Vegan Richa

Vegan Food Blog with Healthy and Flavorful Vegan Recipes

  • Home
  • Recipes
    • (new) Recipe Filters
    • Popular Recipes
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch / Dinner
    • Dessert
    • Indian
    • Instant Pot
    • Burgers
    • Pizza
    • Recipe Index
  • Videos
    • Instant Pot
    • Dessert
    • Holidays
    • Easy Vegan Meals
    • All Recipe Videos
  • CookBooks
    • Vegan Richa’s Everyday Kitchen (Print & Digital)
    • Vegan Richa’s Indian Kitchen (Print & Digital)
  • Resources
    • How To Start A Food Blog
    • Resources for Food Bloggers
    • Vegan Subs & Resources
    • Our Vegan Journey and FAQs
    • Indian Pantry
    • Indian Dal / Lentil Names
  • Shop
  • About / Contact

Vegan Black Bean Soup (Instant Pot Recipe)

March 14, 2020 By Richa 38 Comments

Jump to Recipe   Print Recipe

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
overhead shot of two bowls of vegan black beans soup sprinkled with chopped herbs

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.

a bowl of vegan Instant Pot black bean soup sprinkled with chopped cilantro

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.

side view of a bowl of vegan Instant Pot black bean soup on a white cloth napkin

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.

overhead shot of all ingredients needed for making vegan black bean soup in an Instant Pot

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.

onion, garlic, spices and tomatoes simmering in an Instant Pot

Start the IP on saute. Add in the oil, chopped onion, minced garlic, and pinch of salt and cook until translucent. Add in all the spices and more salt and mix in. In goes the can of tomatoes. Stir and cook for a minute.

dried soaked beans being added to an Instant Pot filled with seasoned tomato broth

Add the drained beans and water/broth and mix really well to loosen up any stuck bits. Pressure cook the soup for 35 mins. If you did not soak your beans, dial it up 5 minutes to 40 mins total.

overhead shot of vegan black bean soup simmering in an Instant Pot

Quick release after 10 mins and check for consistency and pressure cook for another 10 mins if the beans are not done to your liking. Add lime juice, taste and adjust salt and flavor. Blend about 2 cups of the soup and mix it into the rest to thicken the soup up. Bring to a boil, then serve with toppings of your choice.

overhead shot of a white bowl with vegan black bean soup with a spoon dipping into the bowl

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
overhead shot of two bowls of vegan black bean soup against black background
Print Recipe
4.95 from 18 votes

Vegan Black Bean Soup 

This easy Vegan Black Bean Soup made from dried soaked black beans is a delicious plant-based Instant Pot meal that is perfect for feeding a crowd on a budget.
Prep Time5 mins
Cook Time45 mins
Soak1 hr
Total Time1 hr 50 mins
Course: Main
Cuisine: American, Mexican, Tex Mex
Keyword: black bean soup recipe, vegan black bean soup, Vegan Instant pot soup
Servings: 4
Calories: 138.21kcal
Author: Vegan Richa

Ingredients

  • 1 cup (172 g) 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  (170.1 g) can tomato
  • 2.5 cups (591.47 ml) 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

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.
  • 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 you're soup is lacking something, the solution might be as simple as adding a big pinch of salt.
  • To make Oil-free:Use broth to saute
Saucepan: Follow the steps in a large saucepan over medium heat. Use 4 cups of water or broth and cook partially covered for 55 to 65 mins. You might need to cook longer depending on the age of the beans
Canned Beans: Use 2 cans of black beans and 1 cup of water or broth and pressure cook for 10 mins. 

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
Vegan Black Bean Soup 
Amount Per Serving
Calories 138.21 Calories from Fat 24
% Daily Value*
Fat 2.71g4%
Saturated Fat 0.49g3%
Sodium 531.43mg23%
Potassium 638.78mg18%
Carbohydrates 22.88g8%
Fiber 6.51g27%
Sugar 5.58g6%
Protein 9.07g18%
Vitamin A 561.52IU11%
Vitamin C 11.5mg14%
Calcium 73.53mg7%
Iron 3.28mg18%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Filed Under: Comfort Food Recipes, fall, gluten free, grain free, high protein, Instant Pot, main course, mexican, nut free, One Pot Meals, soy free, Winter Tagged With: black beans, broth, garlic, onions, oregano, tomatoes, vegan



⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ If you Love the Recipe, Please consider rating it using stars in comments! It helps readers and helps more people find the recipe online! I love hearing from you all! ⭐⭐⭐⭐

« Creamy Mushroom Spinach Pasta
Gobi Aloo Wrap – Cauliflower, Potato & Toasted Red Lentil Vegan Hummus Wrap »

Comments

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  1. Joyce says

    March 14, 2020 at 5:16 pm

    5 stars
    Hello Richa!

    I cooked this, it’s very good I love it.
    I did not pressure cook (don’t own a pressure cooker) cooked covered for very long (1,5 hr ~) and did not use a blender but mechanically mashed it a bit at the end (potato masher)

    If less watery it’s good rolled in a taco

    Reply
    • Richa says

      March 14, 2020 at 6:16 pm

      awesome! yes you can reduce the liquid for thtick beans

      Reply
  2. Sally says

    March 14, 2020 at 11:39 pm

    5 stars
    Just made… absolutely fabulous seasoning. Going ape getting all the toppings together. Thank you 🙏🏽

    Reply
  3. arj says

    March 15, 2020 at 9:47 am

    Thanks for posting a simple recipe using all pantry staples. I’m stocked up on beans, spices, and canned tomatoes, so this is perfect. Hope to see more like this highlighted over the next few weeks as we hunker down.

    Reply
    • Richa says

      March 15, 2020 at 12:12 pm

      Thanks, there are tons of pantry friendly recipes on the blog. Good idea to collect them a roundup!

      Reply
  4. Eva says

    March 15, 2020 at 4:32 pm

    Could I use this recipe to cook a black bean stew instead? How much water should I add? Would the sam seasoning work?

    Reply
  5. Leslie says

    March 15, 2020 at 6:13 pm

    5 stars
    Very easy and very tasty! I doubled it and used a can of Rotel plus a can of tomatoes. Will definitely make again!

    Reply
    • Richa says

      March 16, 2020 at 1:18 pm

      awesome

      Reply
    • Cynthia says

      May 15, 2020 at 9:55 am

      5 stars
      I’ve made this recipe 3 or 4 times so far. So easy and a great way to use dried black beans. Thank you for sharing! Its It’s delicious!

      Reply
  6. Dey says

    March 16, 2020 at 4:44 am

    5 stars
    Made this twice already. Love it even without toppings.

    Reply
    • Richa says

      March 16, 2020 at 1:03 pm

      awesome

      Reply
  7. Margaret Pearce says

    March 17, 2020 at 6:21 pm

    5 stars
    The seasoning is perfect! Wish I had tortilla chips to top this with. Thanks for another delicious recipe Richa!

    Reply
  8. Sue says

    March 19, 2020 at 12:02 pm

    5 stars
    Delicious! Thanks Richa.

    Reply
  9. K says

    March 19, 2020 at 3:28 pm

    Can you make this with canned beans? Our stores are out of the dried beans

    Reply
    • Richa says

      March 19, 2020 at 3:31 pm

      yes, see notes. use 2 cans and 1 cup of watr and pressurer cook for 10 mins or saucepan for 20 or so mins

      Reply
  10. fenice says

    March 21, 2020 at 7:51 pm

    5 stars
    Delicious! Unfortunately, my Instant Pot died about 5 minutes into pressure cooking and I had to complete the cooking on the stove, so it took a little longer than I anticipated. But definitely worth the extra time. Great to be able to cook this lovely soup from pantry ingredients.

    Reply
    • Richa says

      March 22, 2020 at 4:44 pm

      awesome! hope the instant pot comes back to life!

      Reply
  11. Anne says

    March 23, 2020 at 12:38 pm

    5 stars
    Made this last night, it was delicious! I had all the items in my pantry. The mix of spices was very flavorful. I’ll be making this again, next time I might double the recipe because I already wish I had more.

    Reply
    • Richa says

      March 23, 2020 at 1:02 pm

      awesome!

      Reply
  12. shan says

    March 26, 2020 at 12:43 pm

    Looks amazing. Instant Pot newbie here. If I wanted to natural release would I pressure cook for half the time? I don’t really have space on my kitchen counter for the steam to vent safely.

    Many thanks!

    Reply
    • Richa says

      March 26, 2020 at 1:12 pm

      no, just let it release by itself, another 5 mins is not going to do much to the beans as the pressur will be pretty low while releasing

      Reply
      • shan says

        March 26, 2020 at 7:53 pm

        Thank you! Can’t wait to try tomorrow …

        Reply
  13. Kat says

    May 2, 2020 at 1:38 pm

    5 stars
    Another winner, and so easy! This recipe will definitely be one I come back to.

    Reply
    • Richa says

      May 2, 2020 at 2:31 pm

      Thanks!

      Reply
  14. gabriella says

    June 4, 2020 at 5:18 am

    5 stars
    Simple but deliciuos! All family enjoyed it even the children (with no chili powder!)

    Reply
  15. Mike says

    June 27, 2020 at 12:08 am

    5 stars
    This is phenomenal!! Used canned San Marzano tomatoes and added some corn at the end of cooking. Thanks for the recipe.

    Reply
  16. Raj Laxmi says

    July 25, 2020 at 8:19 am

    Going to be delicious definately.

    Reply
    • Vegan Richa Support says

      July 25, 2020 at 11:10 am

      I hope you enjoy this, thanks for stopping by!

      Reply
  17. nancy says

    August 17, 2020 at 4:12 am

    i enjoyed your recipes, i tried it came out well.

    Reply
  18. Joan says

    September 12, 2020 at 4:07 pm

    5 stars
    Black bean perfection! I doubled the recipe so I’d have some in the freezer for my husband when I’m out of town next week. I put a scoop of rice and fire roasted corn in the bottom of our bowls, and we lived the cilantro and creamy avocado toppings! Delicious and filling!

    Reply
    • Vegan Richa Support says

      September 13, 2020 at 5:24 pm

      Sounds amazing! Perfect freezer meal to open too.

      Reply
  19. Megan says

    September 19, 2020 at 2:56 pm

    4 stars
    Made this lovely soup when my partner was having dental surgery and couldn’t eat solids. I didn’t find it necessary to soak the beans at all, just cooked at pressure in IP for 40 minutes. I blended all of the soup in my VitaMix, since we needed it to be smooth, and I skipped the bay leaves because I was out. Thanks for a healthy, nourishing recipe.

    Reply
  20. Diane says

    September 26, 2020 at 10:49 am

    5 stars
    Very delicious! Thanks again. Now I have to stop eating and save for another day. This is a very versatile recipe. I think I will pour over some brown rice next time for dinner. Can add some coconut sugar to sweeten like I do for my side dish black beans.

    Reply
    • Richa says

      September 26, 2020 at 3:00 pm

      Awesome

      Reply
  21. Denise says

    October 6, 2020 at 11:19 am

    5 stars
    Another winner, Richa!!

    Made this a couple of nights ago (canned beans) and it was awesome!! I soaked some beans last night and will make it again tonight.

    Thank you for sharing your recipes with us!!

    You are appreciated very much!!

    Peace, love, good health & prayers to you and those you love 😊

    Reply
  22. Keri Anne says

    October 21, 2020 at 3:45 pm

    5 stars
    Just made this. Used a 28 oz can of sam marzano tomatoes instead with extra spices. It’s sooo good and convenient!! Thanks!

    Reply
  23. Laurie says

    October 26, 2020 at 6:23 pm

    5 stars
    So delicious. The entire family enjoyed it …even picky kids! Thanks!

    Reply
    • Richa says

      October 26, 2020 at 7:47 pm

      Yay

      Reply

ORDER TODAY!

Vegan Richa's Everyday Kitchen Cookbook Now Available everywhere where Books are Sold | VeganRicha.com
Amazon // Barnes & Noble // BAM! // Chapter Indigo // International

Hi, I'm Richa! I create flavorful plant based recipes that are inspired by my Indian upbringing, including many gluten-free, soy-free, and oil-free options. Read more about me and the blog...

Lets get Social! Join 1Million followers and friends

  • Bloglovin
  • Facebook
  • Google+
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
Vegan Richa 's Indian Kitchen Cookbook
Amazon || Barnes & Noble || BAM! || IndieBound || Details & International

Affiliate Links

All content on this blog is owned by Vegan Richa LLC.  Links on some posts are affiliate links for e.g. we are participant in Amazon services LLC Associates program. Vegan Richa is monetized in part through the use of such affiliate links. More Details

LINKSPOPULAR POSTSKEEP IN TOUCH
My Favorite ThingsBuffalo Chickpea PizzaYouTube
Recipe IndexLentil Quinoa LoafFacebook
Advertise, Work With MeCrispy Orange CauliflowerInstagram
Privacy PolicyPumpkin Cinnamon RollsPinterest
Terms Of UseSweet Potato Peanut BurgersTwitter
Copyright and Disclaimers
Copyright © 2021 Vegan Richa LLC