Transform dried black beans into this flavourful vegan soup! Using the Instant Pot makes it a breeze to cook dried black beans from scratch (no need to soak them!). Made with vegetables like carrots, bell pepper and corn, this soup is a satisfying, nutritious meal.
Prep Time10 minutesmins
Cook Time50 minutesmins
Inactive time35 minutesmins
Total Time1 hourhr35 minutesmins
Course: Soup
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Instant Pot Black Bean Soup, Vegan Black Bean Soup
Turn on the Sauté function on the Instant Pot. Heat the olive oil, then sauté the diced red onion until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the minced garlic and continue to sauté, stirring continuously, until fragrant. Turn off the Sauté function. If you notice any food stuck to the bottom of the insert, add a small amount of the broth and deglaze the bottom of the insert (use a spatula to scrape up any bits of food stuck to the bottom).
Add the remaining broth, carrots, bell pepper, dried black beans, cumin, smoked paprika, chili powder, fire-roasted tomatoes, and water. Don't stir, but make sure the beans are evenly submerged in the liquid. Put the lid on the Instant Pot, set the vent to sealing and pressure cook on Manual High pressure for 45 minutes (see note 4 for a time-saving tip). It will take up to 20 minutes to come to pressure.
At the end of cooking time, allow for a Natural Pressure Release (NPR). This will take about 20 minutes. Once the pressure is released, open the lid, give the soup a stir and scoop out about two cups of the beans and vegetables into a bowl and set aside. Then, use an immersion blender to blend the remaining soup. Alternatively, you can carefully transfer the soup in batches to a regular high-speed blender (don't fill it more than halfway), then return the blended soup to the insert.
After the soup is blended, return the reserved beans and vegetables to the pot and add the corn to warm up. Stir until well combined and season with salt and freshly squeezed lime juice, to taste. Serve immediately with garnishes like avocado, sour cream, additional diced bell pepper, sliced jalapeño, lime wedges or grated cheese. Store any leftovers in a sealed container in the refrigerator and eat within 4 days.
Notes
This recipe makes 4 very large bowls or up to 6 as a side/lighter meal.
Inactive time indicates the time it takes for the Instant Pot to come to pressure and release pressure.
This recipe was tested in a 6-quart Instant Pot model.
If you're planning to blend all the soup, you can reduce the cooking time to 30 minutes. The extra 15 minutes gives the beans that won't be blended a more pleasing texture.
To make this on the stovetop with canned beans, use four 15-oz cans of black beans (drained and rinsed). After sautéing the onion and garlic, add the carrots and bell pepper and sauté until softened (10-15 minutes), then add the broth, cooked beans, spices and canned tomatoes and water. Bring to a boil over medium/high heat, then turn the heat down and to maintain a simmer for up to 30 minutes, or until the beans are very soft. Follow the same instructions as above for blending and seasoning.