Black Bean Soup
A vegan soup made with dried beans, the Instant Pot pressure cooker function saved money. My Instant Pot is a recent purchase and I am relearning the art of cooking with this amazing multi function device.
If cooking this recipe stovetop, this soup can also be made with 4 cans of prepared black beans, drained and rinsed. Start by sauteing the onions and green bell pepper in a little oil, adding the garlic at the end as it tends to burn easily. Reduce the water to two cups. Add in all fluid from the cans of peppers and Rotels. It is faster than using an Instant Pot but the canned beans drive up the price.
To further reduce cost, chop your own jalapenos, removing the seeds if the extra heat is unwanted.*** Two jalapenos should suffice.
Rotels can be substituted with a store brand. Or try using a can of diced tomatoes or 2 medium sized chopped tomatoes (2 cups chopped) and add a little extra jalapeno. Rotel offers several varieties including a fire roasted option which would work well in this recipe.
Regular chili powder can be used but I like the smoky quality that Chipotle Chili powder adds. Regular chili powder can be enhanced with a drop of liquid smoke. Another option is to roast the bell pepper in the onion at 400F for 25 minutes on an oiled sheet, turning half way through. This will add depth to the flavor.
Always keep smoked paprika on hand. There is no substitute for smoked paprika. Trader Joe's has a store brand which beats WalMart's per ounce prices in our area. But the best paprika we've found at the Atlanta international markets are La Dalia Pimenton de la Vera Smoked Paprika and La Chinata Smoked Paprika. A little pricey, yes, but a nice luxury if it is in your budget. These can be found online.
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| A dense black bean stew/chili/soup is the result. This was made with 4 cups of water in the Instant Pot (2 cups water for stove top using canned beans) and the liquid from the two cans of prepared ingredients, Rotels and jalapenos. Masa flour or mashing the beans will thicken the soup even more. It will thicken some after cooling. |
INSTANT POT BLACK BEAN SOUP
30 minute initial cook time plus 10 minutes for additions and a final 10 minute cook phase. All in, 60 minutes including quick release cycle and with only 10 minutes of actual prep included.
2 cups dried black beans
4 cups cold water
Instant pot Pressure Cook HIGH 30 minutes
Quick Release
The beans were lovely, slightly mashed and completely cooked, but they retained most of their shape. If you want black beans the same firmness as a can then it would require less time in the Instant Pot but for this recipe, the beans were perfect.
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| After the beans have cooked, add in the other ingredients. Don't be tempted to add any water. The ingredients have enough water to pressure cook this to the final stage. |
Open the pot after a quick release, keep in the warm phase, and add the following:
2 small onions chopped. It was what I had on hand so 1 large will also be fine.
1 green bell pepper chopped, seeds and stem removed.
1 TBSP minced garlic
2 Maggi vegetable bouillon cubes (the kind that use 1 cup water to one cube-Do NOT add water if using an Instant Pot)
1 can Rotels with juice (chopped tomatoes with chilis) They offer several varieties but I used the regular store brand equivalent because I had it on hand.
1 (4 ounce) can diced jalepenos, plain, no vinegar
1 TSP chipotle chili powder
1 TSP smoked paprika
1/2 TSP ground cumin
1 TSP lemon juice or lime juice
1 TSP Salt
Stir well.
This phase took a little over 10 minutes. I removed the lid and added the ingredients directly into the Instant Pot. Don't forget to mix it up.
Pressure cook HIGH in the Instant Pot
10 minutes
Quick Release
I mashed down some if the beans to thicken the soup a bit. A small amount of Masa Flour will also thicken the soup. It will thicken a bit after it cools.
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| I use a wooden spoon in my Instant Pot |
Topping options include:
Cilantro
Sour Cream
Shredded Cheese
Ritz Crackers
Saltines
Sliced green onions
Avocado, diced
I don't feel this needs any salsa or hot sauce. Always taste a dish before adding additions. I found this to be perfect as is but some additions do nicely compliment the flavor.
***My friend Doug corrected my misconception about jalapenos and their heat. Here is a link explaining the details.
