside this recipe.

Keep it well

Refrigerate shallow soup portions within 2 hours, or within 1 hour above 90°F/32°C, at 40°F/4°C or below. Use within 3 days or an earlier opened-can deadline. Store bread separately according to its label. Reheat soup under a vented cover, stir through the center between bursts, stand 2 minutes and check for 165°F/74°C throughout. The orange aroma is best on the first day.