Black Bean and Sweet Potato Soup

Please don’t skip the lime juice in this Black Bean and Sweet Potato Soup; this is a vegetarian soup that’s loaded with flavor! And see below for a lo...

By Alex

• Aug 03, 2026 • 0 Comments •

4.6

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

30 mins

Total Time

45 mins

Servings

4 People

Please don’t skip the lime juice in this Black Bean and Sweet Potato Soup; this is a vegetarian soup that’s loaded with flavor! And see below for a lower-carb option for this tasty soup.

PIN Black Bean and Sweet Potato Soup!

My sister Valerie thinks the week between Christmas and New Year’s is the best part of the holiday season. She loves it when the rush of Christmas is over but kids are home from school and there’s extra time to hang out with the family. I enjoyed Christmas day at her house, watching the kids open their gifts and indulging in quite a bit of holiday food.

Now it’s back-to-reality for me, and for people who are avoiding meat and don’t mind a few carbs, this Black Bean and Sweet Potato Soup seems perfect after a few days of indulgent eating. It’s light enough to help you recover from holiday food overload, easy enough that you don’t need much time in the kitchen, and still warm and comforting if you’re in a part of the world where the weather is cold.

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What ingredients do you need for this recipe?

Are they yams or sweet potatoes?

Even though they are often mistakenly called yams in U.S. grocery stores, the vegetables used to make this soup are orange-fleshed sweet potatoes! But your store may call them yams or sweet yams.

Want a version of this soup that’s still vegetarian but lower in carbs?

Soup with black beans and sweet potatoes is never going to be super low in carbs. But if you want a lower-carb version for this tasty soup, switch out one can of black beans for a low-carb vegetable like frozen cauliflower rice or chopped red bell pepper. That will definitely make it lower in carbs.

How to Make Black Bean and Sweet Potato Soup:

(Scroll down for complete recipe with nutritional information.)

Heat olive oil in a heavy soup pot, then cook onions for 6 minutes, or until they’re just starting to brown. Then add minced garlic, ground coriander, ground cumin, ground fennel, and black pepper and saute about 1-2 minutes more.
Rinse 2 cans black beans until no more foam appears, then let the beans drain.
While onions are cooking, chop up two medium sweet potato into pieces.
When onions and spices have been cooked long enough, add vegetable stock, black beans, and sweet potatoes to the soup pot, along with salt to taste.
Let cook about 30 minutes, or until sweet potatoes are falling-apart tender. Use a slotted spoon to remove 3 cups of sweet potatoes and beans.
Then use aImmersion Blender (affiliate link) or regular blender to puree the remaining soup. (Be very careful if you do this in a regular blender!)
Add the reserved beans and sweet potatoes back into the soup and simmer about 15 minutes more.
Taste to see if you want more salt, then add the lime juice and simmer for 5 more minutes.
Serve hot, with a dollop of fat free Greek yogurt or sour cream if desired.

More Vegetarian Recipes with Black Beans:

Spicy Black Beans with Cilantro
Black Bean and Rice Soup
Black Bean and Pepper Salad

Ingredients

1 T olive oil
1 large onion, diced small
1 tsp. minced garlic
3/4 tsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. ground fennel
fresh ground black pepper to taste
2 medium sweet potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 15 oz. cans black beans, rinsed and drained
4 cups vegetable stock (see notes)
salt to taste
2 T fresh-squeezed lime juice

Instructions

Heat olive oil in heavy soup pot, add diced onion and cook over medium heat for 6-8 minutes, or until onions are just starting to brown.
Add minced garlic, ground coriander, ground cumin, ground fennel and fresh-ground black pepper and saute 1-2 minutes more, or until spices are becoming fragrant.
While onions are cooking, peel and dice sweet potato and rinse beans until no more foam appears, then drain.
After onions and spice mixture have been sauteed, add the diced sweet potatoes, black beans, and vegetable or chicken stock to the soup pot, along with salt to taste.
Let soup simmer on medium-low heat for about 30 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are falling-apart tender. (There will be some foam from the beans that rises to the top during cooking; just skim off with a large spoon or stock skimmer.)
When sweet potatoes are tender, use a slotted spoon to remove 3 cups of beans and sweet potatoes; then use an immersion blender or regular blender to puree the remaining soup. (Be very careful with the hot soup if using a regular blender; fill the blender container only about 3/4 full and hold the lid on the blender with a towel or hot pad draped over the lid.)
Add the reserved sweet potatoes and beans back into the soup and simmer about 15 minutes more.
Taste to see if you want to add more salt; then add the lime juice and simmer about 5 minutes more.
Serve hot, with a dollop of fat free Greek yogurt or light sour cream if desired.
If desired you can serve with lime wedges so people who want to can squeeze more lime juice into their soup.

Notes

If you’re using vegetable broth in a can, use 3 cans broth and just freeze the extra.

This recipe adapted from Black Bean Soup with Sweet Potatoes found in Fine Cooking Soups and Stews.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 264Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 558mgCarbohydrates: 46gFiber: 14gSugar: 5gProtein: 14g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.

Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
This Black Bean and Sweet Potato Soup would be approved for only phase 2 or 3 of the original South Beach Diet, due to the sweet potatoes. This soup is too high in carbs for a low-carb diet plan but see tips in the post for making a more carb-conscious (and lower-GI version.)

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.

Historical Notes for this Recipe:
This recipe was posted in 2010. It was last updated with more information and a lower-carb option in 2021.

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Keto Short Rib Chili

Bean-free keto chili made with braised beef short ribs. So easy to make and the perfect low carb comfort food. This keto chili recipe is paleo, dairy-free, and Whole 30 approved! And it can be made ahead and frozen so it’s ideal for keto meal planning.

There’s a definite chill in the air. Can you feel it? Well, maybe not in some parts of the country, but here in the Pacific Northwest, autumn is on its way, if not already here.

The best part of fall is the comfort food and there is no food more comforting than this short rib chili. Well, maybe my Shrimp and Bacon Chowder. Or perhaps my keto Cream of Mushroom Soup. And my Buffalo Chicken Soup is also pretty darn spectacular.

But this keto chili recipe definitely makes the short list.

Chili is and always has been one of my favorite foods, because even not very good chili is pretty darn comforting when you’re cold and hungry. How can you go wrong with meat cooked slowly in rich spices and a thick tomato broth? You can’t, that’s all. You can’t go wrong.

And the crazy part is that while I make chili all. the. time, I don’t actually have a good keto chili recipe here on All Day I Dream About Food. Until now, that is.

What makes the best keto chili?

Well, what really makes good chili is a matter of opinion and taste. And probably a few feuds as well. Everyone has their own take on the best way to make chili.

In my experience, a slow simmered chili recipe is best, as it allows the flavors to develop and intensify over time. So don’t be fooled by promises of “fast and easy”. Good chili is usually easy to make but it takes time to cook.

Keto chili should be devoid of any higher carb items like beans, though. That goes almost without saying, because beans are high in carbs and many consider them inflammatory. Onion needs to be kept to a minimum as well, since it’s surprisingly high carb.

Tomato sauce, paste, and puree can also send the carb count up if used too liberally. I like to keep my chili to less than 5g total carbs per serving, so I use a single can of diced tomatoes. Fire roasted tomatoes help bring out the best flavor.

But the focus of a good keto chili recipe should always be the meat and the spices. Use beef with a high percentage of fat for a satisfying meal, and be generous with the chili, cumin, and garlic.

Can you make keto chili ahead of time?

I find myself wanting to answer this question with a smart ass comment like “Is the pope Catholic?”. Because chili is perhaps the best make ahead meal on the planet.

It’s one of those dishes that seems to actually get better when it’s eaten the next day or even a few days later. And one of the benefits of keto chili is that there are no beans to get mushy as they sit and soften. So it’s just as good or better than the day you made it.

So go ahead and make a huge pot of this short rib chili. This particular recipe serves 10 people. Let it cool to room temperature and then split it up however you see fit. You can do individual servings, or portion it out for your family size.

The chili can be refrigerated for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 3 months. We froze our leftovers back in May and I just fed my family the second portion about a month ago!

Because it contains acidic ingredients like tomatoes, I recommend storing in glass containers if you have them. If not, good BPA-Free tupperware works too.

Tips for making Short Rib Chili

Short ribs are ideal for comfort food dishes like this, because they are fatty and rich, and become incredibly tender with slow braising.

Always brown the ribs first: This step adds 10 minutes or so, but it’s worth it. Browning the meat in lard or oil helps bring out the best flavor, before the liquids are added. Otherwise, you are essentially just eating stewed meat. Transfer the ribs to a plate while making the rest of the chili.

Sweat the onions and other veggies: While I do keep the onion to a minimum, it definitely helps add flavor. So add the onion and green pepper to the pot and sauté in the oils and fats with a little bit of salt. This will help them release their juices and flavor.

Add the spices into the hot oil: Before adding any liquids into the pot, you want to briefly sauté the garlic, jalapeño, and spices in the hot oil. This enhances and intensifies the flavor.

Adjust the heat to your liking: My husband and I like our chili pretty spicy but our kids have more tender palates. So we keep the heat at a medium level. I always add the seeds from the jalapeño but you can leave them out if you want less spice. You can also leave out the cayenne. Or you can add more jalapeño and cayenne too.

Now add the liquids and the meat: Once the spices and garlic are fragrant, stir in the diced tomatoes and broth and bring to a simmer before adding the meat.

Slow braise in the oven: You’re looking at a good two to three hours of cooking, but this time is completely inactive. You can be doing lots of other things during this time. Slow braising makes the meat from the short ribs fall off the bone and shred more easily.

Doesn’t this keto short rib chili sound like the perfect comfort food?

Check out my Keto Soups & Stews cookbook for more delicious comfort food recipes.

A bowl of keto short rib chii topped with sour cream, cilantro, avocado and jalapeno

Keto Short Rib Chili

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Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: keto chili, keto chili recipe, short rib chili

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 3 hours 25 minutes

Total Time: 3 hours 40 minutes

Servings: 10 servings

Calories: 428kcal