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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 ½ 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 ½ 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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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4.98 from 40 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 minutes mins
Cook Time45 minutes mins
Soak1 hour hr
Total Time1 hour hr 50 minutes 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 ½ hour in hot water
- 1 tsp oil or 2 tbsp broth
- ½ large onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ¾ tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp oregano
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp chili powder blend or ½ tsp chipotle pepper or both
- ¾ to 1 tsp salt
- 15 oz (170.1 g) can diced tomato
- 2.5 cups (591.47 ml) water/broth mixture , 3 cups for soupy
- Lime juice
- cilantro avocado, pepper flakes for garnish
Equipment
Instant Pot
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
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 6 mins. Or in saucepan, simmer for 10-15 mins
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
Vegan Black Bean Soup
Amount Per Serving
Calories 138.21Calories 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.
Did you make this recipe?Please do leave a comment and rating below.. Tag me on Instagram @veganricha
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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️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! ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Reader Interactions
Comments
lydia willis
this was the best pot of black beans ever. i used 1 tsb of chipolte pepper instead of the pepper mix. we love black beans but this dish was spectacular.Reply
Richa
Yay awesome!!
Reply
Jamie
Thank you for this wonderful recipe I’ll return to again and again. I added carrots, mushrooms, nutritional yeast and hot sauce to the basic soup recipe and my family scarfed it up along with some homemade sourdough bread. Possibly the best black bean soup I’ve ever had. I really appreciate the ease putting it all together in the instant pot, too. Much gratitude to you!Reply
Vegan Richa Support
So happy you liked it!
Reply
M Singh
Yes, easy to make and tasty !Reply
Vegan Richa Support
Happy to hear!
Reply
Pam
My husband made this for our dinner tonight and it was fantastic! Easily my favorite black bean soup ever. He used low sodium veggie broth for the liquid. It was wonderful topped with sour cream, chopped cilantro, and diced avocado. This will be going into our regular soup rotation!Reply
Vegan Richa Support
awesome! thanks so much for your kind comment!
Reply
Beth
Delicious! You would never guess that it was so easy to make.Reply
Vegan Richa Support
so glad you enjoyed!
Reply
Jon S
I have made this twice now and it’s really easy to make and quite good. A lot of depth of flavor and better than almost any other black bean soups I have eaten.Reply
Vegan Richa Support
yay! thank you for rating!
Reply
Shell
WonderfulReply
Vegan Richa Support
thank you!
Reply
Michael
Fantastic recipe. Best black bean soup we have had. We made a couple tweeks. I love cilantro so i chopped up the cilantro stems and added when sautéing. My son pan roasted cumin seeds and ground them which added amazing depth. Also added some ground coriander and some corn niblets. We did the quick soak meth od on the beans which is awesome. Other instapot recipes say you don’t have to soak dried beans, but i find they always come out undercooked.
This recipe will go into our soup rotation. Love it!Reply
Vegan Richa Support
yay 🙂
Reply
Nola
First time using Instant Pot. I have been scared of it. The soup was fabulous!Reply
Vegan Richa Support
welcome to the instant pot family. glad you enjoyed!
Reply
Lynn
I love this soup! I had pre-cooked beans in the freezer so it was quick and easy! It pairs perfectly with your pumpkin corn bread.Reply
Vegan Richa Support
So happy to hear, Lynn! Thank you.
Reply
Lucretia
Loved this soup! It’s going on our regular rotation. Not only is it delicious, all the ingredients are things I keep around the house anyway.
I used two cans of black beans instead of dried and it worked perfectly.Reply
Vegan Richa Support
I’m so glad to hear!
Reply
Erin
Great recipe! I sautéed celery, carrots, and jalapeño with the onion. Used half broth and half bean cooking liquid. So flavorful!Reply
Vegan Richa Support
Yummy, thank you.
Reply
Linda
When using canned beans and stove top method how much liquid would you add? Thanks! Love your recipes.
Reply
Vegan Richa Support
1 cup
Reply
Jackie
This was delicious!! I will definitely make this often. It was good by itself or over rice or baked potato.Reply
Vegan Richa Support
mmmmm baked potato sounds great.
Reply
Vegan Richa Support
mmmmm baked potato sounds great.
Reply
Lynn
So delicious and easy since I had beans in the freezer. The big test was meat eater hubby who said “oh wow, that’s really good”! Yay!!Love your recipes, thank you.
Reply
Vegan Richa Support
So happy to hear, Lynn!
Reply
Sita
Hi Rica! I don’t have an instapot. How can I make this on the stove? Beans are soaking now. Thanks. Sita
Reply
Vegan Richa Support
stoptop directions are in notes section below recipe.
Reply
Karen
This was a hit with the whole family. I’m thinking of adding a bit corn to the next batch but this was fantastic as it is written.Reply
Vegan Richa Support
oh – a little Tex Mex style
Reply
Heather
This is delicious! The only changes I made were to omit the lime juice (I forgot) and to put the entire batch in the blender (I just like it that way). Will definitely be my go-to black bean soup now!
Reply
Vegan Richa Support
yummy
Reply
suzi
SUPER YUM!! AND SO EASY 🙂
THANKS!!Reply
Vegan Richa Support
SUPER !!!
Reply
Eva
Could I use red beans instead? Should I adjust the seasoning?
Reply
Mama Lo
This was delicious even my 6 yr. old granddaughter loved it! My only addition was some splenda! Thank you for this recipe.Reply
Vegan Richa Support
splendid!
Reply
Nancy
I’m sad. I can’t buy any dry beans that will cook up nice. I use the proper methods but they still cook up with hard pieces. They are unpleasant to eat. Any suggestions?
Reply
Vegan Richa Support
sounds frustrating. make sure that you don’t salt the water at all while cooking, soaking overnight helps, buying fresh & quality brands is also important, which type are you trying?
Reply
eliz
Frustrating when the beans don’t cook evenly. Happens to me too. Have tried different methods. Do you have well or city water? I’ve been told soft or hard water can affect cooking, but I don’t know. I also live at 6000ft so assume that may have something to do with it?
Reply
eliz
Red lentils always work well for me though.
Reply
Karen
Have you tried putting baking soda and leave them soaking in water overnight?
Reply
Ewa
Thank you for this recipe. How much chili powder (ancho?) or chipotle should I use to make it kid friendly but still have flavor?
Reply
Richa
1 tsp ancho , 1/2 tsp chipotle as chipotle is hotter . Add in more in the end if you need
Reply
Laurie
So delicious. The entire family enjoyed it …even picky kids! Thanks!Reply
Richa
Yay
Reply
Keri Anne
Just made this. Used a 28 oz can of sam marzano tomatoes instead with extra spices. It’s sooo good and convenient!! Thanks!Reply
Denise
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
Diane
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
Awesome
Reply
Megan
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
Joan
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
Sounds amazing! Perfect freezer meal to open too.
Reply
nancy
i enjoyed your recipes, i tried it came out well.
Reply
Raj Laxmi
Going to be delicious definately.
Reply
Vegan Richa Support
I hope you enjoy this, thanks for stopping by!
Reply
Mike
This is phenomenal!! Used canned San Marzano tomatoes and added some corn at the end of cooking. Thanks for the recipe.Reply
gabriella
Simple but deliciuos! All family enjoyed it even the children (with no chili powder!)Reply
Kat
Another winner, and so easy! This recipe will definitely be one I come back to.Reply
Richa
Thanks!
Reply
shan
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
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
Thank you! Can’t wait to try tomorrow …
Reply
Anne
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
awesome!
Reply
fenice
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
awesome! hope the instant pot comes back to life!
Reply
K
Can you make this with canned beans? Our stores are out of the dried beans
Reply
Richa
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
Sue
Delicious! Thanks Richa.Reply
Margaret Pearce
The seasoning is perfect! Wish I had tortilla chips to top this with. Thanks for another delicious recipe Richa!Reply
Dey
Made this twice already. Love it even without toppings.Reply
Richa
awesome
Reply
Leslie
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
awesome
Reply
Cynthia
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
Eva
Could I use this recipe to cook a black bean stew instead? How much water should I add? Would the sam seasoning work?
Reply
arj
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
Thanks, there are tons of pantry friendly recipes on the blog. Good idea to collect them a roundup!
Reply
Sally
Just made… absolutely fabulous seasoning. Going ape getting all the toppings together. Thank you 🙏🏽Reply
Joyce
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
awesome! yes you can reduce the liquid for thtick beans
Reply
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