Sometimes ideas just come to me. I call it being inspired, but people of my parents’ generation called it being “touched in the head.” I was sitting here at my desk one day thinking how much I like salsa with pineapple in it (because that’s the kind of deep thinking I do), when it occurred to me that what’s good in salsa should be good in soup. Black bean soup. So I tried it. And you know what? I was right.
If you balk at having fruit in your soup, let me tell you that there was a time when I couldn’t imagine something sweet ever touching my savory. But that was before I opened my palate to the sensations of pineapple mingling with peanuts and kale or cumin-grilled tofu heaped with papaya salsa. Now I’m a believer. But even if you absolutely know that you don’t like fruit in your main dish, give this one a try. The pineapple lends such a subtly sweet flavor that my family didn’t even notice it until I pointed it out. But by then, they’d both finished two bowls, even daughter E, who doesn’t like black beans.
Black Bean-Pineapple Soup Stew Chili
Add more broth to make this stew more like soup and less to make it more like chili. Or, use even less to make a thick filling for tacos or a dip for tortilla chips.
Ingredients
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1 large red bell pepper, seeded and diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
- 1 to 2 jalapeno chiles, stemmed, seeded and finely diced
- 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes, preferably fire-roasted
- 2 16-ounce cans black beans, rinsed and drained
- 2 cups vegetable broth (or water plus bouillon cubes)
- 1 tablespoon Ancho chili powder (or other pure, mild chili powder)
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon chipotle chile powder (or to taste)
- 2 teaspoons Mexican oregano (optional)
- generous grating black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- 1 pound yellow squash or zucchini
- 1 cup crushed pineapple and juice
Instructions
- Heat a non-stick pot and spray with cooking spray if desired. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until golden and beginning to brown (a pinch of baking soda will speed up this process). Add the bell pepper and jalapeno and cook until softened, about two minutes. Add the garlic, stir briefly, and then add tomatoes, beans, broth, and seasonings (but not squash or pineapple). Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
- While the beans are cooking, trim the squash and cut into small cubes.
- Add the squash and pineapple, increase the heat a little, and cover. Simmer until squash is just tender. Check seasonings, adding more to taste, and serve.
Cooking time (duration): 40
Number of servings (yield): 6
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per serving): 209 calories, 10 calories from fat, 1.2g total fat, 0mg cholesterol, 741.3mg sodium, 682.8mg potassium, 41.2g carbohydrates, 12.2g fiber, 10.4g sugar, 11g protein, 3.5 points.
Copyright © Susan Voisin 2011. All rights reserved. Please do not repost recipes or photos to other websites.
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{ 93 comments… read them below or add one }
Well, I love pineapple, I love black beans, I love chili and I absolutely adore your cup!! This is my kind of recipe & I can’t wait to give it a try while we are still having some chilly weather!
I would ave never thought to use pineapple ! What a great idea. I love black beans and anything soup/stew related. I’m a big fan of sweet potato (kinda sweet like pineapple) with black beans, so I’m thinking I would enjoy this one
Looks incredible! I am going to try this over the weekend!
What a glorious combination!
It will give some warmth and sunlight to our dark Michigan evening.
I’ll be making this recipe tonight.
This soup/chili sounds amazing! What about adding cilantro into it too? Mmmm. I can’t wait to try this
I just got a pressure cooker, so I’m wondering how to work it in there.
Maybe cook the beans, and the other ingredients and steam for a bit? (Mine has a steam function)
That sounds like it should work. After you cook the beans, pour off some of the water or it might be too watery. You can always save it and add it back in as needed.
I LOVE pineapple… love it in everything, or on its own… putting it in chili is such an excellent idea! I like that you named this ‘soup stew chili’ – I always find it’s such a thin line between those 3 forms… I was making chili with sweet potato over the winter for a bit of sweetness, but with summer coming up I will totally be switching over to pineapple – thanks for the recipe!!
I’m a little tentative about this combination, but luckily I trust your taste since you’ve never let me down, S
I love your comments as much as your recipes. (Touched in the head). Maybe genius is a better way of saying it. Thanks for all the work you do for us and our planet.
Aw, thanks, Lois!
I was skeptical about fruit & savory until I tried the Antonia Demas’ Coucous & African Stew in Dr. Esselstyn’s book. Yummy!
I can’t eat zucchini or yellow squash. Would sweet potatoes be a good substitute, or would I need something more watery?
I think sweet potatoes will be great. I advise adding them along with the beans (maybe with some extra broth) and then adding the pineapple when the sweet potato is soft.
I’m a total cooking idiot trying to get better. Do you suggest peeling squash first before using? I like the skin for fiber but sometimes I’ve found them to be bitter. Thanks for helping those of us trying to learn how to cook!
Julie, I never peel summer squash, but I’ve never found them to be bitter. If you think you’ll like it better peeled, go ahead and peel it, but you’ll lose some of the nutrients.
I love black beans (especially soups!), and can’t wait to try this variation with pineapple. Sounds delicious!!
This sounds so wonderful!!!! Can’t wait to try this!!!! Guess I will have to wait till the weekend though – need some of the ingredients!!!!
Wow! Great site which I stumbled across on the in internet. I just started being an oil free Vegan about 2 months ago after reading Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn’s book, Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease. It has been really hard to find cookbooks or vegan internet sites with vegan recipes not containing oil, since just about every one includes at least olive oil. Since Dr. Esselstyn recommends “NO OIL” it has been somewhat of a challenge to find no oil vegan recipes. Your site and recipes fill the bill and look great. Looking forward to trying some of these. Thanks for filling a niche sorely needed!!!
GENIUS! This just appeals to me soooo much.
*drools on keyboard*
I can tell from reading this recipe and the peppers and powders you used it will be great and perfect for my family! I’m so glad you thought of putting pineapple in it, we love pineapple and can’t wait to try it. Since it is still cold in NY a nice spicy Stew is perfect for almost any day!
I LOVE THIS!!!! THANK YOU! I can’t wait to try it! Black Beans are my favorite!
That is genious inspiration my friend, genious.
I eat a version of this cubano style with black beans and brown rice. In fact, we are having it tonight using black beans, brown rice, yams and mango instead of pineapple. I will have to try this in a soup! thanks for the idea erhegghmm, I mean inspiration!
This sounds delicious!!! If I were to use fresh pineapple should I just mince it real small? Or do you not recommend using fresh because you need the juice from the canned. I can’t wait to make this. Thanks!!
Leslie, I think that would work. Though you won’t have the juice, you will have the flavor of fresh pineapple, which is always a plus.
Thanks! I decided I wanted to have the pineapple juice too, so I stopped and picked up a can of pineapple. Too bad I didn’t check to make sure I had 2 cans of black beans, oh well. I subbed in 1 can of pinto beans instead. This was absolutely delicious!!! I loved the spicy sweet combo.
I used fresh (cut up small pieces) because pineapple was on sale (used 3/4 of a small pineapple). I substituted chipolte pepper with adobe sauce for the jalapeno (which also gave it a sweeter/ spicy flavor). It was an absolutely WONDERFUL. And made leftovers for lunch. YUM YUM
Genius!!!! Thank you for the inspiration! I have been making the worlds easiest bean soups (literally 2 cans of beans, 2 cans of fat free refried beans, veggie broth, a jar of salsa and chopped greens). I never would have used my FAVORITE Trader Joe’s pineapple salsa if you hadn’t thought of this. It will be a perfect combo of sweet and spicy . . . yum!
What a great idea! And I, too, love your cup! This is something I’d never have thought of — adding pineapple — and I can’t wait to try it.
Thanks! The cup came from Anthropologie and comes in lots of different color patterns. I got lucky and found it on the same day that I was making this soup…er stew…er chili!
I saw the pic first on Foodgawker, and loved the dish, so I clicked on it, and then to see that it was you! Yea! Can’t wait to try this. Haven’t added pinapple to chili before.
Hi Susan,
This looks great, and I look foward to trying it. I am a big fan of sweet and savory together, and I love black beans and pineapple, separately and together. I recently made a black bean pasta sauce recipe that called for a little lime juice, and since citrus flares up my fibro, I subbed with pineapple juice. The results were yummy.
love you new photo, too. And, as always, the humor, insight and wit in your posts.
xo
moonwatcher
I love this idea, but sadly, I’m allergic to Pineapple. I might try this with a tart Mango though – it’s a great recipe for sure.
Thanks again for sharing!!
Mmmmm, just finished eating this! I used yam instead of squash, and just added it before simmering for 15 minutes. Great combination of flavours!
Beautiful site! I love adding fruit to certain dishes. It always adds a nice surprise of sweetness. Plus, it’s beautiful in the soup above. I could even picture this topped with a pineapple salsa. Great photo!
My husband loves pineapple and is such a salsa addict. He’ll definitely love this one. Thanks! I love the sweet and savory contrast of fruit it stews or curries.
Made this tonight and it was fabulous! Big hit with everyone. I threw everything in the pot and let it simmer most of the day and then served it over brown rice. Thanks for another great recipe!
I always look forward to your next recipe and I can’t wait to make this one. It looks wonderful. I have always really loved pineapple in savory dishes. I always add it to my marinara. I also stuff manicotti with pineapple and spinach – very good.
Very tasty. A keeper. My personal preference is for a more pronounced pineapple taste experience, so next time I will use chunks . It reminds me of a McDougall recipe for Carribean Stew.
Hi, let me just start by saying I love your blog! You are truly a culinary genius in my book! This isn’t relating to this recipe, but I recall on one of your posts there was a debate about using fats and oils in the comments section. I understand your reasoning, saying that we should use the entire food rather than just the fat from it, but I was wondering if that applies to other foods. For instance, isn’t drinking soy or almond milk kind of the same? We’re only consuming a little of the actual food and discarding the fiber and other things. I’m not trying to argue with you, but I was just wondering if it’s different! Thanks!
Well, it snowed again last night, so I was looking for something just like this for dinner. I can’t wait to try it! I’ll be using some butternut squash instead of summer squash, because I have it here and I’m too lazy to drive to the store. LOL
Thanks for another great recipe. You have never let me down.
This looks amazing – I love pineapple in just about anything. Have you ever tried pineapple with chocolate? Surprisingly delicious! Anyhow, do you think this recipe might be good with canned tomatillos instead of tomatoes? I’m allergic to tomatoes sadly…
Gorgeous colours in the props and the soup. Really liking the sound of the soup
Wow, that sounds great! I will definitely have to try this! : )
This was awesome. I cut back on the spices and thought it was still a bit hot for us but we ate every last drop!
Oh my gosh, this looks so good! I love how pineapple lends itself to so many savory applications. I also love how you can make simple changes to turn this recipe into three different things, depending on your mood… yummmm
I made this yesterday and it was delicious! I typically don’t bother to get out the measuring spoons, but I am glad that I did for this one. The spice combination was perfect, deeply flavored and complex. Definitely a winner. Thank you Susan!
I made this tonight and it was absolutely wonderful!! Subbed sweet potatoes for the squash as that was what I had on hand; also left out the chipotle as I’m catering to toddler-tastes in addition to my own. Hands down one of the most well-received meals I’ve prepared – everyone finished their bowl. Will definitely making this one again often — also, so glad I made a double batch so we can enjoy it again tomorrow
I didn’t used to love the idea of fruit in savory meals, but now it just depends on my mood – I love peach salsa right out of the bowl, so…
I made this yesterday and went back for seconds…and thirds! I made it in the slow cooker. Really didn’t have to alter the recipe any for that. Just threw in everything except the pineapple, which I added the last few minutes. Didn’t precook anything. I also used low sodium black beans to get that sodium level in a healthier range. Finally, I used chipotle peppers in adobo sauce instead of jalapenos to give it the kick with a smokey flavor. It was AWESOME. Thanks — I would never had thought of adding pineapple.
Ha! I love this hybrid-ful recipe.
I made this on Friday and have been craving it ever since. I may make it again this Friday
I am so excited that I found your blog!!! So many great recipes! This looks like such a great source of fiber and protein…AND tasty!
http://www.moopigvegan.com
Just made this last night and it was soooo delicious! Thanks for another great recipe!
Very yummy but next time maybe only a 1/2 jalepeno pepper. I like spice but mine came out a little too hot so I put in a little more beans and more of the pineapple. I will definitely make it again!
I just wanted to say that I LOVE your place setting.
This looks absolutely delightful!
I have a dilema though…i havent been able to cook ANYTHING with black beans because i cant find them in a can anywhere! i then went hunting and found some dried black beans just to realise that i have no idea how to use them! :O
How would one go about utilising dried black beans for such a recipe and how much dried would be equivalent to a can? (im guessing i soak over night? if so do they need to be pre-cooked before using in this recipe/other recipes?)
Thankyou for your help, ive been dying to use these black beans which much excitement!
Alex,
I made mine with dried black beans. The day before I soaked them for hours. Then before bed I put them in fresh water on the stove and boiled them for about 5 to 10 minutes. Then after draining, they went into fresh water again but this time in the crock pot for overnight cooking. I always put a few bay leaves in with garlic and onion powder. I NEVER salt the beans at this stage as I hear it can retard the cooking process and keep the beans from getting mushy. My family loves mushy beans that melt in your mouth. In the morning the beans are done and ready to be used like the canned (minus the excessive amounts of salt.) How much dried beans should you use? Cook the whole bag and use only what you need for each recipe. You can save the rest for another recipe or freeze/can it for future use.
Thanks for the recipe! We made it last night, and it turned out great! I will definately be making it again. The only thing I would change is that I think I will use chunks of pineapple next time instead of crushed pineapple. I could taste the sweetness of the pineapple, but it would have been really satisfying and refreshing to bite into a whole piece while eating this.
The taste combination really reminded me of living in South America, where I think the savory/sweet combo is more common than in the U.S. I may also try making the combo without as much liquid and serving it as a bean salad.
Hello Susan. This recipe looks delicious and I am adding it to my menu for the week. I have a question though. The recipe states it serves 6. Is that a 1 cup serving or 1 1/2 cup, 2 cup, etc? Your input would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!
Katrina, I just use the number of servings that I actually got when I made it to determine the servings, but I would guess that a serving is around 1 1/2 to 2 cups or a standard soup bowl full.
Hi Susan,
I made a “stewy” version of this by adding about a third of a cup of amaranth and a little less broth and beans (since I only had one can). I also roasted some cumin seeds and ground them up, instead of ancho chili powder, which I didn’t have. I used some smoked paprika, too. It made a milder version, but it was really good. Thanks! I will play with this delicious template again.
xo
moonwatcher
I made this recipe for dinner last night, except that I pureed half of it before putting in the pineapple and zucchini becuase my husband hates bean texture. It was delicious, healthy and made a wonderful leftover lunch today too. Thanks!
I’m going to try this, but I’m going to try it with peaches instead of pineapple. I LOVE me some peach salsa (more than I like pineapple salsa). Thanks for such a great idea!
Wow, black bean and pineapple is an inspired combination indeed– it makes me think of Carribean cuisine. I’m excited to give this a try– I’m thinking it might look especially beautiful garnished with shredded coconut.
I came up with a sweet black bean stew the other day myself. I’m calling it “Miraculous Rainbow Squash Soup” because I like fancy names.
The recipe for it is on mine and my friend Jane’s blog, Love Leaf Nutritarian: http://loveleafnutritarian.com/2011/04/22/miraculous-rainbow-squash-soup-easy-hearty-fat-free/
Wow! We just had this and I love it. My 17 yo had two bowls, actually 1 1/2 because this soup is filling. My 14 yo didn’t like it, but right now he doesn’t like much of anything. I’m going to make a double or even triple batch and can these to eat when we get a hankering for the sweet and spicy taste.
Susan:
I made this tonight, using sliced pineapple that I chunked up….it was just delicious, and especially, I think, with the large bites of unexpected pineapple. Oh, and I didn’t have squash, so used a red garnet yam. Over quinoa. This dish may now be my newest “addiction!”
THANKS for sharing your ideas!
ooooooh…that looks good! I would have never thought of putting pineapple in a black bean soup, but it sure does sound wonderful! I’ve bookmarked the recipe so I can try it. I can’t wait!
Yummy stew! I made it with mango and pumpkin instead of pineapple and squash, using what I had at hand. Thanks for the recipe!
Looks so yum .I was wondering if I could make this in a crockpot?I have dry beans.At what stage do I add the pineapple and squash then?
Thanks
I would add them for the last hour of cooking. Give them enough time for the squash to cook but not fall apart.
I used this as an inspiration point for a “clean out the fridge/freezer” chili I made last week — I subbed a crumbled package of tempeh and a chopped 8-oz packate of seitan (both from the far corners of the freezer) for the black beans (to appease someone who believes chili does not contain beans) and most of a jar of chopped roasted red peppers for the fresh. It was awesome, and the leftovers made a great chili-mac the next day, with a slightly-thickened cheezy sauce from your Easy Mac-n-Cheeze. Thanks for the idea!
Just had this for dinner with brown rice. Fantastic. Thank again for another great meal. My only changes: Used frozen rather than fresh yellow squash, and used my freezer standby of the leftovers of a can of chipotle in adobo, chopped from frozen instead of the jalepenos and chipotle chile powder. It was perfect for me. My husband added a couple of Cholula Hot Sauce. The pineapple addition was inspired. I am not a pinapple fan and I loved it. (I used an 8 oz can of Pineapple tidbits in 100% juice).
Another keeper!
i have made this dish twice and its very good it got better each time i made this dish.
we loved it
maryann
By far the best soup i ever made. Did not add stock and substituted napa cabbage for zucchini as that. Is what i had on hand….simply stellar,you truly inspire me susan!
This was very tasty! You could taste the pineapple, but if you didn’t know it was in there, you wouldn’t be able to say, “Hey, there is pineapple in my chili!” Gets better leftover.
I’ve made this several times (again tonight) and it is FABULOUS!! I can’t get enough of pineapple, which makes me love it even more. Thanks for the recipe!
This was the first recipe I made from this website and it was definitely a winner! The pineapple was such a delicious surprising touch. I can’t wait to explore the site some more and try out more of the recipes.
Made it. Loved it. Didn’t have a whole pound of yellow squash or zucchini so I used my one yellow squash and one of my acorn squash cubed (just added it with the broth step). Did not have chipotle chile powder or Mexican oregano but it was delicious none the less. This will become a favorite for sure! Thank you!
I tried this today, and it was delicious! The only substitution I made was to use Red Chana instead of beans. This is the first time I’ve tried fruit in a savory dish, and I’m hooked
First time making a recipe from this website, It was very good
Very spicy but maybe cause I added 2 chipotle peppers and a litte adobe sauce. My husband loved it, cant wait to try more recipes !
I just made this today….YUM! I didn’t have any squash, so I doubled up on the peppers (can never get enough of those) and added some mushrooms instead. It is so good, I’m thinking about getting some more!
Susan, I have only just stumbled across your blog while googling Eat to Live recipes, and let me say your recipes are incredible! I just made this one tonight, loved it, and will certainly be making many more. Well done!
Love this recipe! I made it today in the middle of a heatwave, and even my meat lover husband enjoyed it. He kept saying “That smells great!” then actually put aside his bag of fast food to try some chili! It’s spicy with just a hint of sweetness. I made it in a hurry today – about 15 minutes – now I can’t wait to try the leftovers after they’ve simmered a little longer.
This soup was fantastic. I used fresh pineapples instead of can. I didn’t have any yellow squash or zucchini , so I omitted it. Family and friends love it. Thanks
What a wonderful looking bowl of stew. Looking forward to trying it. It looks especially good in that exquisite cup/bowl.
Susan, hello and THANK-YOU! I am new to this cooking, certainly new to finding recipes online, and this is MY first time leaving a blog comment. I wanted to tell you that I made this and it was AMAZING!!!! I am so excited to think I can actually cook!
I am a Paleo girl that is conflicted. Do you know Paleo? Anyway, Paleo or not, this was amazing and a keeper.
Thank-you!!!!
Thank you for this! I needed a dish for a party today. The event was a celebration of a friend who has lost 116 pounds!!! So, I needed something very healthy and also buffet-friendly. Rather than make it a soup/stew/chili, then, I omitted the vegetable broth and the only liquid I added was the tomato juice from the canned tomatoes. I served it over rice with fresh cilantro and lime wedges. It looks so pretty and tastes even better.
I would never have thought to put pineapple in a soup but I love all the ingredients in this one – It might be harder work convincing my husband to try it though!
I just made this tonight
It is making the house smell awesome! I did add come sweet potatoe (I thought that it called for it but on a second look I think I mistook it for a different recipe..But still tastes Great!) Also instead of 2 cans of black beans I used one can of black and one can of mixed for variety 
Thanks for the awesome recipe!
~Jenn
This is the first recipe I’ve tried from here, and I absolutely love it. This will be a staple for me from now on! I don’t like canned pineapple, and the only ones available in my area have added sugar, so i just bought fresh, and mashed it in a bowl, which gave me plenty of juice. I love this, Thank-you!
Made this for dinner last night and OH my goodness. Incredible! I will definitely be making this again.
I just got back from Freddie’s, red pepper and zucchini in my hot little hands. I’m having this tonight.
Instead of using chili powder, I’ve got two California and one Ancho dried chiles, I’m going to simmer those and blend them into a paste with a chipolte or two and use those instead of chili powder.
LOVE this blog! You have made a huge difference in my life, and I am forever grateful!
I’ve made this over and over, my sister even won a chili cook-off with it!
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