A comforting warm bowl of soup filled to the brim with beans, tomatoes, vegetables, and fresh herbs and spices. Naturally vegan, whole food plant-based, oil-free, and gluten-free.
As the weather cools down, I tend to make a variety of hearty soups to warm up to. You can make such an incredible variety of soups, though most of them start with the same basic ingredients – beans, vegetables, broth, herbs, and spices.
And let’s be honest, this is why soups are so good!! They follow a tried and true pattern. And soup is so good for the soul, don’t you agree?
First, soak your beans overnight. Now, this isn’t absolutely crucial if your beans are fresh and you’re using an Instant Pot. But I think the beans cook better, taste better, and digest easier if they’re soaked overnight.
I like using a 20 ounce bag of Hurst’s 15 bean soup. It comes with a seasoning packet, but I don’t use it. So go ahead and toss that seasoning packet or save it for another soup. If you don’t have access to Hurst’s 15 bean soup blend, you can use any bean soup blend – the more beans, the better.
Just use 20 ounces of any kind of beans you have, including great northern beans, pinto beans, large lima beans, yelloweye beans, garbanzo beans, baby lima beans, green split peas, kidney beans, black beans, cranberry beans, small white, pink beans, small red beans, yellow split peas, lentils, navy beans, and/or white kidney beans. If it’s a bean, you can use it in this bean soup.
After your beans are soaked and rinsed, cook the beans in the Instant Pot. Lock the lid in place and ensure the sealing knob is turned to sealing. Set to 8 minutes on Manual/High Pressure and allow the pressure to release naturally.
Meanwhile, prep your vegetables. Start by sautéing the mirepoix blend of onions, carrots, and celery. But in this case, I also like to include zucchini. Feel free to add any bits of leftover vegetables you have in the veggie drawer. I won’t tell anyone if you don’t.
Add in some minced garlic, thyme, bay leaves, and tomatoes. You can use fresh tomatoes or canned tomatoes – either work great. Then toss in some more flavor by adding in some seasonings. I think smoked paprika, chili powder, cumin, and black pepper contribute greatly to the flavor profile of this hearty bean soup. Just a hint of each, nothing overpowering – this isn’t chili after all.
Once the beans are cooked, rinse them well. Add the beans to the sautéed vegetables, along with some vegetable broth. I think Umami Vegetable Broth amps up a lot of flavor without the need for much salt. It’s an all-natural and sodium-free vegetable broth rich in umami flavor and featuring vegetable scraps. In other words, it costs little to nothing to make.
Umami Vegetable Broth is also quite versatile and can be used in a variety of soups, stews, beans, and oil-free sautéing. I especially love that it doesn’t contain any artificial ingredients, colors, or salt.
Stir everything together and cook in your Instant Pot on High Pressure, then allow the pressure to release naturally. Once the pressure releases fully, stir in red wine vinegar. At this point, you can stir in additional broth, if desired, to reach desired consistency. If you like your soup thicker like me, you may not want to add any more broth. But if you want your soup a little thinner, go ahead and stir some more broth in.
This is also the perfect time to taste your soup and adjust seasonings to your liking. If you think it needs a little more thyme or red wine vinegar, go ahead and add it in. If you prefer more salt and pepper, same goes for both. Your taste buds are in charge here.
I hope you enjoy this Instant Pot 15 Bean Soup as much as I do.
If you’d like to try other Instant Pot Soups, try my Instant Pot Split Pea Soup, Instant Pot Vegan Pumpkin Chili, Instant Pot Potato Vegetable Stew, Instant Pot Vegan Pho, Instant Pot Vegan Gumbo, Instant Pot Veggie Bean Chili, Instant Pot Cabbage Roll Stew, and Instant Pot Navy Bean Soup.
I would love to see your results! Please leave a comment and rate it down below, tag a picture @pebblesandtoast and #pebblesandtoast on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook! Enjoy!!
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Instant Pot 15 Bean Soup
Ingredients
- 20 ounces dry 15 bean medley*, soaked overnight
- 1 onion, chopped (1-2 cups)
- 3-4 carrots, sliced (2 cups)
- 3 celery stalks, chopped (1 cup)
- 1-2 zucchini, chopped (2-3 cups)
- 2-3 tomatoes, chopped** (or 15 ounce can diced tomatoes)
- 3 garlic cloves, minced (1 Tbsp)
- 4-5 sprigs fresh thyme (or 1 tsp dried thyme)
- 2-3 bay leaves
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 2-3 cups vegetable broth***
- 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
- salt to taste (optional)
Instructions
- Cook the beans in the Instant Pot while preparing the vegetables. Lock the lid in place and ensure the sealing knob is turned to sealing. Set to 8 minutes on Manual/High Pressure and allow the pressure to release naturally. Drain and set aside.
- Using the sauté feature on the Instant Pot, sauté the chopped onions, carrots, celery, and zucchini, until tender-crisp, about 4-5 minutes. Add a tablespoon of water or vegetable broth, if needed, to keep from sticking.
- Add in the garlic, diced tomatoes, bay leaves, and thyme. Stir to combine and sauté for 1 minute. Press cancel.
- Add in the cooked beans, spices, and 2 cups of vegetable broth. Stir to combine.
- Lock the lid in place and ensure the sealing knob is turned to sealing.
- Set for 2 minutes on Manual/High Pressure, then allow the pressure to release naturally.
- Press cancel if set to Keep Warm. Remove the lid and stir in the red wine vinegar. Stir in additional broth, if desired, to reach desired consistency. Adjust seasonings to taste. (I like my soup thicker and think 2 cups is perfect.)
Notes
* I use a 15 bean blend that includes black beans, garbanzo beans, pinto beans, kidney beans, white northern beans, navy beans, split peas, and lentils.
** I like using two fresh diced tomatoes, though you can use a can of diced tomatoes as well.
*** I use my homemade Umami Vegetable Broth made from kitchen scraps and does not contain any artificial coloring or sodium.
To cook this soup on the stove top, sauté the chopped onions, carrots, celery, and peppers over low-medium heat, until tender-crisp, about 5 minutes. Add in the garlic, zucchini, and seasonings, and sauté 2-3 minutes. Add in the diced tomatoes, beans, and vegetable broth. Simmer for about 20 minutes. Add in the red wine vinegar and adjust seasonings to taste.
Instant Pot 15 Bean Soup
Equipment
- pressure cooker (Instant Pot)
Ingredients
- 20 ounces dry 15 bean medley* soaked overnight
- 1 onion chopped (1-2 cups)
- 3-4 carrots sliced (2 cups)
- 3 celery stalks chopped (1 cup)
- 1-2 zucchini chopped (2-3 cups)
- 2-3 tomatoes chopped** (or 15 ounce can diced tomatoes)
- 3 garlic cloves minced (1 Tbsp)
- 4-5 sprigs fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried thyme
- 2-3 bay leaves
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 2-3 cups vegetable broth***
- 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
- salt to taste optional
Instructions
- Cook the beans in the Instant Pot while preparing the vegetables. Lock the lid in place and ensure the sealing knob is turned to sealing. Set to 8 minutes on Manual/High Pressure and allow the pressure to release naturally. Drain and set aside.
- Using the sauté feature on the Instant Pot, sauté the chopped onions, carrots, celery, and zucchini, until tender-crisp, about 4-5 minutes. Add a tablespoon of water or vegetable broth, if needed, to keep from sticking.
- Add in the garlic, diced tomatoes, bay leaves, and thyme. Stir to combine and sauté for 1 minute. Press cancel.
- Add in the cooked beans, spices, and 2 cups of vegetable broth. Stir to combine.
- Lock the lid in place and ensure the sealing knob is turned to sealing.
- Set for 2 minutes on Manual/High Pressure, then allow the pressure to release naturally.
- Press cancel if set to Keep Warm. Remove the lid and stir in the red wine vinegar. Stir in additional broth, if desired, to reach desired consistency. Adjust seasonings to taste. (I like my soup thicker and think 2 cups is perfect.)
Notes
** I like using two fresh diced tomatoes, though you can use a can of diced tomatoes as well.
*** I use my homemade Umami Vegetable Broth made from kitchen scraps and does not contain any artificial coloring or sodium. To cook this soup on the stove top, sauté the chopped onions, carrots, celery, and peppers over low-medium heat, until tender-crisp, about 5 minutes. Add in the garlic, zucchini, and seasonings, and sauté 2-3 minutes. Add in the diced tomatoes, beans, and vegetable broth. Simmer for about 20 minutes. Add in the red wine vinegar and adjust seasonings to taste.