Simple Cold Bean Soup Recipe

There aren’t many food items that dominate the world of summer Spanish soup recipes quite like the Spanish cold soups.

If you want a simple gazpacho recipe that combines Andalusian and North American cuisine, then you have to make the cold bean soup.

It is super easy to make, and in just 30 minutes you will have ready a delicious dish that’s perfect for lunch, dinner, or even breakfast, so keep scrolling to learn everything about it.

You, dear reader, support this blog. If you purchase through a link, we earn a small commission. As an Amazon Affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

Pssst…!!?? You can’t get enough of gazpacho? Have a look at my other posts: 

• Tomato basil gazpacho

• Pea gazpacho

• Beet gazpacho

Background of the Dish

The first cold Andalusian soup to be created was the classic tomato gazpacho in the 1600s, but since then, numerous new versions have been developed.

One of them is the cold bean soup, which is pretty similar to the traditional recipe, but in this case, you add two cans of black beans, making it the perfect mix between North American and Southern Spain cuisines.

It is believed that the recipe was a marketing strategy at first, by the time on which the cans of black beans landed in stores in Spain in the early 1900s, but nowadays it is a beloved cold Spanish soup recipe, especially for when you need to be completely filled up.

Pin for later!

Things You’ll Need for Cold Bean Soup

To make the best tomato gazpacho you will need tomatoes, canned black beans, white onion, garlic cloves, and olive oil.

You will also need a blender or food processor to blend this cold bean soup.

Ingredients

• 2 cans (15 oz each) of cooked black beans
• 2 ripe tomatoes
• 1 cucumber
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 white onion
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1/4 cup (60ml) extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon salt 
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 cup (240ml) cold water 

How to Make Cold Bean Soup – Step by Step Guide

1. To start making this cold bean soup recipe you have to open the cans, drain the liquid, and rinse the cooked black beans with plenty of water so they are clean.

2. Now wash the tomatoes, cut into squares, and discard the seeds. Also, clean and chop the bell pepper, making sure to remove and discard the seeds and any inedible parts.

3. After that, peel the white onion, and chop it into small squares. Peel and mince the garlic cloves. Also, peel and chop the cucumber.

4. Then grab a blender or food processor, combine the chopped tomatoes, cucumber, red bell pepper, onion, and minced garlic. Blend everything until you have a smooth mixture.

5. For the next step, add the drained and rinsed black beans to the blender. Blend until the mixture is smooth and well combined.

6. While the blender is running, gradually drizzle in the extra-virgin olive oil and red wine vinegar. Also, add salt, black pepper, and smoked paprika. Continue blending until the mixture is well incorporated.

7. Now add one cup of water and continue blending. If your cold bean soup is too runny, then add one slice of stale bread (or more beans) and process again. For a more liquid healthy gazpacho add 1/2 cup of water and so on until it reaches the desired consistency.

8. After that, pour the easy gazpacho into a large bowl and cover it with plastic wrap or a lid. Place it in the fridge for at least 2 hours, or until it’s cold.

9. For the final step just give the cold bean soup a good stir, then pour it into small bowls or deep plates. You can top each serving with a light drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.

Substitution of Ingredients

There are a lot of changes that you can make to the ingredients of this cold bean soup, so get ready to take some notes.

If you want this to be an extra fresh summer gazpacho recipe, you can add some clean basil leaves to the mix.

In the same way this recipe calls for canned beans, you can make it as the gazpacho with canned tomatoes if you can’t find good-quality fresh tomatoes.

If you aren’t the biggest fan of black beans, you can prepare easy tomato gazpacho with white beans or a mix of both.

Instead of making this mixed bean soup using canned beans, you can make it with fresh or dry beans, but calculate some extra time for soaking and cooking them.

If you love recipes with beans, you should definitely try our easy-to-make Spanish ham and bean soup or the Spanish bean tomato soup.

If you’re vegan and want to try a warm Spanish soup with beans, give a go to our Spanish vegan bean soup.

Tips on Serving Cold Bean Soup

If you are looking for a homemade gazpacho that can work as a main dish, appetizer, or even as a breakfast food item, then the cold bean soup is the one for you.

For a full-summer lunch or dinner, you can top this vegetable gazpacho with grated parmesan cheese, or with more beans (without processing them) for a chunky texture.

For brunch or breakfast, you can serve this chilled bean soup with olive oil-toasted bread, scrambled eggs, and serrano ham slices.

This is a vegan gazpacho, but if you don’t follow that diet, then you can serve it as a bacon bean soup, with fried bacon bits (or slices) on top. 

How to Store Cold Bean Soup

The best part about this cold black bean soup is that you can either store it in the fridge for a couple of days or freeze it for up to 30 days.

Just place the cold bean soup in a bowl, cover it with plastic wrap (in contact with the top so it doesn’t form a crust), and store it in the fridge or freezer.

To thaw it, transfer the gazpacho to the fridge and leave it there overnight or for at least 8 hours before serving.

Other Spanish gazpacho recipes that you can freeze are the cold vegetable soup and the cooked cold courgette soup.

Recipe Card: Cold Bean Soup

---

---