Jump to Recipe

Black Bean and Rice Soup can be made in the slow cooker or on the stove, and this tasty vegetarian soup has been a hit. The soup only has a small amount of rice, and the addition of lime and cilantro makes it extra tasty!

PIN Black Bean and Rice Soup to try it later!

Slow Cooker Black Bean and Rice Soup with Lime and Cilantro [KalynsKitchen.com]

I first made this Black Bean and Rice Soup in the slow cooker, and this recipe was one of those intuitive ones that swirled around in my brain for a few days and then suddenly I found myself in the kitchen making it. This happened to me for years, but luckily when I started blogging I learned to write the recipes down!

The soup was flavorful and delicious, with earthy beans, sour lime juice, and spicy cilantro all combined in a healthy soup without a drop of fat or gluten. I used chicken broth, but it could easily be vegetarian or vegan if you used vegetable stock.

I’ve made this recipe so many times for parties when I wanted a vegetarian option and it’s always been a hit. And now there are also stovetop instructions if you prefer to make Black Bean and Rice Soup on the stove. I hope you will try it!

Email This Recipe To Me!

Enter your email address and we'll send this recipe to your inbox.

What ingredients do you need for this recipe?

(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe with ingredient amounts.)

What if you’re not a cilantro fan?

If you’re someone with the tastebuds that make cilantro not appealing, just use more thinly-sliced green onion in this soup instead of cilantro.

Do you prefer to use dried beans instead of canned?

If you prefer not to use canned beans, just cook dried black beans in the slow cooker or in the Instant Pot for this recipe. You can also follow package instructions and cook them on the stove. Two cans of beans is equal to 3.5 cups of cooked beans.

How high in carbs is the Black Bean and Rice Soup?

Soup with these ingredients can’t ever be extra low in carbs of course. But this tasty soup has only 21 net carbs per serving, with 10 grams of protein!

Slow Cooker Black Bean and Rice Soup with Lime and Cilantro [KalynsKitchen.com]

How to Make Black Bean and Rice Soup:

(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

  1. In a 3.5 Quart Slow Cooker (affiliate link) or similar size, combine beans, tomatoes, chicken or vegetable stock, onions, garlic, cumin, oregano, Ancho chile powder, and Chipotle chile powder.
  2. Cook on low 6-8 hours (or on high 3-4 hours.)
  3. When beans and tomatoes are very well done (even starting to fall apart), it’s time to add the rice. You might be tempted to use more rice, but trust me, 1/4 cup will be perfect. 
  4. If you were cooking on low, turn the slow cooker to high.
  5. Cook on high for about 30 minutes, or until the rice is tender.
  6. Then stir in the fresh lime juice and chopped cilantro (or green onion) and cook about 5 minutes. 
  7. Serve the Black Bean and Rice Soup hot, with more lime and cilantro to add at the table.
  8. Check the complete recipe below to see the stovetop instructions.

Make some low-carb bread to go with the soup:

This soup would be amazing with any of these breads or muffins:

Square image black bean and rice soup in bowl.

Want tasty soups that are lower in carbs?

Check out Amazing Low-Carb Soup Recipes to see some delicious soups that are low in carbs.

Slow Cooker Black Bean and Rice Soup with Lime and Cilantro [KalynsKitchen.com]
Yield: 6 servings

Black Bean and Rice Soup

Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 8 hours
Total Time 8 hours 5 minutes

I’ve made this Black Bean and Rice Soup many times for parties and it’s always been a hit. And you can make this tasty soup in the slow cooker or on the stove.

Ingredients

  • two 15. oz. cans black beans with liquid
  • two 14.5 oz. cans petite diced tomatoes
  • 1 1/2 cups chicken broth (see notes)
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
  • 1 tsp. minced garlic (or more)
  • 1 T ground cumin
  • 1 T dried oregano (preferably Mexican oregano)
  • 1 tsp. ground Ancho chile powder (see notes)
  • 1/4 tsp. ground Chipotle chile powder (see notes)
  • 1/4 cup white long-grain rice (see notes)
  • 1/4 cup fresh lime juice (see notes)
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro (or more)
  • additional fresh limes to squeeze on at the table (optional)

Instructions

  1. In small Crockpot, combine beans, tomatoes, chicken or vegetable stock, onion, garlic, cumin, oregano (affiliate link), Ancho chile powder and Chipotle chile powder.
  2. Cook on low for 6-8 hours (or 3-4 hours on high), until tomatoes are disintegrating and beans are starting to fall apart.
  3. When soup has reached the consistency you want, turn Crockpot to high if you were cooking on low. Add 1/4 cup rice and cook until rice (affiliate link) is done, about 30 minutes.
  4. Add fresh lime juice and cilantro and cook 5 minutes more.  Serve hot, with additional fresh lime pieces for each person to squeeze into soup and more cilantro if desired.

Stovetop Directions:

  1. Increase the stock to 2 1/2 cups.  Combine beans, tomatoes, chicken or vegetable stock, onion, garlic, cumin, oregano (affiliate link), Ancho chile powder and Chipotle chile powder in a 3-4 quart saucepan and simmer on low for about 60 minutes (or until the tomatoes and beans are well done.)
  2. If the liquid has reduced quite a bit, add 1/2-1 cup water, then add the rice and simmer for 30 minutes more, or until rice is tender.
  3. Add fresh lime juice and cilantro and cook 5 minutes more.  Serve hot, with additional fresh lime pieces for each person to squeeze into soup and more cilantro if desired.

Notes

Use homemade chicken stock if you prefer. Use vegetable stock or broth to make this recipe vegetarian or vegan.

If you don't have ground Ancho chile (affiliate link), use any chile powder or mild ground chile you have on hand. If you don't have ground Chipotle chile pepper (affiliate link) use any spicy ground chile you have on hand, or a dash of hot sauce.

I use Uncle Ben's Converted Rice (affiliate link) which is the lowest-glycemic type of white rice.

I used my new favorite Crock-Pot 3.5 Quart Slow Cooker (affiliate link) for this recipe.  Any slow cooker that’s 3-4 quarts will work.

Recipe created by Kalyn.

Nutrition Information

Yield

6

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 174Total Fat 1gSaturated Fat 0gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 1gCholesterol 1mgSodium 869mgCarbohydrates 33gFiber 12gSugar 4gProtein 10g

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.

Did you make this recipe?

Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating (under the PRINT button in the recipe) or share a photo of your results on Instagram! THANKS!

© Kalyn Denny
Category: Slow Cooker

Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
This Black Bean and Rice Soup with just a little rice is a perfect choice for Phase 2 or 3 of the original South Beach Diet. Use Uncle Ben’s Converted Rice (affiliate link) or brown rice to keep this South Beach friendly. Soup with beans and rice would be too high in carbs for a low-carb diet plan.

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, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.

Historical Notes for This Recipe:
Black Bean and Rice Soup was updated February 2013 with better photos and instructions. The recipe was last updated with more information in 2026.

Pinterest image of Black Bean and Rice Soup

Email This Recipe To Me!

Enter your email address and we'll send this recipe to your inbox.