This Instant Pot black bean soup is a delicious plant-based meal that even the meat-eaters will love!
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No Instant Pot? No problem! You can totally make this version: slow cooker black bean soup. And here is my full Instant Pot review if you are curious about my current obsession. I love mine!
I make my Instant Pot black bean soup with un-soaked, dry black beans.
This is where the Instant Pot excels, in my humble opinion. Gone are the days where I need to remember to soak my beans overnight. I just give them a rinse, and I’m good to go. It is kind of life-changing!
I use the same method in several more of my recipes: red beans and rice, black-eyed peas and ham and 15 bean soup. And it works great!
But back to this particular Instant Pot black bean soup recipe.
It is a dump-it-all-in-and-press-the button easy. And it is so good that even my son and husband went back for seconds! It is rare that I find a meatless meal that makes them happy, but this black bean soup hit the spot.
The black bean soup will thicken as it sits. It will thicken even more in the refrigerator if you have leftovers. If you want, you can add a little water or vegetable stock to leftovers to thin is out a little.
Also, if you know me, I am all about the toppings on soup! I kept mine plant-based for the photos, with some simple cilantro and diced avocado. Tortilla chips are also good with this. Even a scoop of cooked rice would be good! Lots of possibilities to choose from. 🙂 And omnivores, feel free to add cheese or sour cream!
Recipes to Serve with Black Bean Soup
- Southern skillet corn bread (vegetarian)
- Tortilla chips and homemade guacamole
- Tortilla chips and homemade salsa
- Cilantro lime rice (substitute vegan butter, if desired)
More Vegan Recipes You May Enjoy
- Instant Pot pinto beans
- Instant Pot black beans
- Instant Pot jasmine rice
- Corn salad with avocado, tomato and lime
- Quinoa black bean salad
- Classic hummus
- Instant Pot classic hummus
- Air fryer French fries
- DIY microwave popcorn (no waste)
- Instant Pot sweet potatoes
- Italian pasta salad
- Instant Pot wild rice pilaf
- Greek potato salad (Zoe’s copycat)
- Roasted thyme carrots
- Rainbow roasted vegetables
- Vegan burrito bowls
- Lemon garlic roasted Brussels sprouts
Tools Used to Make Instant Pot Black Bean Soup
This post may contain affiliate links, which pay a referral fee to me at no additional cost to you. My full affiliate disclosure can be seen here.
- Instant Pot – I have both the Duo60 and the Lux60.
- Good quality chef’s knife and cutting board
- Measuring cup
- Measuring spoons
Instant Pot Black Bean Soup Recipe
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Instant Pot black bean soup (vegan)
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 1 can diced tomatoes, undrained (14.5 ounce)
- 3 stalks celery, diced
- 1 pound dry black beans, rinsed
- 1 teaspoon salt (more or less, to taste, depending on the saltiness of your broth)
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper (more or less, to taste)
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce
- 1 Tablespoon paprika
- 2 Tablespoons chili powder
- 2 Tablespoons cumin
- 2 bay leaves
- 6 cups vegetable stock or broth (omnivores may substitute chicken broth, if you wish)
Instructions
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Add all ingredients (except toppings) to the Instant Pot, and place the lid on top, with the vent set to "sealing."
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Cook the soup on manual high pressure for 40 minutes, and let the pressure naturally release (Note: this soup took a while to come to pressure and to naturally release: plan on the whole cooking time being over an hour, FYI).
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After the pot is depressurized, remove the lid, and carefully remove the bay leaves. (I used tongs). Note: soup will thicken as it sits.
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Serve with desired toppings: squeeze of lime, cilantro, diced avocado, green onions, tortilla chips, etc.
Recipe Notes
Note: this soup took a while to come to pressure and to naturally release: plan on the whole cooking time being well over an hour (about an hour and 20 minutes).
Betty Mosley says
I love this soup, easy and delicious. I use rotel tomatoes for a little spice.
Kathy peterson says
Love the soup, but I live a mile high, so I added 4 minutes of cooking time- not near enough. I checked and added time twice before the beans were done. Other recipes have cooking time as much as 40 minutes. I will make it again and cook for 35 to 40 minutes.
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
H Kathy! Older beans can also take quite a bit longer to cook. Still fine to eat, but they often need quite a bit more cook time, FYI.
Susan says
The cooking time says 40 minutes so not sure if you meant to say you were going to ADD an extra 35 to 40 minutes or what.
Donna says
I made this the other night, and it’s a keeper! It was great as it was, but I diced a leftover smoked pork chop and stirred it in. I’ll be making this often.
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
I am so happy to hear that you enjoyed it, Donna!💖
Lee says
How long if I’ve already cooked the beans? 50 minutes and perfectly done
Gail says
Made this today, and I love it. Very delish, and easy to make. I used frozen, chopped green peppers, did’t have any chili powder, but it did’t seem to make any difference to the finished product.
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
I am so glad to hear you enjoyed it, Gail.💖
Cathy says
Made this today and it is wonderful!! Will absolutely make this again and again, but with one small change. I found the cumin to be a bit overwhelming for my taste. I will try cutting it in half.
But otherwise a perfect bowl of soup for a cold snowy day!
Thanks so much for sharing!
Michelle says
I made this today and it is so flavorful! The best black beans I’ve ever made. It really does take a long time for pressure to release. I waited 20 minutes but it could have used another 10-15. There was still quite a lot of pressure after 20 minutes. Next time I’ll be more patient! This is so easy to make. I will do it again soon.
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
I am so happy to hear that, Michelle!🙌🏻
Christina says
This turned out great. I didn’t have regular paprika so used smoked paprika instead. Otherwise i made it as written. Very good.
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
So glad that you enjoyed it, Christina!
Ashley says
I have tried to your slow cooker black bean soup and really like it. I do not have time to make the slow cooker one today so I was considering using the instant pot instead. I noticed that this recipe does not have the garlic or jalapenos in the ingredients list. Why the difference? Is thisrecipe intended to have a different flavor? Thanks for your help!
Nicole Johnson says
This recipe does have a slightly different flavor, but if you like the garlic and jalapenos feel free to toss them in!
Leesa says
Ive made this four times now, always to rave reviews! thanks for sharing. I have made a few changes each time, depending on what I have on hand. Its delicious with a small can of chipotle sauce and the smoked paprika as another reader suggested. Yum!
Marjorie @APinchOfHealthy says
I am so happy that you are enjoying it, Leesa!