We love a recipe that can pull off low-and-slow flavor in a fraction of the time, and Instant Pot Black Bean Soup delivers. Skip the soak and get right to the business of ladling up this rich and creamy plant-powered soup.
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Three cheers for beans. Specifically dried beans. Honestly, they may be the super-est of the super foods. Loaded with plant-based protein, fiber, and iron, black beans are a super cheap and endlessly versatile pantry staple.
Container Store acolytes with sickeningly pretty pantries know beans look gorgeous in clear glass jars. Preppers with underground bunkers know dried beans will outlast any zombie apocalypse. Busy moms know exactly which dried beans to use for your 6th graders topographic map. And 6th graders who procrastinated on their topographic maps know beans, beans are good for your heart…
Salty broads with food blogs know that you can make absolute magic happen with beans. I probably eat more black bean recipes than the average person, because I add them to everything from taco soup to quinoa salads, but they don’t always take a starring role.
Instant Pot black bean soup, on the other hand, is extremely bean forward. It’s got some of the chunk of a vegetable soup, the smoothness of a squash soup, and the nutrient-dense satisfaction of plant-based protein. And lots of topping options keep this recipe interesting, and, re-invent-able.
Why Use the Instant Pot?
I’m a big, big fan of my Instant Pot. But I’m also someone that recognizes not all Instant Pot recipes are created equal. Rice in the Instant Pot is perfect and made me a true pressure cooking convert. Instant Pot Carnitas are shockingly delicious in a fraction of the time. But there are recipes that just don’t work under pressure – pasta is a no every time, and no one can convince me that a burger prepared in an Instant Pot would be edible.
I have two hard-and-fast rules when I’m considering a recipe for the Instant Pot:
- It has to make a recipe quicker and/or easier
- Pressure cooking cannot sacrifice the taste or texture; it doesn’t have to yield better results than any other cooking method, but it must be tasty in its own right.
Soup recipes are a category where this cooking method shines, from bone broth to lentil soup. So it’s no surprise that Instant Pot Black Bean Soup checks every box. You don’t need to soak the beans first, you don’t need to tend to them for hours over a hot stove, and the end result is a soup with rich, full-bodied flavor and a thick, silky texture.
Ingredients
You’ll need the following ingredients to make black bean soup in the Instant Pot. Find ingredient notes and substitutions below the photo.
- Dried black beans: there’s no need to soak your beans before pressure cooking, but do pick through them and remove any small stones or broken beans. Rinse the beans well under cold water to remove dirt or grime. Dried beans can go bad if stored improperly, but worst case is they’ll take longer to cook. However, if you suspect your beans are quite old and they look discolored or shriveled, it’s best to buy fresh beans.
- Olive oil: soften the vegetables in a bit of olive oil before pressure cooking.
- Aromatics: every great soup recipe starts with a base of aromatic vegetables and alliums to boost the overall flavor. Here we use onions and leeks, celery, red bell pepper, jalapeños, and garlic. This first layer of flavor is cooked over low-ish heat until the vegetables soften, but not brown. Since they don’t brown, their truest flavors will shine through without becoming overly caramelized and sweet.
- Canned tomatoes: choose fire roasted tomatoes if you can find them; they have a deeper, more robust flavor. Diced canned tomatoes will yield the best texture; if you need to use whole, crush them with your hands before adding to the pot.
- Vegetable broth and water: this recipe calls for 5 cups of liquids; broth is often sold in 4-cup packages, so we amend it with 1 cup of water. Feel free to use all broth, but do pick a low-sodium variety so that you can control the salt content.
- Dried herbs and spices: we season our black bean soup with bay leaves, cumin, paprika, oregano, ground pepper, and kosher salt. If you’re sensitive to salt, use half the amount listed in the recipe card, or simply add the salt after the soup has cooked.
- Fresh cilantro: there really isn’t a terrific substitute for fresh cilantro, so if it’s not your thing, skip it entirely. We fold in a big handful of finely chopped cilantro just before serving for a bright, earthy finish.
- Fresh lime juice: most soups will benefit from a hit of acid and freshly squeezed lime juice or lime wedges are perfect for black bean soup.
Essential Notes and Tips
- To salt or not to salt? The myth that salt will make beans tougher has been largely debunked, but it’s still the number one question on many minds when cooking dried beans from scratch! We typically have not encountered tougher beans or more burst beans when adding salt to the cooking water. If you strongly believe that salt will impact the texture of your finished beans, add it after pressure cooking the soup.
- Layer those flavors. The best Instant Pot recipes are built around layered flavors. Here, that means sweating the vegetables first to release their sweeter flavors, and then finishing the soup with fresh cilantro and lime juice for a bright and earthy finish.
- Puree it! For thick and silky texture, partially puree the soup after cooking using an immersion blender. Breaking down the beans will release their starches, which will naturally thicken the soup and improve the texture.
Serving Suggestions
We typically serve black bean soup as a side, and the pairing possibilities are endless. Here are some of our favorite recipes to serve it with:
- A Twist on Rice and Beans: serve with Mexican Green Rice or Mexican Fried Rice.
- Go Classic with Soup and Salad: salads with avocado pair very well with black bean soup, especially if they have an extra hit of citrus or acid. Try our avocado salad, mango salad, or cucumber and tomato salad.
- Make it a Tex-Mex Meal: serve with Mexican street corn salad, grilled chicken tacos, or skirt steak tacos. Black bean soup is a great side for a taco bar since they both call for the same toppings!
Storing and Freezing
Black bean soup is a great recipe for freezing or meal prep; it holds up perfectly in both the fridge and freezer. This recipe makes eight one-cup servings, so have a plan for leftovers or freeze half for a quick meal later – your future self will thank you!
- In the Fridge: store in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- In the Freezer: store in air-tight containers to prevent freezer burn; properly stored, black bean soup will keep in the freezer for 3-6 months. We like to store thicker soups like this one in gallon-sized freezer bags, stored flat. Store individual portions in silicone molds like Souper Cubes.
- Defrosting and Reheating: defrost large portions by placing the freezer bags or cubes in the fridge overnight. Reheat in a pot on the stove over medium heat until the edges start to bubble, or small portions in the microwave in 30-second increments, stirring in between each, until warmed through.
Did you make this Instant Pot Black Bean Soup? We’d love to know how it turned out! Leave a comment and a rating below, or share with your friends and fam!
Instant Pot Black Bean Soup
Print Recipe Rate this Recipe Pin RecipeIngredients
- 1 pound dried black beans, picked over and rinsed
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, diced to ½”
- 1 large leek, halved and thinly sliced
- 2 stalks celery, diced to ½”
- 1 large red bell pepper, diced to ½”
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1-2 jalapeños, minced, see Note 1
- 4 cups low sodium vegetable broth, or chicken broth; see Note 2
- 1 cup water
- 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes, with their juices, see Note 3 and Note 4
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika, see note 5
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground pepper
- 2 whole bay leaves
- ½ cup fresh chopped cilantro
- 1-2 tablespoons lime juice
Toppings
- diced red onion
- diced avocado, or guacamole
- cilantro
- sour cream
- tortilla strips
- crumbled queso fresco
Instructions
- Pick through the beans and discard any stones or broken beans. Place the beans into a fine mesh sieve and rinse under cool running water to remove any dirt or grime.
- Press the “Saute” button to heat the inner pot; if your model allows for temperatures, select “Medium”, then program the Saute function for 10 minutes. Add the oil to the inner pot and heat until it shimmers.
- Add the onion, leek, celery, and bell pepper and toss to coat in the fat. Saute, stirring occasionally, until the onions and leek are soft and translucent, 6-7 minutes. Do not allow the vegetables to brown.
- Add the garlic and jalapeno and saute, stirring constantly, for 1 minute more. Press the “Cancel” button to turn off the Saute mode.
- Add the rinsed black beans, broth, water, diced tomatoes, cumin, paprika, oregano, salt, and pepper. Give everything a good stir, then top with the bay leaves.
- Seal the Instant Pot and ensure the pressure valve is set to sealing. Program to “High Pressure” for 35 minutes, then allow the pressure to release naturally (see Note 6). It will take approximately 20 minutes for the pot to come to pressure and approximately 15 minutes for the pressure to release naturally.
- Open the Instant Pot, ensuring you open the lid away from your body so that the built-up steam wafts away. Use tongs to remove the bay leaves. Using an immersion blender, partially puree the soup for 10-20 seconds to create a silkier texture (see Note 7 and Note 8).
- Stir in the cilantro and and one tablespoon of lime juice, then taste for seasoning. Adjust the salt or lime juice to taste until the flavor is balanced.
- Ladle into bowls and garnish with toppings to taste. Serve right away, and enjoy!
Notes
- Note 1. Jalapeños add terrific flavor to black bean soup, but they don’t have to bring heat! Halve the peppers lengthwise, then scrape out the seeds and discard before mincing (be sure to wash your hands thoroughly when you’re finished, as the spice will “stick”). If you prefer more heat, keep the seeds intact and thinly sliced the jalapeños instead.
- Note 2. We always cook with low sodium broth so that we can control the salt content.
- Note 3. We typically choose fire-roasted tomatoes for recipes with shorter cooking times. Fire roasted tomatos are sweeter, less acidic, and a little bit smoky. If you’re sensitive to acid, fire-roasted tomatoes are great choice.
- Note 4. Diced tomatoes will cook down a bit under pressure and yield the best texture. If you only have whole canned tomatoes, coarsely chop them first, or crush them in your hands. If you only have crushed tomatoes, omit the water; crushed tomatoes are saucier than diced, and it’s easier to add a bit more water or broth if your soup is too thick than to remove liquid if it’s too thin.
- Note 5. Both sweet or smoked paprika for this recipe; smoked paprika will yield smoky, more spice-forward flavor. Smoked paprika can be quite strong, so you may want to start with half the amount.
- Note 6. Do not skip the natural pressure release; after 35 minutes, the beans will be fully cooked, but they only become tender during the natural pressure release stage.
- Note 7. If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can (1) gently the mash the soup with a potato masher, or (2) ladle 2-3 cups of soup into a traditional blender, puree, then return the pureed portion to the Instant Pot and stir until combined.
- Note 8. If the soup is too thick, stir in a few tablespoons of water or broth until it reaches the desired consistency. If the soup is too thin, turn on the Saute function and allow some of the liquids to cook off for 5-10 minutes.
- In the Fridge: store in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- In the Freezer: store in air-tight containers for 3-6 months. Seal larger portions of black bean soup in gallon-sized freezer bags, stored flat. Store individual portions in silicone molds like Souper Cubes or in pint-sized freezer bags.
- Defrosting and Reheating: defrost large portions by placing the freezer bags or cubes in the fridge overnight. Reheat in a pot on the stove over medium heat until the edges start to bubble, or small portions in the microwave in 30-second increments, stirring in between each, until warmed through.
Nutrition Information
Step-By-Step Recipe Photos
- Using the Saute function, cook the onion, leek, celery, and bell pepper in olive oil until the vegetables soften.
- Add the garlic and jalapeno and cook for 1 more minute, just until they’re fragrant. Press the Cancel button to turn off the Saute mode.
- Pick through the beans for quality assurance and discard any broken beans or smalls stones. Place into a fine mesh sieve and rinse well under cool running water.
- Add the beans to the pot, along with the broth, water, diced tomatoes, cumin, paprika, oregano, salt, and pepper. Give everything a good stir, then top with the bay leaves.
- Seal the pot and program to High Pressure for 35 minutes. Allow the pressure to release naturally (it should take about 15 minutes) – this natural pressure release is when the beans will finish cooking and get nice and tender.
- Use an immersion blender to partially puree the soup for a silkier texture. Then stir in the cilantro and lime juice, then taste for seasoning and adjust the salt, pepper, and/or lime juice until the flavor feels balanced Ladle into soup bowls, add your favorite garnishes, and serve right away. Enjoy!
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