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Instant Pot Black Bean Soup is full of amazing flavor! Poblano chiles, garlic, carrots, and much more make a wonderful black bean soup. You can use dry black beans or canned black beans in this delicious pressure cooker Black Bean Soup.
Originally Published on 10/17/17
Pressure Cooker Black Bean Soup
I really like cooking dry beans in the Instant Pot®. It takes much less time to cook them in the IP than it does on the stove top. The IP infuses lots of flavor into the beans.
Let’s talk about beans made into soup! Especially soup made in the Instant Pot. And even better, made from dry beans.
Do I need to Soak The Beans?
No you don’t. Unsoaked Black Beans can be cooked to tender in under an hour. Soaked black beans will take about 20 minutes, and need less liquid than unsoaked beans.
Can I Use Canned Black Beans?
Yes. You will need to decrease the liquid and reduce the cook time to about 6 minutes. Be sure to rinse the beans first.
How Can I Thicken Instant Pot Black Bean Soup?
After cooking, use a potato masher to mash up some of the beans. This will thicken the soup a little.
This recipe makes enough to feed the family, and it also freezes very well.
How to Reheat This Soup
I use my Instant Pot to heat up frozen leftovers, too. I just put the rack/trivet in the pot and put in a cup of water. Then I put the frozen soup in a stainless steel 1 1/2 quart bowl, and set it on the trivet.
Then I set the IP to Steam for 5 minutes. Sometimes it needs another minute or two, but it works well.
Many people don’t have room for a microwave, or choose not to own one, so getting as many uses as you can from your Instant Pot® is getting the most value from this awesome appliance!
I hope you enjoy this yummy pressure cooker Black Bean Soup!
Instant Pot Red Beans and Rice with Sausage
Instant Pot White Chicken Chili
Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana (Sausage Potato Soup)
Instant Pot Pasta E Fagioli (pasta and bean soup)
If you make this delicious pressure cooker black bean soup, please leave a comment with a star rating below. I would like to know how you liked it!
Instant Pot Black Bean Soup
Equipment
- 6 qt Electric Pressure Cooker
Ingredients
- ½ lb Bacon, chopped - Omit for vegetarian
- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 large White Onion, diced
- 1 cup Celery, diced
- 2 large Carrots, diced
- 2 Poblano Chile Peppers (they are mild) 1 inch dice (or 1 - 7 oz can of diced green chiles)
- 6 Garlic Cloves (pressed or finely minced)
- 1 (15 oz) can Diced Tomatoes, with juice
- 2 Bay Leaves
- 1 Tablespoon Cumin
- 2 teaspoon Mexican Oregano (or regular)
- ½ teaspoon Thyme, dried
- ½ teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes (¼ tsp for less spicy)
- 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt (or ½ tsp table salt)
- ¼ teaspoon Pepper
- 6 cups Chicken or Vegetable Broth, low sodium
- 1 ½ cups Dry Black Beans** rinsed (or canned 3 - 15 oz cans)
- 1 Tablespoon Fresh Lime Juice
Garnish (Any or all of these)
- Fresh Cilantro
- Sour Cream
- Avocado
- Hot Sauce
- Cooked Rice (pour soup over rice)
- Corn Tortillas
Instructions
- Turn on pot to Sauté setting and cook the bacon until done, but not crisp.
- Add the olive oil and the onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened.
- Add celery, carrots, chile peppers, and garlic. Stir, cooking for a minute.
- Add the diced tomatoes, bay leaves, cumin, oregano, thyme, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper. Stir.
- Add broth, black beans. Stir, then put the lid on the Instant Pot. Set the steam release knob to the Sealing position.
- Cancel the Sauté mode.
- Press the pressure Cook/Manual button (or Pressure Cook) and then the +/- button to select 40 minutes* High Pressure.
**If you use canned beans, rinse them first, and reduce the cook time to 6 minutes, with a 15 minute natural release. - When the cook cycle has ended, let the pot naturally release the steam for 20 minutes. Then manually release the remaining steam. Open the lid after the pin in the lid drops.
- Stir the soup, and test the beans for doneness (sometimes old beans need a few minutes longer, in which case just put the lid back on and set for 10 minutes more, and 15 natural release. I have never had to do this, but just in case).
- Taste and adjust salt if needed. The bacon adds a bit of salt, plus the 1/2 tsp you put in, but you might like more.
- Stir in the lime juice.
- Garnish as desired and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Best black bean soup I’ve had. So easy with Instant Pot. Used dried black beans which had been in my cupboard about 1 year. Substituted 7 oz can of diced green chiles for the poblano. Only 3 oz of bacon vs. 8 oz.
Slightly too salty for our taste. Next time will cut back on the 1 tsp of salt to either 1/2 tsp or none at all. Broth was “reduced sodium”.
Beans slightly too firm. Next time will pressure cook an additional 5 – 10 minutes (45 – 50 vs. 40).
Thank you for the recipe. Very tasty and we will make it again.
The text at the top says if using canned to reduce it to 9 minutes but the recipe portion says 6. Have you tested either of those times or just the dry method? Maybe it would depend on how done you have the bacon since you are essentially just heating up the beans?
I am also assuming if you go the canned route that the salt is probably not really needed.
Thank you, Donnie. That was a typo. 6 minutes is correct. Rinsing the beans helps with the sodium, and using low sodium broth. You can reduce the salt and add some at the end if you are concerned about the amount.
Delicious and easy. after the pressure was released, I added diced yams and simmered about 20 minutes.
Hi, is this recipe for a 6 or a 3 quart pot? I have a 3 quart so do I need to halve the ingredients?
This is for a 6 qt.
I prefer to use dry beans. Do you soak them first?
I use dry, unsoaked beans.
This soup is wonderful! Thank you for sharing.
You’re welcome, Myra! I’m glad you enjoyed it. Thank you for your review!
I am going to try this. I have plenty of canned black beans, turkey bacon, brown rice, and onions lurking about. I will have lunch for the week! I also just purchased three single serve crockpots so I can heat it up at work. Yum
Hi Kathy! Boy, I wish I’d had those little crock pots when I worked in an office! They are pretty handy! I hope you enjoy the soup!
Thanks for a perfect recipe. Made this for lunch today and served over a little rice, love that it’s loaded with bacon and veggies. I’m enjoying your site (especially the 3 qt Mini IP series). I have a 6 qt and a 3 qt. It’s an obsession… lol
Hi Susan! Oh yeah, I totally understand the obsession! And the IP has made cooking fun again for so many people! I’m really happy that you enjoyed the Black Bean Soup. It;s definitely a favorite of ours, too! I’ll be creating more 3 quart recipes in the coming months, so stay tuned! 🙂
I can not wait to try this! Looks perfect for a cold day. I tried your pasta e fagioli a few days ago and it was the best I’ve ever had. I’m gonna eat my way through your whole list of pressure cooker recipes!
Haha! Thank you, Jaxx! I hope you like it!