Spanish Bean Soup (Garbanzo Bean Soup) takes you on a trip to Tampa Bay, where Cuban heritage is so alive & full of flavor. This simple soup is made with garbanzo beans, potatoes & savory sausage and is just bursting with deliciousness!
This soup is a staple in the Tampa Bay Area. The Cuban heritage here brings with it such wonderful food. I am a very lucky girl to live here. We have such diverse cuisine and I get to enjoy and share it all with you!
Now let me say y'all this is my version of this soup. (This is my disclaimer for all the die hards -lol) Some people use Chorizo and ham and it is wonderful like that, but this a little spin on it I came up with. Actually, I should give my mom some of the credit. She made it similar to this, I just adapted it a bit. I let this cook in the Crock Pot all day, mom made hers on the stove top. It can totally be done that way as well. My family and friends just love it and request it often. So, I hope you will too!
A little background on my Version of Spanish Bean Soup recipe
We started out making this soup from a Dixie Lilly bag mix (shhh, don't tell anyone), but found it hard to find at one time and came up with my own recipe. I must say I am so glad I did! This recipe is so much better. It's such a savory, heartwarming bowl of Cuban vivaciousness! Are you dancing yet!!
Oh you mustn't forget some warm Cuban bread to dip in it! Or an Authentic Cuban Sandwich is perfect with this! Um Ummm UMMMMMM!!! Just completes it!
Items you need to make Spanish Bean Soup
- dried garbanzo beans
- salt
- black pepper
- Minced garlic, garlic powder or garlic salt
- Vigo spanish seasoning
- chicken stock
- red potatoes
- beef smoked sausage (or any smoked sausage) - chorizo is traditionally used
- Water
How to make Spanish Bean Soup (Garbanzo Bean Soup)
Step 1. Rinse beans, cover with water and add 1 tablespoon salt. Soak overnight. If you forget this step, just boil on stove top for ½ hour.
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Step 2. Add beans with water to crock pot or soup pot. (If watching sodium: You can drain water and add beans to pot. Then add water as needed after all other items are added). Next add chicken stock or broth, cubed potatoes, cut up sausage, minced garlic, pepper and Vigo seasoning. I do the seasoning last so not to splash it out. You will see what I mean - lots of color 🙂
Step 3. Cook on low for 8 to 10 hours in CrockPot or bring to boil on stove top then reduce to med low for 2 to 3 hours (or more).
TIP: I always taste soup (a few hours before done) and add any additional salt, pepper, garlic (or garlic powder) as needed to taste.
More Cuban inspired Recipes you May Enjoy
Spanish Bean Soup (Garbanzo Bean Soup)
Ingredients
- 1 lb bag of dried garbanzo beans
- 1 tablespoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 to 2 cloves garlic, minced (you can also use garlic powder ½ to 1 teaspoon according to your taste)
- 3 packets Vigo Spanish seasoning
- 32 ounces chicken stock
- 3 pounds red potatoes, cut up into bite sized cubes
- 2 packages beef smoked sausage, sliced & quartered
- 6 cups Water, Approx 3 cups to soak and more to add as needed as soup cooks down
Instructions
Prepare Garbanzo Beans (Chickpeas)
- Rinse beans, cover with water and add 1 tablespoon salt. Soak overnight. If you forget this step, just boil on stove top for ½ hour.
Soup
- Add beans with water to crock pot or soup pot. (If you want less sodium drain first, add ingredients then fill with fresh water as needed after all other items are added) Add chicken stock, cubed potatoes, cut up sausage, minced garlic, pepper and Vigo seasoning.
- Cook on low for 8 to 10 hours in crock pot or bring to boil on stove top then reduce to med low for 2 to 3 hours (or more).
Suzanne McClellan Ziemann says
LOVE This! A friend from Plant City (who now lives in D.C.) wrote me recently asking for the recipe for the Spanish Bean Soup I often made in college. I had to admit it was, shhhh!, that awesome Dixie Lily mix mom always used. Reading your recipe also made me miss that fresh Cuban bread also available in the local Publix supermarket. Hard to find that in Atlanta. Thanks for the good memory!
Nikki Lee says
I hope your friend enjoys it! I think if I ever moved away from the area that would be something I sure would miss! Glad this recipe could bring you some wonderful memories. I love so many memories are surround a meal and the recipe.
Hailey says
I actually grew up eating this, this is actually a cuban recipe brought from Spain. My mom and grandma always added cabbage, ham and cuban pumpkin. So good, I make mine in a pressure cooker. But this slow Cooke recipe is amazing.
Nikki Lee says
Thank you Hailey! Those additions sound delicious!
Brenda Tero says
I add at the end or close to the end
Fresh cabbage. Also, I also cook with Cuban pumpkin. It is so good.
Nikki Lee says
Those sound like delicious additions! I am going to have to give them a try!
Alicia says
Hi! Does the 6 cups of water include the water you used to soak the beans or is that in addition?
Thank you!
Nikki Lee says
I use about 3 cups to soak the beans. Then add more water as it cooks if needed.
Cindi says
Adding to my previous reply…I used my InstantPot on this and it was great. I cooked it on the ‘bean’ setting first before adding chorizo and potato. Stopped it, then added the chorizo and potato, just to cook that through. Beans were starting to fall apart, but the soup was thick and flavorful. Just a little too salty for me.
Cindi says
I made this with a ham hock and 2 chorizo sausage links. Couldn’t find Vigo seasoning so used Sazon, which must be similar. In the end, it was absolutely delicious BUT extremely salty. Could be because of the ham hock? I would cut back somewhere. But that isn’t a game changer! I normally don’t use much salt in cooking. This really was wonderful.
Cathy says
What if you can’t find vigo seasoning???
Nikki Lee says
I find it at Publix, but Goya has a Sazon seasoning as well.
Mari says
Finding this recipe made my day. I went to college at UT and worked at Valencia Garden one summer and this soup was on their menu! So sad they closed years ago... their food was amazing and I even served the mayor there once! I thought about this soup lately and had no idea it was unique to the Tampa area. Will be trying it soon!
Nikki Lee says
I am so glad you found it Mari! A few wonderful gems have closed in Tampa and it is so sad. I so hope you enjoy it!
Jenna says
I’m a tampa native and grew up having this soup every Christmas Eve. Well this year looks a little different and I’m going to take a stab at making it myself and found your recipe 😁 can’t wait to try it, thank you!!
Nikki Lee says
Hi Jenna! Mine is a little different and you can use some chorizo and ham in place of the sausage, if you like to make it a little more authentic. This is always a big hit as is when I serve it, so I recommend trying it like the recipe states at least once. It thickens the more it cooks (or the next day when reheating) as the beans break down too (that may be the difference you see). If you like it thinner you can cook a little less or do not mash up beans. I hope you enjoy it! Please let me know how it turns out.
David says
I grew up eating the canned version of this soup that was sold by the Garcia Canning Company back in the day. They just disappeared years ago and I had been looking for my Spanish Bean Soup fix ever since. I ran across this recipe and tried it. I used the smoked chorizo sausage because I recall bits of that being in the Garcia's version. I also can't find Vigo seasoning but the Goya Saison Goya works quite well in this soup. I use 2 envelopes for the perfect seasoning. More will overpower the soup I think. Oh I also mince up some onion and saute that in some olive oil in the pot with the minced chorizo and garlic before adding the Saison Goya and the stock. Bring to boil and then add peas and potatoes. Now, as to cooking ... there is no way you can cook this for more than 30 minutes, 45 minutes tops or you will just cook the beans and potatoes away. At 35-45 minutes the potatoes are very soft and giving up some starch to the broth and making a nice soup. This is not a simmer all day soup. It's done in 30-45 minutes.
Nikki says
So glad you enjoyed it! The all day cook is in a slow cooker. You are correct it doesn't have to cook all day on stove top.
Linda says
We lived in Brandon (just below Tampa). We used to go to a Cuban restaurant there for this soup. I have never seen it anywhere else. I love soup, this is my favorite!
Nikki - Soulfully Made says
Was it La Septima? I am in Plant City nearby! I hope you enjoy making it at home!
Ron E says
This soup is excellent !!
I resorted to using chorizo because I had it on hand. I also had to make my own Spanish seasoning to the seasoning I added to a tsp of tumeric just for color.
Again fantastic recipe !!
Nikki - Soulfully Made says
Thank you Ron! Chorizo is excellent in this too! I am so glad you enjoyed it! It is really one of my most favorites soups too!
Kathleen Radow says
Is there a way to modify this recipe to an Instant pot? I'm cooking in a crock pot this time but would love to try my instant pot next time. Thanks!
Nikki - Soulfully Made says
I have not tested it yet. But It is on my list to try. I will post it and let you know when I get it perfected.
Josh Dickerson says
What is Vigo spanish seasoning? Is that a discontinued product? Or a nickname for an actual product? I have searched all over the website for Vigo foods and there is no such product listed. Please let me know what the real seasoning is or what you would use in place of a pre packaged product.
Thanks,
Nikki - Soulfully Made says
It is now called Vigo Flavoring & Coloring! I will have to update the post. Here is link to Vigo website so you can see what it looks like. https://vigofoods.com/catalog/product/2828/vigo-flavoring?i=80207. I need to come up with my own version. I will work on that.
Linda Brannen says
Nikki, I use Sazon, Goya, con azafran. It's a small box with packets. It gives the soup the color and flavor that it's supposed to have. I've lived in Tampa all my life and have grown up eating the cuban staples. Most locals know how to make the everyday dishes like chicken and yellow rice, picadillo, etc. The Sazon gives great flavor to a lot of dishes. I love it on home fries
Nikki - Soulfully Made says
Sazon works too! They have great products. I use it in other recipes like black beans. Are you still in the Tampa area? I love it here it's such a wonderful place to grow up!
Deb Clark says
Oh my goodness, this looks AMAZING!!! I am leaving now to google Vigo seasoning because this is a must try for me!!!
Jennifer A Stewart says
This is such a great option when I am sick of eating the same 15 bean soup that I always eat. So delicious!
Michaela Kenkel says
I took this to a pot luck last weekend and EVERYONE wanted the recipe! Thank you for yet another great recipe!
Angela says
So so much flavor! Easily a new favorite~
Julie Menghini says
This soup looks and sounds amazing! I love soup season and there's a reason this recipe is #1 on the charts!
mcihele says
the smoked sausage was such a good call in here! Added all the flavors we LOVED! My husband said I should make this everyweek... cant beat that kind of a review!
Brandi Burgess says
I am embarrassed to say I had never heard of this soup, but after seeing your photos and the ingredients, I added it to this weeks menu! Looks DIVINE!
S douglas says
I tried this very good. I did use canned beans and find them to hard
Any way to get them to soften, if I would have cooked any longer my potatoes would be mushS
Nikki - Soulfully Made says
I would try giving the beans a quick hard boil for 30 minutes first. You can also add potatoes a little later in the cooking as well. Say if you are starting in the morning add the beans around noon. If you can find the dried beans I think they turn out much better, but I know they are hard to find in some areas.
M.L.A. says
Try going to a Latin market and getting dried chorizo and cutting it into bite sized pieces along with (surprisingly enough) a stick of pepperoni cut into bite sized pieces also and diced ham, instead of the smoked sausage. I was born and raised in Tampa and that is how I've had it since I can remember. It gives it a different flavor that is really good
Nikki - Soulfully Made says
Yes, I have made it with chorizo and ham. It is delicious like that as well. I have lived in the Tampa Bay area all my life and I agree that is a more traditional way to make it. This is a version my family loves. When I make it there are usually rave reviews, so tend to stick to this recipe. But feel free to add any type of meat you enjoy. That is what is so wonderful about recipes we can adjust a bit. I love all the delicious foods we get in this area! Are you still in the area?
Carol Kesten says
How much seasoning is in a packet? I had to make my own seasoning—couldn’t find the packets.
Nikki - Soulfully Made says
The seasoning comes with 4 - .035 OZ envelopes in it. I use three of them.
Richard Webb says
This is a great opportunity to add Turmeric (one of the most healthy herbs you can eat). Remember to saute it with black pepper and fat (coconut oil) to boost curcumin effect by 2,000%.
It layers in a new layer of rich flavor too.
Tiffany says
I added 1 tbsp onion powder and 2 tsp bird pepper and served over rice. I also cut back on the beef smoked sausage and used 1 1/2 links. Before adding the onion powder and bird pepper it tasted nothing like the cuban recipe and smelled more like a hot dog stew
[email protected] says
My version is a bit different than the Cuban version as stated in the blog post, but it is always a hit when I make it! I hope you enjoyed your version as well. You can add ham and/or chorizo too! It's delicious that way as well.
Marsha says
I too grew up in Tampa Bay and was raised on Spanish Bean soup. I was disappointed when I could no longer find the Dixie Lee package. I can’t wait to try this recipe. Have to go shopping first. Will comment after I make it.
P~ says
I love that you used dried garbanzo beans! I had the hardest time finding them for a while, but I prefer them to canned. It's great that you adapted your mother's recipe, too. Nice! P~
[email protected] says
I love passing down family recipes. These beans are a staple around here. If you do have a hard time you can use canned. I have made it with them a couple of times when I wanted to cut my cook time. Thank you so much for stopping by! Hope to hear from you again soon!
Barrie says
I love this idea because it is a perfect crock pot mid-week dinner! I love the idea of pairing it with a cuban sandwich too!
[email protected] says
Thank you Barrie! We love this soup at my house. Make this one year round! It's so delicious with a cuban sandwich or some cuban bread with butter and a little garlic! So glad you stopped by!
Tina says
I'm so thankful for finding your recipe! I haven't tried it yet, but I'm sure it will replace our old stand-by of the Dixie Lily mix. Just like you, we grew up on Spanish bean soup made with DL( I'm from Z-hills). If I had known that DL would be bought again (by China Doll co.) and they would do away with the mix, then I would have stockpiled all of the soup mix that I could find! I knew something was up when I couldn't find it in Publix!
This will be my first attempt at making SB soup without the mix for our New Years tradition!
Happy New Year in 2017
Tina
Nikki says
Tina, I hope you enjoy this recipe! Let me know how it turns out! Happy New Year!
Amber says
Hi Tina, You can actually buy Dixie Lily products online at Southerntraditionalfoods.com in bulk or individually. I grew up in Florida and my grandmother would always make Spanish bean soup! I remember not being able to find the Spanish bean soup mix at Public and just happened to look it up online and found it.
[email protected] says
Amber that is great! Once I created this mix I think I like it better. But great to know!
Claudia Jimenez says
Hi Nikki,
Im trying so hard to find the recipe for spanish bean soup that is most like my Moms it was the best and I never wrote it down and your recipe looks the most like it including the warm cuban bread of course , you have to have that, I live in Texas and can't get cuban bread but when i do go home I go to the bakery and get it hot and we eat a whole loaf in the car and take 2 more for the house. She did use chorizo instead of sausage a certain brand from publix and vigo saffron and ham/with bone, also delicious. Cant wait to try this for that home feeling. My mom and Daddy passed away with in a years time and Im the only child and i miss her cooking so I'm glad I found your recipe, we lived in Temple Terrace. God Bless
Nikki says
Thank you for sharing and I hope you enjoyed this. So sorry it took me so long to reply this went into spam and I am just now seeing this. You could use Chorizo most people do. I have made it both ways and this is my families favorite! I use Hillshire Farms and Eckrich and sometimes a mixture.
Hope this gave you that feeling of being at home! God Bless!
james says
best ive ever tasted!
Nikki says
Thanks James! Now lets see if you can make it 🙂
Kristen from The Road to Domestication says
This looks so yummy! I love that you use a crock pot - I always think the best soups are made in crock pots 🙂 Thanks so much for linking up with us over at the #HomeMattersParty - we hope to see you again next week!
Nikki says
Yes, crock pots are the best! Something about cooking the soup all day makes it so delicious! Look forward to linking up again next week!
Stephanie says
Yum!!! I can't wait to make this. I love Spainish Bean Soup.
Nikki says
It really is easy and delicious. Let me know how it goes for you!
Albert Collao says
if you want really good ingredients and are in tampa try caccitores meat market
+ everything else that is yummy. i probably killed the name but its on hanly rd and paula dr. in town n country google it
Nikki - Soulfully Made says
Thank you Albert! If I am over that way I will check it out. I love trying new markets.