Instant Pot Black Bean Soup
This Instant Pot black bean soup comes together so effortlessly that it quickly becomes a go-to recipe. The pressure cooker transforms simple ingredients into a rich, hearty, deeply flavored soup in a fraction of the time it takes in a conventional pot. Once you see how convenient and delicious it is, you may find yourself making every future batch this way.
Soup has always been one of my greatest comforts. I enjoy it in every season, but there’s something especially soothing about the way it warms you from the inside out. It’s the culinary equivalent of wrapping yourself in a soft, cozy blanket — simple, nourishing, and deeply reassuring. This particular soup is one of my personal favorites, the one I reach for whenever I need a little extra care or something that feels like a hug in a bowl.
💭 Helpful tips
- Always wash and pick over dried black beans. Sometimes there can be rocks hiding in there.
- No need to soak the beans.
- Although I urge you to make the recipe with dried black beans for a more robust soup, you could substitute three cans of black beans instead and set the cooking time to 10 minutes.
- To make this recipe vegetarian, either use vegetable broth or water.
- If you’re not vegetarian, you can either use beef or chicken broth.
- Here is how to do a quick release
- Don an oven mitt and carefully turn the knob to the venting position. It will take up to 5 minutes for the pressure to release and the pressure knob to drop. Now it is ready to open the lid of the instant pot.
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🥘 Ingredients and substitutions
- Black beans – dried, organic.
- Onion – I use a Vidalia onion because it is a little sweeter but you can also use a yellow onion.
- Carrots – organic and washed.
- Celery – organic and washed.
- Red bell pepper – organic, medium and washed.
- Diced tomato – canned.
- Chicken broth – organic. I love the Trader Joe’s brand. It’s affordable and delicious. You can also use homemade chicken stock.
- Garlic paste – you can find this in the produce section near the fresh herbs. If you can find it, you can substitute minced garlic cloves.
- Cumin – ground and organic.
- Oregano – ground and organic. You can substitute it with basil if you prefer.
- Chipotle powder – organic. Sprinkle as much as you want. I can only use a little since my hubby can’t take the heat.
- Bay leaf – organic.
- Salt – to flavor the soup.
🔪 How to make instant pot black bean soup
Pre-step
Take out an instant pot or pressure cooker. Wash and pick over the black beans.
Step one
Gather the ingredients – dried black beans, onions, red bell pepper, carrots, celery, diced tomatoes, chicken broth, and garlic paste.
Step two
Chop the onion, pepper, carrots and celery in chunks. Gather the herbs and spices – oregano, cumin, bay leaf and salt. (A)
Step three
Place beans, veggies, chicken broth, diced tomatoes and herbs and spices in the instant pot insert. (B)
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Step four
Seal the instant pot, make sure the venting knob is in the sealed position. Press the soup function button and set the timer for 40 minutes. Make sure the mode is on ‘normal’ and at high pressure.
The pressure cooker will take about 15-20 minutes to come to pressure.
Step five
Either let the instant pot release the pressure naturally which could take up to 25 minutes. Or after 5 – 10 minutes, do a quick release. (See helpful tips on how to do that.)
Transfer the soup into a serving bowl.
Ladle the black bean soup into some crocks.
If you want, dollop some sour cream on top. Or if you want to, sprinkle on fresh cilantro to give it a little kick.
Yum.
Alternate garnishes
- Sour cream
- Cilantro
- Pico de gallo
- Sliced avocado
- Lime – squeeze some lime juice on top and stir
- Mexican cheese
I hope you enjoyed this instant pot black bean soup. It’s so delicious!
Other soup recipes
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Instant Pot Black Bean Soup
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups black beans (dried and washed)
- 1 large onion (chopped)
- 3 large carrots (chopped)
- 1 stalk celery (chopped)
- 1 large red bell pepper (chopped)
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 15 ounces diced tomatoes (small can)
- 1 teaspoon oregano (dried)
- 1 teaspoon cumin (ground)
- 3 tablespoons garlic paste (or 3 cloves, crushed)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/4 teaspoon chipotle powder
Instructions
- Place beans, veggies, diced tomatoes, broth, oregano, cumin, salt, bay leaf, chipotle powder, and garlic paste in the instant pot insert.1.5 cups black beans, 1 large onion, 3 large carrots, 1 stalk celery, 1 large red bell pepper, 4 cups chicken broth, 15 ounces diced tomatoes, 1 teaspoon oregano, 1 teaspoon cumin, 3 tablespoons garlic paste, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 bay leaf
- Seal the instant pot, make sure the venting knob is set to sealed and press the soup function and set the timer to 45 minutes. Make sure the mode is set to normal and the pressure is set to high. The IP will take around 15 minutes to come to pressure.
- When the instant pot beeps that it is done, either let it release the pressure naturally (around 25 minutes) or do a quick release. (See notes for how to do it).
- Transfer the soup to a serving bowl and ladle into crocks.
- Eat, smile, and enjoy.
Equipment
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Helpful tips
- Always rinse and sort dried beans before cooking; every now and then a small stone sneaks into the bag.
- There’s no need to soak the beans for this recipe.
- For the richest flavor, use dried black beans. If you prefer canned, substitute three cans of black beans and reduce the pressure-cook time to 10 minutes.
- To keep the soup vegetarian, use vegetable broth or water.
- If you’re not vegetarian, beef or chicken broth both work beautifully.
- For a quick release: put on an oven mitt and carefully turn the steam knob to Venting. It may take up to 5 minutes for the pressure to drop fully. Once the float valve falls, you can safely open the lid.
Nutrition
Originally published in April of 2020.
We love black bean soup and this recipe is now my go to recipe! The Instant Pot makes it so easy and so delicious!
Thanks so much Pam! I love my instant pot and use it a few times a week.
Loved this recipe! It was super easy and had so much flavor! Will definitely be making again!
Thanks so much Kim. I’m glad you found it easy to make 🙂
I’m so glad I found this recipe! It’s a great way to use up a bunch of pantry staples that I have on hand! Everyone loved it.
Thank you, Jessica!
Elaine what a great recipe thank you so much! Hearty and delicious but not hard to make.
Thanks so much Chandice.
Okay this recipe is amazing and delicious! I love how easy it came together. Thanks so much!
Thanks, Aleta!
I love this black bean soup. I usually eat it as a side with slider or sandwich wraps to dip it in.
Yum. I love dipping sandwiches in soup! Thank you for your comment Sharon!
I love this black bean soup and topped it with sour cream. This was delicious and super easy.
Thank you for your comment, Nicole!