Learn how to make easy, oil-free, plant-based recipe for Chipotle Black Bean Soup in the Instapot for a hearty and satisfying vegan meal. Starting with dried black beans, this is a budget-friendly dish that will feed a crowd. Smoky, spicy, and full of flavor — this is an essential WFPB recipe.
If you like this recipe, you’ll also like: Stewed Black Beans, Smoky Sweet Braised Giant Lima Beans, Braised French Flageolet Beans and Leeks, Sweet Potato Chipotle Plant-Based Chili, and Easy, Fresh, Oil-Free Black Bean Corn Fiesta Salad.
Check out this post for more ideas on how to use beans: Step Two: Add Some Beans, An Easy Change towards a Healthy, Plant-Based Life.
How Do I Use Dried Beans?
Dried beans are a great, budget-friendly pantry staple to keep on hand for hearty meals. To use them in your recipes, requires two steps: soak and cook. To soak the beans, the easiest way is overnight. Simply place the beans in a bowl or other food-safe container and cover with 2-3 inches of water. You can leave the beans on the counter for 8-24 hours. During that time, the beans will soak up much of the water, doubling to tripling in size.
After soaking the beans, you want to drain them, rinse them, and use them in your cooking. Normal cooking time for dried beans is 30 minutes – 2 hours, depending on the age and size of the bean. The Instapot speeds up that cooking process while also imparting lots of flavor into the broth. You can also use a Slow Cooker to cook the beans, another way to impart flavor without a lot of effort.
Is There a Way to Quick-Soak Beans?
If you don’t have time to soak your beans overnight, there is a way to quick-soak beans. Simply place the beans in a large pot, cover with about 4x the amount of water as there are beans (that’s 4 cups of water per 1 cup of beans), put the lid on the pot, and bring to a boil. Boil for one minute, then turn the heat off and let sit one hour.
After the hour, drain the bean, rinse thoroughly, and use in whatever recipes you like. You can use this method if you get home from work and realize you didn’t soak your beans. You can get the quick-soak going while you prep your other ingredients, change clothes, feed the dog, and get the rest of life managed.
Is Soaking Beans Necessary?
Soaking beans provides crucial ease both from a culinary and from a digestive standpoint. First, presoaked beans tend to maintain a better texture and cook more evenly. Secondly, soaking beans can help break down some of the starchiness and relieve some of the gaseous pressure that results in digestion.
Does Salt or Acid Slow the Cooking of Beans?
Yes, both salt and acid tend to toughen the skin of beans, slowing down their cooking. It’s best to avoid adding ingredients with salt (like broth, boullion, miso, tamari, or table salt) until after the beans are fully cooked. It’s also a good idea to avoid acidic ingredients like lemon juice, lime juice, and vinegar until after cooking. Even lots of tomatoes (which are acidic) can slow down the cooking process.
Does Baking Soda Speed Up the Cooking of Beans?
Yes, baking soda is a base (the opposite of acid) and it can help speed up the cooking of dried beans. Baking soda can also help break down the starches and make beans more digestible. A little goes a long way, though. Just 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda per pot of beans is usually enough. Using too much can result in an unpleasant, soapy flavor.
Chef Katie’s Plant-Based Cooking Tips:
Freezer-Friendly: This recipe is incredible freezer-friendly. Double or triple the recipe. Make a big batch and freeze in smaller quantities so you have a good supply on hand.
Puree Leftovers for Bean Dip: Leftovers of this recipe can be pureed for a delicious black bean dip. Use a slotted spoon to transfer some of the beans to a food processor. Then, turn the processor on and drizzle in enough of the bean broth to get the puree going. Adjust consistency by adding more/less broth or beans.
Other Dried Chilies: Experiment with other dried chilies for different flavors. Ancho adds a nice smokiness without too much heat. Habaneros pack a ton of spicy heat. Guajillos have a slightly fruity flavor to them.
Slow Cooker and Instapot: You can throw everything in a slow cooker set to “Low” for 8-10 hours. If using an Instapot or pressure cooker, use the “Bean” to cook the beans.
Faster Cooking with Canned Beans: For faster cooking, use canned black beans. You’ll need about 2 cans (3 1/2 cups) of cooked black beans to equal the 1 1/2 cup dried beans. Add the beans at the same time in the recipe, but only simmer for 15 minutes, or until flavorful.
Spice to Taste: For more heat, keep the seeds in for one of the peppers. Start “mild” and then add more pepper (or seeds) to fit your taste. For less heat, start with just one chipotle pepper. If you prefer no spice at all, omit the chipotles. Instead, add 2 teaspoons of ground cumin. You’ll get the smoky flavor without the heat.
Easy, Oil-Free Plant-Based Chipotle Black Bean Soup in the Instapot
If you like this recipe, you’ll also like: Stewed Black Beans, Smoky Sweet Braised Giant Lima Beans, Braised French Flageolet Beans and Leeks, Sweet Potato Chipotle Plant-Based Chili, and Easy, Fresh, Oil-Free Black Bean Corn Fiesta Salad.
- Medium
- Ready In: 1 hour + soaking time
- Yield: About 7 cups
- Servings: 4
- Gluten-Free
- Meal-Prep
- Freezer-Friendly
Easy, Oil-Free Plant-Based Chipotle Black Bean Soup in the Instapot
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup dried black beans soaked
- 1/2 medium red onion diced
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 1 green bell pepper diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons cilantro
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon coriander
- ½ teaspoon coriander
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- 2-3 cups water
- 2 dried chipotle peppers
- Fresh lime avocado, roasted sweet potatoes, or fresh cilantro, to serve
Instructions
To Soak the Beans:
- Place the beans in a bowl or food-safe container and cover with 2-3 inches of water. Let soak overnight (no need to refrigerate, you can leave on the counter), or at least 6 hours. Drain and rinse thoroughly. Discard any stones you might find in the beans.
To Make the Black Bean Soup:
- Preheat an Instapot on “Saute” setting. Add the diced onion, bell peppers (green and red), and saute until starting to brown around the edges, 3-5 minutes. Stir often to prevent burning.
- Add the garlic, cilantro, and all of the dried spices (smoked paprika through oregano). Cook 30 seconds, or until aromatic.
- Add 2 cups of water and scrape up anything stuck to the bottom of the pot. Add the soaked beans and dried chipotle peppers. You may need to add more water, depending on the size of your Instapot. Add enough water to just barely cover the beans.
- Place the lid on the Instapot. Change the setting to “Bean/Stew” mode…or cook on high pressure for 40 minutes.
- After 40 minutes, release the steam on the Instapot and let the pressure come down.
- Remove the lid and check the texture of the beans — they should be nice and tender but not falling apart.
- Season to taste with salt. Remove the chipotle peppers. For extra heat, tear or mince these peppers and add back to the pot (I usually don’t do this unless I know my eaters are spice-lovers).
- Serve with lime, avocado, roasted sweet potatoes, or fresh cilantro.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition Facts
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings 4.0 | |
| Amount Per Serving | |
| calories 114 | |
| % Daily Value * | |
| Total Fat 1 g | 1 % |
| Saturated Fat 0 g | 1 % |
| Monounsaturated Fat 0 g | |
| Polyunsaturated Fat 0 g | |
| Trans Fat 0 g | |
| Cholesterol 0 mg | 0 % |
| Sodium 143 mg | 6 % |
| Potassium 432 mg | 12 % |
| Total Carbohydrate 22 g | 7 % |
| Dietary Fiber 7 g | 29 % |
| Sugars 4 g | |
| Protein 6 g | 13 % |
| Vitamin A | 70 % |
| Vitamin C | 116 % |
| Calcium | 4 % |
| Iron | 12 % |
| * The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated nor have they been evaluated by the U.S. FDA. | |
Shopping and Gear List
- Goya Black Beans Dry
- Dried Chipotle Peppers
- McCormick Gourmet Organic Ground Cumin
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