Bust out your instant pot and make this easy vegan black bean soup! It’s a filling soup that the whole family will love and an excellent Instant Pot recipe for beginners. Get ready for a quick warm bowl of creamy black bean soup!
It may be springtime but that doesn’t mean the cold evenings are officially past us… at least for some of us! I find myself cuddled up to a nice warm bowl of soup throughout fall, winter, AND spring. Especially when we’re hit with all those April showers.
This instant pot black bean soup is perfect for when the days are cold and rainy. It can be made within minutes and is so filling. The mix of spices offers a subtle Mexican flavor and a hint of lime juice gives this soup a zing.
I like that this soup is filled with protein, so you won’t be scavenging in the pantry an hour later looking for something to eat because your hunger wasn’t completely satisfied. (Just me?)
This recipe is also way healthier than canned soup since it’s not loaded with sodium and unnecessary ingredients. It’s all veggies from here on folks!
If you’re any bit intimidated by or never used an instant pot before then this soup recipe is a great way to ease yourself into it using the basic functions.
How to make black bean soup in the instant pot
(Full ingredient list and instructions can be found below)
This soup is not difficult to make. It’s one of those instant pot recipes that’s great for complete beginners. Having your ingredients premeasured and set out on the counter will make the process simple to follow.
Step 1: Saute
To start, add the chopped onion and avocado oil to the instant pot and saute for 2-3 minutes or until they appear to be caramelized. You can use any type of oil you prefer, but I use avocado oil since it is tasteless.
Once the onions have browned slightly, add in the minced garlic, diced celery, chopped red bell pepper, cumin, and chili powder and continuously stir for 1 more minute.
Next, we need to add the liquid. Now if you’re new to using the Instant Pot, it’s very important that you add liquid whenever you shut the lid and pressure cook something. If you don’t do this your IP could burst and your food will be scorched.
Add the dry black beans and tomato paste. Since we are pressure cooking the dry beans, there is no need to soak them overnight. Just make sure to rinse them to ensure there are no rocks or dirt, which is typical in packaged dry beans.
Now it’s time to let the soup cook in the instant pot. This takes about 35 minutes of pressure cooking time and another 30 minutes of automatic natural releasing time. You will know when all the pressure has been released when the floating valve has fully dropped. Letting your instant pot naturally release is important because the beans will continue to cook as the pressure drops. So leave the IP alone and do not manually vent!
Once the pot has finished the natural release, you’re ready to puree the soup. I like my soup to be creamy with a few beans scattered throughout, so I used a slotted spoon to remove about 1 cup of beans and set that aside. Then I used an immersion blender to blend until the soup was smooth, and added the reserved beans back into the instant pot.
You can also achieve the semi-creamy texture by transferring half of the soup to a blender and blending until smooth. Just make sure your soup isn’t too hot!
Finish off the soup with some lime juice and your toppings of choice! My favorites are crushed tortilla chips, shredded cheese, sliced red bell peppers, and spinach.
Tips for this recipe:
- You can make this recipe on the stovetop by using canned beans and letting the soup simmer for 25 minutes instead of pressure cooking.
- To make the soup oil-free, saute onions in a tablespoon of vegetable broth.
- If you don’t have vegetable broth, you can substitute for an equal amount of water.
- Use an immersion blender or stand-alone blender to achieve a smooth texture.
- This soup can be stored in the freezer. Transfer into a freezer-friendly container and let it thaw in the refrigerator 24 hours before reheating and serving.
More Vegan Soup Recipes:
Instant Pot Vegan Black Bean Soup
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp Avocado Oil (Or olive oil)
- 1 lb Dry Black Beans (rinsed)
- 4 Cups Vegetable Broth
- 2 Cups Water
- 1 Red Bell Pepper (Chopped)
- 1 White Onion (Chopped)
- 3 Garlic Cloves
- 2 Celery Stalks (Chopped)
- 2 Tbsp Tomato Paste
- 1 Tsp Cumin
- 1/2 Tsp Chili Powder
- 1/2 Lime (Squeezed)
Toppings (Optional)
- Crushed Tortilla Chips
- Vegan Cheese
- Spinach
- Sliced Red Bell Pepper
Instructions
- Turn Instant Pot to saute and add the oil and onion. Saute for 2-3 minutes or until onions are caramelized in color. Add the minced garlic cloves, celery, red bell pepper, cumin, and chili powder. Continuously stir for 1 minute.
- Pour in the vegetable broth and water. Mix in the dry beans and a pinch of salt. Press "cancel" button to stop the saute feature. Close the lid and make sure the valve is on "sealing". Choose the "manual" button and set cook time for 35 minutes.
- Once the timer has gone off and cook time has finished, allow the Instant Pot to naturally release pressure for an extra 30 minutes or until the pressure valve has completely dropped. Remove the lid and stir.
- Use a slotted spoon to remove a cup of black beans and set aside. Add tomato paste and lime juice to the pot and blend using an immersion blender or let cool and transfer to a stand-alone blender. Add in the reserved black beans and season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Serve with toppings of your choice!
Notes
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