Spiced Fusion Black Lentil and Bean Soup! It’s a flavor explosion for those who love comforting lentil soups but crave a bold, cross-cultural twist, with curry leaning front and center to deliver that unmistakable Indian-forward profile.
This Spiced Fusion Black Lentil and Bean Soup is a cozy, hearty hug in a bowl, a true crowd-pleaser that shines in every spoonful. Imagine glossy black beluga lentils simmering alongside robust black beans, mingling with tasty veggies—carrots, celery, and onions—that create a silky, creamy broth. The magic comes from a fusion of Indian spices infused with bright Mexican aromatics. The result is a creamy, savory soup that lauds Indian warmth while letting Mexican citrus notes lift the palate.
Whole Food Plant Based, Vegan, plant based, oil free, refined sugar free, no highly processed ingredients and gluten free.
Hi there, Ameera here!
We ate this soup all up in no time, and every spoonful left us craving more. It’s absolutely delicious, with a velvety texture from the lentils and beans that clings to every bite, while the spice blend dances across the palate in a well-balanced harmony.
If you’re looking for a cozy, comforting weeknight winner that still feels special, you gotta give this one a try—slurp-worthy, soul-satisfying, and bound to become a beloved staple in your recipe rotation.
Tips for Success:
- Flavor Profile: This Spiced Fusion Black Lentil and Bean Soup is hearty and delicious. Black beluga lentils, black beans, veggies, and a fusion of Indian spices with hint of Mexican aromatics make for a slightly creamy savory broth. This soup is a tasty flavor explosion of two different cuisines that perfectly complement each other in this tasty soup. It leans more toward Indian flavors with the curry being prominent.
- Broth: The broth is initially thin but slightly thickens as the lentils become soft and the black beans cook in the liquids resulting in a slightly creamy broth. The longer it sits, the thicker it becomes.
- Lentils: We used Clear Creek Black Lentils [Beluga/Caviar Lentils]. Feel free to use your favorite black lentils or other lentils. If using other lentils, you may need to adjust the cooking time and liquids accordingly.
- Spices: Feel free to ramp up the spices to suit your personal preferences.
- Baking Soda: Baking soda is often used as a neutralizer for dishes that contain a lot of acidity, typically from tomatoes. We use it in this dish to remove some of the tomato acidity (from the tomato paste) without losing the tomatoey flavor. When you add it, the mixture may bubble up, then settle down as it neutralizes the acidity. The baking soda also helps speed up the cooking process when combining tomatoes with lentils.
- Sea Salt and Lentils: Do not add the sea salt until the lentils are tender. Salt tends to prolong the cooking process of the lentils. If you accidentally add it with the lentils, don’t sweat it, it just may take slightly longer to cook to become tender.
- Tahini: The tahini is used to balance the flavors.
- Tahini Substitutions: Feel free to substitute the tahini with your favorite nut or seed butter with the understanding that the flavor and texture may be impacted accordingly.
- Curry Powders: All curry powders are not the same. There are tons of curry options and blends. Use your favorite curry blend. Each blend tends to accent different spices within the blend. We have found that some blends are heavy with turmeric and tend to be slightly acidic on the backend of the palate and others may contain a lot of heat. Feel free to adjust spices based upon the curry blend selected.
- Regular Chili Powder: Feel free to use your favorite chili powder, just be sure to select a mild one and not one that has a lot of heat to it.
- Table Salt: If using table salt, you should use less table salt than the amount listed in the ingredients as sea salt crystals are larger than table salt crystals. Since table salt crystals are very fine, less table salt is required to season a dish. We would suggest starting with about 1/4 to 1/2 the amount of sea salt listed. You can always add more salt but cannot take it away. We recommend using sea salt as it is less refined than table salt.
Leftovers and Freezing:
Leftovers will generally keep 5 days in the refrigerator. Store in a covered air-tight container.
This soup freezes well.
Pantry Products:
- Vegetable Stock: We use Pacific Organic Low Sodium Vegetable Stock. We love this brand because it is Whole Food Plant Based compliant, as it does not contain MSG, has no oil, and does not contain any highly-processed ingredients.
- Lentils: We used Clear Creek Black Lentils [Beluga/Caviar Lentils]. Feel free to use your favorite black lentils or other lentils.
- Tahini: We used Ziyad Premium Tahini (Sesame Paste). Feel free to use your favorite brand of tahini.
- Sea Salt: Please adjust the sea salt based upon your family’s sea salt preferences and/or based upon dietary needs.
Kitchen Equipment:
- Large stock pot with a lid
If you try this comforting soup, we would love to know if you enjoy it as much as we do! Please leave us a review! Post a picture on Facebook or Instagram and tag us! We would love to hear from you.
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Spiced Fusion Black Lentil and Bean Soup
- Prep Time: 15 Minutes
- Cook Time: 40 Minutes
- Total Time: 55 Minutes
- Yield: 8 Cups 1x
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Indian Inspired, Mexican Inspired
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This Spiced Fusion Black Lentil and Bean Soup is a cozy, hearty hug in a bowl, a true crowd-pleaser that shines in every spoonful.
Ingredients
Base Ingredients:
- 1 medium yellow onion, fine dice
- 2 celery ribs, fine dice
- 2 medium carrots, diced
- 1 Tablespoons minced garlic
- 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
- 3 cups low-sodium vegetable broth *
- 3 cups water
- ¾ cup dry black lentils *
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda *
Spice/Herb Ingredients:
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin (+/-)
- 1 teaspoon curry powder (+/-) *
- 1 teaspoon regular chili powder (+/-) *
- ½ teaspoon sweet paprika (+/-)
- ¼ teaspoon coriander (+/-)
- ¼ to 1 ¼ teaspoon sea salt (+/-) *
- Pinch to ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 bay leaves
Other Ingredients:
- 1 Tablespoon tahini (+/-) *
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 – [ 15.5 oz. cans ] black beans, drained and rinsed
Optional Toppings:
- Chopped fresh parsley (or cilantro)
Serving Ideas:
- Steamed rice
- Flatbread or naan
Instructions
- Place the Spice/Herb Ingredients (except the bay leaves and sea salt) in a small bowl, mix well, set aside.
- In a large stock pot, sauté the diced onions, carrots, and celery, sauté over medium-high heat for 7 to 9 minutes until they start to become tender. Add a splash of water to prevent sticking/burning if needed.
- Add the minced garlic and tomato paste to the skillet, continue to sauté over medium-high heat, stirring constantly for 1 minute.
- Next add all the remaining Base Ingredients (except the black lentils and baking soda) and the Spice/Herb Mix, stir well, bring to a boil. Add the baking soda. Stir well.
- Add the black lentils, stir well, then tuck in the bay leaves, then immediately lower to a low-percolating boil. Then simmer with a low-percolating boil for 20 minutes or just until the lentils are perfectly tender.
- Add the sea salt, tahini, lemon juice, and black beans to the pot, stir well, then simmer for 5 minutes.
- Remove from the stove, cover with a lid and allow to set for 10 minutes to allow the flavors to marry.
- To serve, remove and discard the bay leaf, ladle the soup into bowls, and serve with chopped fresh cilantro (or parsley) and steamed rice and/or flatbread/naan.
Notes
Please reference the blog post for Tips for Success, Pantry Items Used, Storage and Freezing, and Kitchen Products Used.
Sea Salt: Please adjust the sea salt based upon your family’s sea salt preferences and/or based upon dietary needs.
Servings: 6 to 8 (makes 8 cups)
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