Easy black bean soup, with simple steps for less gas

Beans are cheap, filling and full of fiber and plant protein. They're also one of the foods people most often avoid because of gas. This soup keeps the good parts and uses a few simple kitchen steps that research suggests can reduce the trouble.

It makes about 6 servings, reheats well, freezes well and works with either dried or canned beans.

Why the prep steps matter

The main gas-producing carbohydrates in beans belong to the raffinose family, a type of galacto-oligosaccharide (GOS). Some of them leach out into soaking and cooking water, which you can use to your advantage.

• Soak and drain dried beans. In a lab analysis, soaking and cooking considerably lowered the raffinose-family sugars in chickpeas and kidney beans. The drop was smaller when the cooking water wasn't drained away (Vidal-Valverde et al., 1993).
• Or use canned beans. Researchers who measured FODMAP content in plant foods found that canning was one of the processing methods that lowered it the most (Tuck et al., 2018). Draining and rinsing canned beans follows the same logic as draining soaking water.
• Start with a modest portion. In three feeding studies where adults ate half a cup of beans a day, fewer than half reported more gas from pinto or baked beans in the first week, and the authors concluded that concerns about bean gas may be exaggerated (Winham and Hutchins, 2011). A one-cup serving of soup is a sensible place to start.

Ingredients

• 1 pound dried black beans, or 3 cans (15 ounces each) black beans
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium carrot, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 bunch scallions, green parts only, sliced (or 1 small onion, diced, if onion agrees with you)
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes
• 4 to 5 cups low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
• 1 bay leaf
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• Juice of 1 lime
• To serve: plain yogurt or lactose-free sour cream, chopped cilantro, a few slices of avocado

Steps

1. If using dried beans: Rinse the beans and pick out any small stones. Cover with several inches of cold water and soak for 8 to 12 hours. Drain and rinse. Put the beans in a large pot with fresh water to cover by 2 inches, bring to a boil, then simmer for 60 to 90 minutes, until tender. Drain and discard the cooking water.
2. If using canned beans: Pour them into a colander and rinse well under cold running water.
3. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the carrot, bell pepper and scallions or onion, and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until softened.
4. Stir in the cumin, smoked paprika and oregano and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant.
5. Add the beans, tomatoes, 4 cups of broth and the bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes.
6. Remove the bay leaf. Blend about half the soup with an immersion blender, or blend 2 cups in a countertop blender and stir it back in. Add more broth if you like a thinner soup.
7. Season with salt, pepper and lime juice. Serve with your toppings.

Make it your own

• More protein: Stir in shredded cooked chicken, or top each bowl with a fried egg.
• More heat: Add a pinch of chipotle powder or a diced jalapeño along with the vegetables.
• If onion or garlic bother you: Stick with the scallion greens, and drizzle a little garlic-infused olive oil on top for flavor.
• For the freezer: Cool completely and freeze in single portions for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge.

If beans still bother you

Keep portions small for a couple of weeks and build up gradually. An alpha-galactosidase enzyme taken with the meal is another option with some research behind it. In one small study, a higher dose taken with a large bean meal reduced breath hydrogen and the severity of flatulence (Di Stefano et al., 2007).

Some gas after beans is normal. But bloating that happens most days, especially if it's new, or bloating along with weight loss, blood in the stool or a lasting change in bowel habits, deserves a check with your doctor.

Sources

1. Vidal-Valverde C, Frías J, Valverde S. Changes in the carbohydrate composition of legumes after soaking and cooking. J Am Diet Assoc. 1993;93(5):547-50. PMID 8315164
2. Tuck C, Ly E, Bogatyrev A, et al. Fermentable short chain carbohydrate (FODMAP) content of common plant-based foods and processed foods suitable for vegetarian- and vegan-based eating patterns. J Hum Nutr Diet. 2018;31(3):422-435. PMID 29473657
3. Winham DM, Hutchins AM. Perceptions of flatulence from bean consumption among adults in 3 feeding studies. Nutr J. 2011;10:128. PMID 22104320
4. Di Stefano M, Miceli E, Gotti S, Missanelli A, Mazzocchi S, Corazza GR. The effect of oral alpha-galactosidase on intestinal gas production and gas-related symptoms. Dig Dis Sci. 2007;52(1):78-83. PMID 17151807

This article is for general information and isn't medical advice. If you have a digestive condition or follow a medically prescribed diet, check with your healthcare provider or dietitian about which foods are right for you.