Cuban Black Bean Soup (Sopa de Frijol Negro)

Living in Miami means you’re surrounded by Cuban restaurants on every corner. And let me tell you, they know how to make a mean black bean soup down here.

Walk into any Cuban restaurant here and you’re bound to find it on the menu, next to the sopa de pollo and Cuban lentil soup. Sounds like the perfect Cuban dinner idea to me!

Now, let’s clear something up: while you might think Cuban black bean soup is just a souped-up version of the classic Cuban black beans, it’s not quite the same.

Cuban black beans are simmered low and slow with Cuban sofrito and a touch of cumin until they’re melt-in-your-mouth tender. While this black bean soup with ham uses similar ingredients, it is blended to velvety, silky perfection, giving it that smooth texture that keeps you coming back for more.

Let me show you how to make it!

Soaking The Black Beans

In a Dutch oven, add the black beans and ham hock. Add enough water to cover the beans entirely. Simmer, covered with the lid, for 1 1/2 hours to 2 hours or until the beans are tender. Add more water as they cook so they don’t dry out. Sometimes it may require more than 2 hours for the beans to soften so keep your eye on it and add water as needed.

Cooking Instructions

Make the sofrito. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and bell peppers and sauté for 1-2 minutes. Add in the minced garlic and sauté for 30 seconds. Stir in ground cumin, dried oregano, vinegar, sugar, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Sauté for another 3 minutes.

Simmer the soup. Add the sofrito to the Dutch oven. Bring to a boil then turn down the heat to LOW. Simmer for 30-40 minutes until the beans are creamy and delicious.

Shred the ham. Remove the bay leaf and ham hock from the pot. Make sure all the meat fell off the ham hock. You may have to shred it a bit with two forks. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Let’s Talk Soup Texture

Unlike some other black bean soups that are pureed into a smooth consistency, Cuban black bean soup typically maintains a chunkier texture. This is achieved by only partially blending the soup or by mashing some of the beans with a spoon during cooking.

If you’re not a fan of texture, you can use an immersion blender to blend the soup to your liking. Personally, I like a bit of texture so I only blend the soup slightly but not completely.