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This easy Vegan Black Bean Soup is a delicious plant-based Instant Pot meal that is perfect for feeding a crowd on a budget. Pantry friendly Jump to Recipe
It seems to be an accepted truth that there are two types of people in this world: People who love soup, and people who just don’t.
This Vegan Black Beans Soup is what I would tag as a really good soup that can change opinions! Smoky-spicy-garlicky and so creamy and comforting that you will go for seconds, maybe thirds. Also very pantry friendly and freezer friendly.
Another thing that I really love about this vegan black bean soup: It’s really cheap to make. Mostly beans and canned tomatoes. The perfect recipe for feeding a big crowd on a budget.
We are using dried beans for this recipe, and in a perfect world, you would, of course, remember to soak them overnight. In reality, we sometimes don’t plan ahead that far so it’s a good thing we can cheat by soaking them in really hot water for half an hour. The power of your Instant Pot will take care of the rest. This is a highly forgiving recipe. We all need more of those.
Maybe the greatest advantage of making a soup using dried soaked black beans is that, as they cook, they not only flavor the liquid but also thicken it to a rich and savory broth that’s a million times tastier than anything canned beans can do for you.
Ingredients needed for Vegan Black Bean Soup:
- Black beans, ideally soaked overnight or at least 1/2 hour in hot water.
- Onions and garlic form the base of this soup.
- Seasonings: We are doctoring it up with some cumin, pepper, smoked paprika, chili powder, dried oregano and bay leaves. Beans can handle a LOT of seasoning, so don’t hold back and add more if you feel it’s lacking.
- Tomatoes – I use canned tomatoes but fresh will work too.
- A squeeze of lime juice right in the end brightens the whole flavor profile.
- Broth – Use 2.5 cups for a thick and creamy soup but you could easily add 1/2 more if you want it a bit thinner and soupier. You can use low sodium broth or even a mix of water and broth depending on the salt level you prefer.
Recipe tips and substitutions:
- When it comes to black bean soup, there is nothing better than an epic shower of toppings that you can pick and choose from. Chopped herbs like cilantro, creamy chunks of avocado, pepper flakes, scallions, a dollop of vegan cashew cream/ vegan sour cream. Maybe something crunchy like crispy fried onions, tortilla chips!
- You could use water instead of broth
- Make sure not to brown the garlic too much or it will turn bitter.
- Once adding the spices, don’t wait too long before adding the tomatoes. You don’t want to burn them – especially paprika gets really bitter when it gets too much heat.
- Season to taste and don’t hold back on adding more spices and salt. Nobody likes a bland soup. Most times, when you think your soup is lacking something, the solution might be as simple as adding a big pinch of salt.
How to make Vegan Black Bean Soup in your Instant Pot:
Prep: Soak the black beans if you haven’t already while you prep ingredients and start cooking.
More delicious vegan soup recipes:
- Curried Butternut squash soup
- Chickpea rice soup – no chikin no noodle soup
- Red lentil chili
- Easy Lentil Soup
- Wild Rice Mushroom Soup
- More Soups
Vegan Black Bean Soup
Equipment
- Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 1 cup black beans, soaked overnight or at least 1/2 hour in hot water
- 1 tsp oil , or 2 tbsp broth
- 1/2 large onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 3/4 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp oregano
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp chili powder blend or 1/2 tsp chipotle pepper or both
- 3/4 to 1 tsp salt
- 15 oz can diced tomato
- 2.5 cups water/broth mixture ,, 3 cups for soupy
- Lime juice
- cilantro, avocado, pepper flakes for garnish
Instructions
- Soak the black beans if you haven't already while you prep ingredients and start cooking.
- Start the IP on saute. Add oil, onion, garlic, and a pinch of salt and cook until translucent. Deglaze with broth if needed. Add the spices and salt and mix in.
- Add tomato and mix in and cook for a minute.
- Add the drained beans and water/broth and mix really well to pick up any stuck bits.
- Close the lid. Pressure cook for 35 mins. (40 mins if you didn't soak the beans overnight)
- Pressure cook for another 10 mins if the beans are not done to preference.
- Add lime juice, taste and adjust salt and flavor. Blend 2 cups of the soup and mix it in. Bring to a boil and serve.
- Store: Refrigerate up-to 4 days
Video
Notes
- When it comes to black bean soup, there is nothing better than an epic shower of toppings that you can pick and choose from. Chopped herbs like cilantro, creamy chunks of avocado, pepper flakes, scallions, a dollop of vegan cashew cream/ vegan sour cream. Maybe something crunchy like crispy fried onions.
- Once adding the spices, don't wait too long before adding the tomatoes. You don't want to burn them - especially paprika gets really bitter when it gets too much heat.
- Season to taste and don't hold back on adding more spices and salt. Many times the bland flavor is just missing some salt. Boiling hot soup also doesn’t let the spices come through, so let it sit for a few minutes, then taste and adjust.
- To make Oil-free:Use broth to saute
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
It came out so well! Thank you for the easy recipe. Instead of using canned tomatoes, I used fresh ones. And used peri peri spice.
Yay!! I’m so glad you liked it.
Thank you for this great recipe. I made it a few weeks ago and it was fantastic. Today I made it again, but it tasted overly sour which was probably due to the different kindof diced tomatoes that I used.
I decided to try something to give it a more of a hearty flavor. I used fresh corn tortillas which I put into a blender with some of the soup and puréed it. It really seemed to add depth and counteracted the sour/empty flavor.
Sounds delicious!!
I have made this 2x’s, it is so delicious, I love blackbean soup and the flavours in this are superb, It definitely has a kick. I doubled the recipe and added red pepper and carrot. I did not dbl the tomato, just used one large can. I like it all blended served with avacado. You will not be disappointed. My husband loves it!
So good to hear!
My wife and daughter are vegetarians and I am adding more plant-based foods to my diet so this soup has quickly become a family favorite. We love it with a crusty loaf of bread. Although I prefer using the Instant Pot, I have made this in a crock pot when the In. It took the better part of a day so I suggest soaking the beans overnight when using a crockpot.
Thanks for the tip Mike!