Black bean soup is a delicious and nutritious soup made from black beans, vegetables, and spices. It is a popular soup in many Latin American and Caribbean cuisines. Black beans are known to be a good source of plant-based protein, fiber, and various vitamins and minerals. However, some people may wonder whether black bean soup contains cholesterol, especially if chicken or other meat products are added.
What is cholesterol?
Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance found in all cells of the body. Your body needs cholesterol to build healthy cells, but high levels of cholesterol can increase your risk of heart disease. Cholesterol comes from two sources:
– Your liver produces all of the cholesterol your body needs to function normally. This is called endogenous cholesterol.
– You also get cholesterol from animal-based foods you eat. This includes meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, and dairy products like milk, cheese, and butter. This is called exogenous cholesterol.
Your body doesn’t need to consume cholesterol since it produces enough on its own. Foods from animals contain dietary cholesterol, while plant-based foods contain no dietary cholesterol.
Do beans have cholesterol?
Beans, including black beans, are plant-based foods that do not contain any cholesterol. Beans get their protein and nutrients from plants instead of animal sources.
Black beans provide protein, fiber, complex carbohydrates, folate, and other essential vitamins and minerals like iron, phosphorus, magnesium and zinc. They are naturally cholesterol-free and low in saturated fat.
Beans have even been shown in studies to help lower LDL “bad” cholesterol levels when consumed regularly as part of an overall healthy diet. Their soluble fiber helps bind to cholesterol in your digestive tract before your body can absorb it.
So black beans themselves do not add any cholesterol to your diet. Enjoying black beans and other beans can be a heart-healthy way to get protein without worrying about cholesterol.
Ingredients in black bean soup
Basic black bean soup contains a few core ingredients:
– Black beans – The star ingredient that provides protein, fiber, and nutrients without cholesterol. Canned or dried beans can both be used.
– Aromatic vegetables – Onions, carrots, celery, and bell peppers are often used to provide flavor.
– Spices and herbs – Cumin, garlic, chili powder, oregano, coriander add flavor.
– Broth or stock – Vegetable or chicken broth provides moisture and savory flavor.
– Oil or lard – A small amount of olive oil, avocado oil or lard is used for cooking the aromatics.
– Garnishes – Cilantro, lime juice, avocado, queso fresco, sour cream may garnish the soup.
None of the core ingredients apart from animal-based broth or lard contain cholesterol on their own. So traditional homemade black bean soup without these additions is cholesterol-free.
Does using chicken broth add cholesterol?
Chicken broth contains some cholesterol, since it is made from chicken. Commercial chicken broth products typically contain 10-20mg cholesterol per one cup serving.
Homemade chicken broth may be even higher in cholesterol if it contains chicken fat. Using chicken broth instead of vegetable broth does add a small amount of cholesterol to black bean soup.
However, one cup of chicken broth has much less cholesterol than other animal products like beef, eggs, cheese or shrimp. So while it’s not fully cholesterol-free, black bean soup made with chicken broth is still relatively low in cholesterol compared to many other foods.
Do other common additions affect cholesterol?
Small amounts of high-cholesterol ingredients like cheese, sour cream, bacon, or other meat toppings will also add cholesterol to black bean soup recipes. Here is the cholesterol content of some common black bean soup additions:
– Shredded Cheddar Cheese – 30mg cholesterol per 1/4 cup
– Sour Cream – 20mg cholesterol per 2 Tablespoons
– Cooked Bacon – 30mg cholesterol per 3 strips
– Cooked Chicken – 70mg cholesterol per 3 ounces
Adding a sprinkle of cheese or dollop of sour cream won’t significantly affect the cholesterol content. But larger amounts of these ingredients or bacon, chicken, or other meats can start to make the soup higher in dietary cholesterol.
Focusing on plant-based garnishes like avocado, cilantro, lime juice or tortilla strips can allow you to avoid adding cholesterol while still getting delicious flavor. Using oil instead of lard for cooking the aromatics can also help keep the cholesterol low.
How else does preparing black bean soup affect cholesterol?
– Canned vs dried beans – Canned black beans are already cooked and soft, while dried beans need to be boiled until tender. Both provide the same nutrients and no cholesterol.
– Cooking oil – Using plant oils like olive oil or avocado oil instead of lard to cook aromatics helps avoid cholesterol.
– Salt and seasonings – Herbs, spices, garlic, onion, salt, and chili powder add lots of flavor without cholesterol.
– Thickening – Mashing some of the beans, or adding a slurry of cornstarch and water can thicken without adding cholesterol.
Overall, the preparation method doesn’t significantly change the cholesterol content. Focus on plant-based ingredients to keep black bean soup cholesterol-free and heart healthy.
Nutrition facts: Black bean soup cholesterol
Here are the nutrition facts for a typical recipe for 1 cup of homemade black bean soup, made with chicken broth:
| Nutrient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Calories | 230 |
| Fat | 5g |
| Saturated Fat | 1g |
| Trans Fat | 0g |
| Cholesterol | 15mg |
| Sodium | 580mg |
| Carbohydrates | 33g |
| Fiber | 12g |
| Sugar | 3g |
| Protein | 14g |
The cholesterol content comes primarily from the chicken broth, providing 15mg per serving. This is 5% of the Daily Value for cholesterol, so black bean soup can easily fit into a heart-healthy diet.
Ways to reduce cholesterol in black bean soup
If you want to further lower the cholesterol content, here are some simple tips:
– Use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.
– Skip additions like cheese, sour cream, bacon or other meat toppings.
– Use olive oil or avocado oil instead of lard for cooking aromatics.
– Garnish with fresh herbs, vegetables, avocado, tortilla strips instead of cheese or sour cream.
– If using canned beans, rinse them to remove some saturated fat from the canning liquid.
– Avoid using fatty cuts of meat if adding chicken or pork. Stick to lean options like chicken breast.
With plant-based ingredients and preparations, it’s easy to make delicious black bean soup with zero or minimal cholesterol.
Benefits of black bean soup
Enjoying black bean soup offers many benefits:
– Provides protein – The beans offer plant-based protein without cholesterol concerns.
– High in fiber – Black bean soup is very high in fiber, which aids digestion and heart health.
– Nutrient-rich – Provides folate, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, and B vitamins.
– May help lower cholesterol – Eating black beans regularly can reduce LDL cholesterol levels.
– Heart healthy – The high fiber, folic acid, potassium and low saturated fat support cardiovascular health.
– Filling – Protein and fiber make black bean soup satisfying.
– Versatile – Top or serve black bean soup with various garnishes.
– Budget-friendly – Dried beans are an affordable pantry staple.
– Plant-based – Suitable for vegan and vegetarian diets when made with vegetable broth.
Conclusion
Traditional homemade black bean soup prepared with plant-based ingredients contains zero cholesterol, since beans have none. Small amounts of chicken broth add minimal cholesterol, while larger amounts of ingredients like cheese, sour cream or meat toppings increase the cholesterol more significantly.
Focusing on vegan ingredients allows you to avoid cholesterol completely. But even made with some animal products like chicken broth, black bean soup remains relatively low in cholesterol compared to many other foods. The fiber and nutrients in black beans provide cardiovascular benefits that make this soup an excellent heart-healthy choice.
Enjoy black bean soup for its great taste and nutrition. With plant-based preparation methods, you can savor this delicious soup without worrying about cholesterol.