Instant Pot Black Bean Soup

Full of Southwest flavor Instant Pot Black Bean Soup is a nutritious recipe that’s high in plant protein, fiber, and tastes great. Hearty, healthy, and time saving with no soaking of dried beans required!

Other favorite vegetarian Instant Pot recipes include Instant Pot split pea soup, Instant Pot veggie soup and the creamiest Instant Pot butternut squash soup.

Super uber easy Instant Pot black bean soup and no soaking of beans is necessary just like with Instant Pot black beans recipe. I appreciate Instant Pot soups that not only feed my always hungry family but are also extremely simple and affordable. Just like this black bean soup in Instant Pot.

In Ukraine, we ate soup every day, even in summer. Today my family does the same. It just works to pull out soup leftovers for lunch or freeze leftovers for an easy dinner on a busy night.

Why You Will Love This Recipe

• No soaking: No preplanning a long soak means you can make Instant Pot black bean soup from pantry staples anytime the mood strikes.
• Meatless meal: If your goal is to eat more plant based protein, this black bean soup can help you get there! 
• Nutritional powerhouse: By using dried black beans you get the most of what pulses have to offer! According to Healthline, they contain more protein, fiber, iron, potassium and magnesium, not to mention less sodium than the canned version. 
• Vegetarian/vegan friendly: Use vegetable broth for a vegetarian version and skip any cheese topping for a vegan version. 
• Easy: Dump, set, and go. Black bean soup in Instant Pot is really that simple, skip the immersion blender step for even less work. 

Ingredients for Instant Pot Black Bean Soup

Beauty of this Instant Pot black bean soup recipe is that most likely you have all ingredients in your pantry right now.

• Dried black beans: No need to soak the black beans. You can use canned black beans, see recipe below for cook time please.
• Onion: White onion, yellow onion or red onion works. You won’t see it after pureeing. Save green onions for topping!
• Tomato sauce: Plain from a can. Mine is low sodium.
• Broth: Any low sodium broth works. I used chicken bouillon cubes with water. Even water works. Use vegetable broth for vegan black bean soup in Instant Pot.
• Spices: Chili powder, cumin, paprika, cayenne.

How to Make Instant Pot Black Bean Soup

Here is a quick overview how to make Instant Pot black bean soup. Full recipe card is located below.

• Dump all ingredients to Instant Pot: No need to saute onion or soak the black beans.
• Cook for 30 minutes on high pressure: Some models have Pressure Cook button and on other it’s Manual.
• Wait 10 minutes and release the pressure: Don’t release pressure right away, your counter will be a black bean mess.
• Blend soup just until desired thickness: If you like thick hearty soup, puree black bean soup in Instant Pot with an immersion blender until desired thickness. Or leave it as is if you like broth based with chunks soup (video shows not pureed).
• Top with favorite Mexican toppings: See below for ideas. There are lots.

Optional Add-In’s and Variations

Here are a few fun additions and variations you can add to your Instant Pot black bean soup!

• Canned beans: Use 3 x 14 oz cans of black beans, rinsed and drained, 4 cups water or broth and cook for 6 minutes with 10 minute natural pressure release. If black beans are not low sodium, don’t add any salt and adjust after to taste.
• Other beans: While this could result in a different soup, many readers have used 15 bean soup beans.
• Additional vegetables: If you don’t plan to puree black bean soup in Instant Pot, diced carrots or sweet potatoes could be added before pressure cooking.
• Aromatics: Stir in minced garlic at the end, fresh garlic is always great in soup!
• Smoky soup: Replace regular paprika with smoked paprika, it does wonders to any vegetarian soup. Or add a few diced chipotles in adobo sauce with 1 tablespoon of sauce or replace regular chili powder with ancho chili powder.
• More heat: Use chipotle chili powder or even include a can of drained diced green chiles.
• Additional spices: Dried oregano or ground coriander would be great addition to Instant Pot black bean soup!
• Even more flavour with other tomatoes: Substitute tomato sauce with plain diced tomatoes, the diced tomatoes with chilies, or just fire roasted tomatoes. I love making easy tomato soup with canned tomatoes when in a pinch.
• Heartier soup: Stir in leftover brown rice or quinoa when soup is finished!

Tips for Best Results

Here are my top tips for the best Instant Pot black bean soup recipe in the world!

• Rinse dried black beans: To clean any dust or debris from them. 
• No immersion blender? Remove a small amount, puree in a blender, then stir back into the black bean soup. 
• No blender at all? Try adding 1/2 cup dried red lentils while pressure cooking black bean soup. Because they are split, they will disintegrate and help thicken soup.
• 3 quart Instant Pot: Cut ingredients in half but keep same cook time.

FAQs

Instant Pot Black Bean Soup Toppings Ideas

Mexican toppings bring boring bowl of Instant Pot black bean soup to life.

• Avocado: Diced avocado or guacamole.
• Veggies and herbs: Corn, diced fresh tomatoes, jalapenos, cilantro, lime.
• Onions: Diced white, red or green onion. Not yellow.
• Tortilla chips: Our favorite brand is Que Pasa or Good Food Should Taste Good.
• Cheese: Shredded Colby or cheddar cheese, crumbled cotija or feta, omit for vegan black bean soup.

What to Serve with Instant Pot Black Bean Soup?

This Instant Pot black bean soup is great for light healthy lunch ideas or dinner, but also can be included as part of your Mexican fiesta with these additional ideas:

• Mexican themed meal: Along with above topping ideas, serve with Mexican kale salad, chicken tostadas and Mexican street corn salad.
• Game day: With chicken wings in air fryer or air fryer nachos.
• Low carb sides: Mexican cauliflower rice or Mexican meatballs.
• For the kids: Grilled cheese is always a winner.

How to Store Leftovers

• Storing: Soup is a long lasting dish. It will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days before you have to freeze, eat or discard it. Instant Pot black bean soup might thicken with time, just add a bit more broth until desired consistency.
• Freezing: This soup freezes beautifully. Transfer to a glass container and leave some room for expansion. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
• Reheating: It is not unusual for Instant Pot black bean soup to thicken with time and once cold. Reheat only amount you plan to eat by simmering on low heat and then adjust thickness with more broth to taste.

More Black Bean Recipes to Try

• Black bean quinoa casserole
• Black bean nachos
• Black bean brownies
• Black bean and corn salsa
• Mango black bean salad
• Black bean burgers
• Quinoa and black bean salad

More Favorite Instant Pot Recipes

• Instant Pot rice and beans
• Instant Pot ham and bean soup
• Instant Pot 15 bean soup
• Instant Pot chicken tortilla soup
• Instant Pot lentil soup
• Instant Pot minestrone
• Instant Pot taco soup

Browse more healthy Instant Pot recipes.

Instant Pot Black Bean Soup

Full of Southwest flavor Instant Pot Black Bean Soup is a nutritious recipe that’s high in plant protein, fiber, and tastes great. Hearty, healthy, and time saving with no soaking of dried beans required!

5 from 13 votes

Servings 6 servings

Calories 375

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Print Recipe Save RecipeSaved Recipe Rate Recipe

Equipment

• Instant Pot
• Immersion blender
• Measuring tools
• Measuring cups

Ingredients  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 3 cups dried black beans rinsed
• ▢ 1 large onion chopped
• ▢ 14 oz can tomato sauce low sodium
• ▢ 2 tbsp chilli powder
• ▢ 2 tbsp cumin
• ▢ 1 tbsp paprika
• ▢ 3/4 tsp salt
• ▢ 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• ▢ 6 cups any broth or stock low sodium
• ▢ Toppings: avocado, cilantro, lime, feta or cotija cheese, tortilla chips

Instructions 

• In Instant Pot, add black beans, onion, tomato sauce, chili powder, cumin, paprika, salt, cayenne pepper and broth. No need to stir.
• Close the lid, turn pressure vent to Sealing and press Pressure Cook on High or Manual for 30 minutes.
• After Instant Pot has finished cooking, let Instant Pot black bean soup stand for 10 minutes or so and then turn the valve to Venting. This way you will avoid black countertop hot mess.
• If you like thick hearty soup, puree with an immersion blender until desired thickness (video shows soup not pureed). Or leave it as is if you like broth based with chunks soup.
• Serve hot with your favorite toppings.

Video

Notes

• Store: Refrigerate up to 5 days before you have to freeze, eat or discard it. Soup might thicken with time, just add a bit more broth until desired consistency when reheating.
• Freeze: This soup freezes beautifully. Transfer to a glass container and leave some room for expansion. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
• Canned beans: Use 3 x 14 oz cans of black beans, rinsed and drained, 4 cups water or broth and cook for 6 minutes with 10 minute natural pressure release. If beans are not low sodium, don’t add any salt and adjust after to taste.
• Smoky soup: Replace regular paprika with smoked paprika. Add a few diced chipotles in adobo sauce with 1 tbsp of sauce or replace regular chili powder with ancho chili powder.
• Broth: I use organic bouillon cubes instead of broth. Use vegetable broth for vegan black bean soup.
• 3 quart Instant Pot: Cut ingredients in half but keep same cook time.
• No immersion blender? Remove a small amount, puree in a regular blender, then stir back into the soup. 
• No blender at all? Try adding 1/2 cup dried red lentils while pressure cooking your soup, because they are split, they will disintegrate and help thicken soup.

See recipe post for more tips and FAQs.

Nutrition

Serving: 1.5cups | Calories: 375kcal | Carbohydrates: 69g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 460mg | Fiber: 17g | Sugar: 5g

Course: Soup and Stew

Cuisine: Mexican

Author: Olena Osipov

Did you make this recipe?Mention @ifoodreal or tag #ifoodreal!