Dairy-Free “Cheesy” Beef & Black Bean Soup (healthy & frugal!)
This creamy Dairy-Free “Cheesy” Beef and Black Bean Soup is quick comfort food you can make with ingredients you probably already have. Get ready for a delicious bowl of comfort that’s a healthy but inexpensive soup!
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Do you ever have bits of things in your fridge — but none of it is quite enough to make a meal out of?
Have you ever taken those bits — maybe some cooked rice or beans, leftover roasted veggies, a pound of meat — and put them all together to create a whole meal?
Growing up, my mom called this a “throw-together”.
Like magic, she’d dig around in the fridge and freezer, pulling out ingredients and adding them to a pot on the stove. She’d call us to eat when she was finished.
As we took those first bites and remarked on how tasty it was, she’d say, “Not bad for a throw-together, huh?”
The phrase stuck.
I guess the ability to work this magic must run in our family, because I possess this skill too. 🙂
This “Cheesy” and Creamy Black Bean and Beef Soup is one hell of a good “throw-together”.
What I Happened to Have in My Fridge
It was mid-morning on a Thursday. Lunch time was fast-approaching. We didn’t have enough leftovers from dinner the night before to re-heat. (Remember, I have 2 homeschooled teenagers at home, so it’s not just me.)
Here’s what I did have in the fridge — and I knew I could throw together something with these:
- 1-1/2 pounds thawed grass-fed ground beef
- some leftover Dairy-Free Instant Pot Queso
- cooked black beans
- 1/2 of an onion
- a jar of salsa
- bone broth
It wasn’t much, but it was a start.
The result was this Cheesy and Creamy Black Been and Beef Soup — made in less than 30 minutes!
I served it to my teenagers, who had emerged from their homeschooling dens. And, when I got just the slightest bit of positive feedback, I said it.
“Not bad for a throw-together, huh?” 😉
This is just one of those posts that I hope inspires you to use your leftovers to re-create entirely new things.
The beans were cooked during meal prep. I didn’t know what I’d use them for, but I knew I’d figure out something.
That queso is my life-saver. I make this cheesy dip nearly every week; I find it so useful as a topping for nachos or tacos. It was a stroke of genius to add it to this soup and make it “cheesy”!
The onion was leftover from some other thing, and we’ve always got ground beef in the freezer!
I don’t have any of this leftover. Can I still make Dairy-Free Cheesy Beef and Black Bean Soup?
Yes, of course you can!
Here’s how I’m making this soup over and over — even when I don’t have the leftovers in my fridge:
#1 — Make my dairy-free Instant Pot Queso during your meal prep.
My meal prep time is on Sunday afternoons. My queso takes just 5 minutes to cook in your Instant Pot, then blend it, and you’re done. Put it in an airtight container in the fridge if you don’t plan on making this soup right away.
#2 — Soak some black beans during meal prep, too.
Place 1-1/2 cups of dried (sorted) black beans in a glass bowl and cover with water by 2 inches. Set aside for 24 to 48 hours to soak. Cook on your stovetop or in your Instant Pot. Store in the fridge until you’re ready to use.
#3 — Take ground beef out of your freezer.
If you don’t have ground beef, use ground turkey or ground pork. Whatever ground meat you have is fine. If you have fresh meat, then you’re already a step ahead!
#4 — Get you some bone broth.
I always have bone broth made, either in my fridge or freezer. It’s just one of those foods that’s automatic, like buying bananas or keeping my freezer stocked with grass-fed beef.
You can use beef or chicken bone broth for this soup. If you can’t or don’t want to make some, purchase an organic brand that is free of natural flavors, yeast extract, and natural flavors. It should say “organic” and “grass-fed” on the label.
#5 — Make sure you have an onion and a jar of salsa.
Onions are another food I always have. If I run out, it’s apocalyptic. 😛 I think just about everyone has a jar of salsa in their fridge, but if you don’t, grab one (preferably organic and with no added sugar) the next time you’re at the store.
Here’s the full “recipe” for this Dairy-Free Cheesy Beef and Black Bean Soup!
#6 — Go nuts with toppings!
Have a spread of tasty toppings for your “leftover” soup, and it will never feel like leftovers. We love extra salsa and fresh cilantro. Guac or sliced avocado is delish and adds nourishing fats. If you tolerate dairy, go with some shredded raw cheddar cheese and/or cultured sour cream.
"Cheesy" & Creamy Black Bean & Beef Soup (with Whole30 & paleo option!)
This creamy Dairy-Free "Cheesy" Beef and Black Bean Soup is quick comfort food you can make with ingredients you probably already have. Get ready for a delicious bowl of comfort that's a healthy but inexpensive soup!
Ingredients
- 1-1/2poundsgrass-fed ground beef
- 1largeyellow oniondiced
- 1-1/2cupssoaked & cooked black beansdrained and rinsed
- 1recipeDairy-Free Queso
- 1cupsalsa
- 1-1/2cupsbone brothor water
- saltto taste
Instructions
Brown the ground beef with the onion.
Add the remaining ingredients and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.
Serve with extra salsa, cilantro, or avocado on top.
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Do you make throw-togethers with your leftovers?
