Can you cook soup in air fryer? You sure can! Try this air fryer soup recipe, and you’ll be amazed at everything the air fryer can do. Learn cooking tips to make homemade or canned soup in the air fryer. We’ll be making black bean soup, but feel free to adapt this recipe to make air fryer chicken soup, vegetable soup, french onion soup, tomato soup, and more!
This soup recipe is a revamp from 2019. I’ve streamlined the soup-making process and added air fryer directions! The recipe for the crackers I like to serve with this soup can be found here: keto crackers.
Have I convinced you yet that you can make just about anything in an air fryer? If not, let’s talk about how to make soup in an air fryer.
That’s right, we’re going to air fry soup!
This recipe for a quick black bean soup with a pumpkin swirl is a hearty, veggie-filled dinner. The black and orange colors make it the perfect Halloween or fall dinner idea.
However, you can apply these instructions on how to heat up soup in the air fryer to any bowl of soup! Two important things to consider:
- Liquids evaporate quickly in the air fryer! Be sure to cover your soup tightly with foil so it doesn’t dry out with air frying.
- Use an oven-safe container to hold the soup. Unlike with some foods, you can’t just dump soup in the air fryer basket. (Unless you want to clean up a mess! Haha)
I love serving this black bean and pumpkin soup in single-serve ramekins. They fit well in a variety of air fryers and air fryer ovens. Plus, the presentation is so cute!
Jump to:
📋 Calories, Net Carbs, Protein
One serving of this air fryer soup recipe has 299 calories, 28.1 grams net carbs, and 12.7 grams protein. This nutrition information does include the topping.
⭐ Benefits
Why heat soup in an air fryer? Here are some of the nutritional benefits of soup, as well as advantages of making it in the air fryer:
- Easy: You don’t need to stir air fryer soup often, like you do when you make it on the stovetop. Air frying soup is pretty hands off.
- Minimal clean up: Ramekins serve as both cooking vessels and bowls, minimizing the dirty dishes. If you like cooking but not the kitchen clean up afterwards, this recipe is for you.
- Healthy: Soup is a hydrating food that is packed with high-fiber vegetables as well as protein. You can find soup to fit most special diets, including vegan, low carb, keto, and gluten free. Homemade soups are often better than canned soup if you are on a low sodium diet.
- Delicious: Soup is easy to customize, so you can find a flavor that everyone loves. It’s a nutritious and tasty comfort food!
🥘 Ingredients
What do you need to make soup in the air fryer? Here’s the roundup:
- Canned black beans (no added salt or low sodium)
- Salsa
- Cumin
- Oregano
- Salt and pepper
- Vegetable broth (low sodium or homemade veggie broth)
- Non-aerosol cooking oil spray
If the veg broth you use is on the saltier side, you may not need additional salt. Some of the ones labeled low sodium still taste quite salty.
If you want to add a seasonal pumpkin swirl to your soup, you’ll also need the following:
- Canned pumpkin
- Heavy cream
- Cinnamon
- Ginger
- Onion powder
- Salt and pepper
Make sure to use plain canned pumpkin in this recipe, not canned pumpkin pie filling.
🍽 Equipment
Here’s what you need to make soup in the air fryer:
- Oven-safe ramekins (2-cup size)
- Foil
- Food processor
- Air fryer
For the optional (but highly recommended) pumpkin swirl, you need:
- Whisk
- Food-safe baggie (sandwich-sized)
- Toothpicks
I use a large 10-Quart Kalorik Digital Air Fryer Oven but I could only fit two ramekins in it at a time. If your Ninja Foodi, Philips, Nuwave, Instant Pot Vortex, Cosori, Breville, etc. is smaller, you may only be able to fit one ramekin at a time. You can cut this recipe in half if you only need 1-2 servings of soup.
The food processor is used to quickly make homemade black bean soup. If you’re air frying canned soup, all you need is the air fryer, foil, and ramekins.
🔪 How to Air Fry Soup
Time to air fry soup! Drain two cans of black beans and put them into a large food processor. Add salsa, cumin, dried oregano, salt, pepper, and vegetable broth.
You can blend it until completely smooth or not. I like to leave my black bean soup a little chunky.
Mist four ramekins with cooking oil spray. Divide your soup evenly between the prepared ramekins.
Cover the ramekins tightly with foil. I like to tuck a bit of the foil’s edges under the ramekins. If the foil covering isn’t secured, it can blow around in the air fryer, and the soup will dry out.
For canned soup, add water if it is condensed. Use cooking spray on the ramekins, fill them with the soup, and cover with foil.
Make sure not to overfill the ramekins. You don’t want soup spilling inside the air fryer.
Preheat the air fryer to 375F (190C) for 5 minutes. Carefully put two ramekins on the lower rack (the one in the middle of the air fryer oven). I needed to cook the soup in two batches.
️⏲️ Cooking Time and Temperature
How long do you cook soup in air fryer? What temperature do you air fry soup? It takes 20 minutes at 375 degrees Fahrenheit to air fry soup.
After the soup is done cooking, give it a stir. The soup around the edges of the ramekins will likely be hotter than soup in the middle.
Be careful when removing the soup from the air fryer and serving- the ramekins are HOT! While the soup cooks, you can make the pumpkin swirl (if you wish).
Whisk together canned pumpkin, heavy cream, cinnamon, ginger, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Put the mixture in a sandwich-size plastic baggie. Snip a small corner of the baggie.
Using the snipped baggie as a cake piping set, pipe a swirl of pumpkin on top of each ramekin of soup.
To get the spider web effect, drag a toothpick across the pumpkin swirl four times. (Wasn’t that easy?)
I had a little extra pumpkin leftover but I wanted to give you enough to decorate as you please. If you don’t like the web idea, why not pipe a pumpkin shape or something else?
Leftover soup lasts 3-4 days in the refrigerator in a covered container. You can also freeze this soup, but the shape of the topping will get distorted with reheating.
👪 What to Serve with Soup
What goes with soup? Salad, crackers, and sandwiches are classic accompaniments to a main dish of soup. Here are some other side dish ideas for soup:
💭 Expert Tips from a Dietitian
This is a level 1 recipe (may help support fat loss). Many soups are an excellent choice for weight loss, and this air fryer soup is no exception. You’re getting the trifecta of food components that support a healthy weight: fluid volume, protein, and fiber.
The beans are rich in fiber and provide some protein, while the salsa and veggie broth add fluid volume. You can eat a fairly large, filling amount of this soup for under 300 calories. If you’re trying to maintain a calorie deficit for weight loss, consider making broth-based soups a regular player in your diet.
Notice that I said broth-based soups. Certain soups, particularly those that are cream or cheese-based, may be high in calories. Cream has 50 calories per tablespoon, so when you throw a cup in a recipe, the calories add up fast.
That said, getting some fat in the diet isn’t bad. So instead of making the soup cream-based, I added a little creamy swirl on top. You still get a bit of that rich flavor from the cream, while keeping the overall dish light.
Canned soups can be a good option when you don’t want to cook. The main disadvantage of many canned soups is that they can be extremely high in sodium. If you’re looking to cut back on sodium, look for soups that are light in sodium or with no added salt.
FAQs
As shown in this recipe, yes, you can put liquid in an air fryer. Make sure the liquid is contained in an oven-safe dish. If you don’t want the liquid to evaporate, cover the container it is in tightly with foil.
Yes, as demonstrated, you can heat soup in an air fryer! Put the soup in an oven-safe ramekin, cover it tightly with foil, and air fry at 375F (190C) until heated through.
Can anything be cooked in an air fryer? Technically, there is a way to make almost anything in an air fryer. However, sometimes air frying isn’t the best cooking technique for a recipe. For instance, there are better ways than air frying to slowly braise a pot roast.
👩🏻🍳 Other Soup Recipes
Want more recipes for soup? Check these out next:
Also, don’t miss this collection of Air Fryer Recipes.
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The Disclaimer…
All recipes on this website may or may not be appropriate for you, depending on your medical needs and personal preferences. Consult with a registered dietitian or your physician if you need help determining the dietary pattern that may be best for you.
The nutrition information is an estimate provided as a courtesy. It will differ depending on the specific brands and ingredients that you use. Calorie information on food labels may be wildly inaccurate, so please don't sweat the numbers too much.
For more information on how the three recipe levels may help with a weight management goal, refer to my overnight oats no sugar post. Let's get cooking!
📖 Recipe
Soup in Air Fryer
Ingredients
For the soup:
- 2 cans black beans, drained (15 ounces/425 grams per can; choose low-sodium or no salt added)
- 16 ounces salsa (454 grams)
- ¾ cup vegetable broth (low-sodium or homemade veggie broth)
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon salt (optional)
- cooking oil spray (non-aerosol)
For the soup topping:
- ½ cup pumpkin (from a can)
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon dried ginger
- ⅛ teaspoon onion powder
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Instructions
To make soup in air fryer:
- Drain two cans of black beans and put them into a large food processor. Add the salsa, cumin, dried oregano, salt, pepper, and vegetable broth. Blend until smooth, or leave it a little chunky.
- Mist four ramekins with cooking oil spray. Divide the soup evenly between the prepared ramekins.
- Cover the ramekins tightly with foil. I like to tuck a bit of the foil’s edges under the ramekins.
- Preheat the air fryer to 375°F (190°C) for 5 minutes. Now carefully put two ramekins on the lower rack (the one in the middle of the air fryer oven). You may need to cook the soup in two batches.
- Air fry the soup for 20 minutes at 375°F (190°C). After the soup is done cooking, give it a stir. The soup around the edges of the ramekins will likely be hotter than soup in the middle.
- Be careful when removing the soup from the air fryer and serving- the ramekins are HOT! You can make the soup topping while the soup air fries.
- For canned soup: Add water if it is condensed soup. Use cooking spray on the ramekins, fill them with the soup (don't overfill!), and cover with foil. Air fry as described above, checking on the soup after 10 minutes, and every 5 minutes after that, until cooked.
To make the soup topping:
- Whisk together canned pumpkin, heavy cream, cinnamon, ginger, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Put the mixture in a sandwich-size plastic baggie. Snip a small corner of the baggie.
- Pipe a swirl of pumpkin on top of each ramekin of soup. To get the spider web effect, drag a toothpick across the pumpkin swirl four times. Enjoy!
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