Chinese Black Bean Soup

This Chinese Black Bean Soup has only four ingredients but it's tastier than soups with more than 10. My mom used to make this in the winter to keep my family warm during the cold nights. If you’re looking for something simple, I’d recommend this recipe. But keep in mind, it takes about 2 hours for the ribs to get tender.

Can't get enough of Chinese Soups? Try my Watercress Soup next!

🫘 About This Recipe

Chinese Black Bean Soup is definitely one of my top 5 favorite Chinese soups. It's easy to make but it always comes out super flavorful and rich. You just need pork ribs, black beans, salt, and a couple of slices of ginger. The ribs bring a lot of sweetness and flavor, so you don't need much else for it to taste good.

In China, Black Bean Soup is eaten throughout the entire year. In the summer, it's eaten to keep the body hydrated, while in the winter, it's eaten to keep the body warm. My mom used to always make this in the winter months. Our heaters were never on, so our house was very cold, and this soup always warmed us up very quickly.

⏲️ Do I Need To Soak Black Beans?

Not for this recipe. The soup will cook for at least 2 hours, and that is plenty of time for the black beans to soften.

Some people like to soak them anywhere from an hour to overnight, but it's not necessary for this recipe. You save about 30 minutes of cooking time, but it gets negated by the fact that the ribs have to cook for at least 2 hours anyways.

🥫Can I Use Canned Black Beans?

Yes, you can use canned black beans. Canned black beans are already cooked so you can just add them at the end of cooking to heat them up slightly.

🧂 Ingredients

There are only four ingredients, but I promise the soup has plenty of flavor.

• Dried Black Beans: Black beans are packed with protein, fiber, and lots of vitamins and minerals. They are one of my favorite ingredients when I'm cooking on a budget but want to eat healthy still.
• Pork Ribs: Any style of pork ribs will do, but I recommend ribs that have a lot of cartilage. Spare ribs (also called side ribs) are my first choice. You can also use baby back ribs, St. Louis-style ribs, or country ribs.
• Ginger: Ginger is the only aromatic you need. It's crazy how much flavor you can get just from a couple of small slices.
• Salt: You can also use chicken bouillon powder for even more flavor.

🔪 Instructions

STEP 1: The first step is to blanch the ribs. This is totally optional, but it will clean off impurities from the meat and give the soup a cleaner taste. Fill a large stock pot with 8 cups of water and bring it to a boil. Add the pork ribs and simmer for one minute, then drain the liquid.

STEP 2: Refill the stockpot with 8 cups of water then add the black beans, ginger, and salt. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to the lowest setting and simmer for 2 hours or until the meat and beans are soft.

STEP 3: The soup is now ready. Taste and season with extra salt if needed and enjoy! The soup will keep well in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

🧑‍🍳 How To Thicken The Soup

Traditionally, black bean soup is not thickened, but my dad preferred a thicker texture, so sometimes my mom would thicken it for him. You can do that by adding cornstarch or potato starch or blending some of the beans to release their natural starches.

To thicken with cornstarch or potato starch, just combine two tablespoons of starch with 3 tablespoons of water to make a slurry, then stir it into the soup. You'll need to bring the soup to a simmer for it to thicken.

For blending the beans, I just use an immersion blender and blend about ⅓ of the soup.

📋 Recipe

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