by Every Sunday I have been making a large batch of soup in the Instant Pot so that we can have leftover soup for lunch all week. I’ve been trying to think of a new soup to make besides my Moroccan Lentil Soup or 3-Bean Vegetable Soup, and I remembered that Panera Bread has a really yummy Black Bean Soup on their menu (although it’s seasonal, so you can’t always find it 😟).
My original intent was to try to create a cheater Black Bean soup to mirror theirs, but then I decided to go a little different direction because I didn’t have a red pepper on hand last weekend, and I also wanted to put tomatoes in it for the lycopene (and I don’t think Panera puts tomatoes in theirs). While I didn’t think this soup was exactly like Panera’s (the flavor and the texture was slightly different), we still really liked how it turned out, so I still decided to put it out on the blog. I still might try to recreate Panera’s in a month or so because theirs is also very good. 😋
I also decided to start using dried beans in my soups instead of canned beans. At the beginning of the pandemic (March 2020), I had purchased a couple of bags of dried beans in case there were any food shortages. I never ended up using them, and realized today they were still in my pantry. Dried beans last for quite a few years (between 3-5 years as long as they are stored properly), and they are a lot more economical than using canned beans. You do have to plan a little in advance because beans should be soaked overnight or for about 8-12 hours before using.
This recipe makes quite a bit of soup (6-8 servings). We like to make the large batch to have leftover soup for lunch during the weekdays, but you can also easily half the recipe so that it isn’t so large.
Black Bean Soup
Ingredients
- 3 cups Dried Black Beans, rinsed and soaked overnight (or 4 15-oz cans of black beans, drained and rinsed)
- 1 Large Onion, chopped
- 3 or 4 Carrots, chopped
- 2 or 3 Stalks of celery, chopped
- 1 Red Bell Pepper, chopped
- 1 15-oz can Diced Tomatoes
- 1 Tablespoon Garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons salt (or to taste)
- 2 teaspoons Italian Seasoning
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
- ¼ teaspoon Smoked Paprika
- ¼ teaspoon Pepper & More (or Black Pepper)
- ¼ teaspoon Chili Powder
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 32 ounces Vegetable Broth
- 2 cups water (or you can use additional broth instead)
- 2 Tablespoons Fresh squeezed lemon or lime (about ½ a lemon or a whole lime)
- 2 Tablespoons Cilantro, chopped (optional)
Instructions
If using dried beans:
- Soak the beans overnight or about 8-12 hours.
- Discard the water, and rinse the beans.
Instant Pot
- Add all the ingredients except the fresh cilantro and lemon juice to a 6 quart Instant pot.
- Set on Soup setting and allow to cook through the cycle (30 minutes).
- After steam has released from the Instant Pot (either naturally after enough time has passed on the warm setting or by being released manually), remove the bay leaf.
- At this point, you can either keep the beans whole or puree using an immersion blender or traditional blender. If using an immersion blender, blend a portion of the soup directly in the pot until desired texture is reached. If using a blender, transfer about 4 cups of the soup to the blender, securely fasten the lid, and blend until smooth. Return the pureed soup to the pot.
- Stir in the lemon (or lime) juice and fresh cilantro. Taste the soup and season with additional salt and pepper, if needed. Serve.
Slow Cooker
- Add all the ingredients except the fresh cilantro and lemon juice to a 6 quart Crock Pot
- Cook on low for about 8 hours or until the beans are tender. Remove the bay leaf.
- At this point, you can either keep the beans whole or puree using an immersion blender or traditional blender. If using an immersion blender, blend a portion of the soup directly in the pot until desired texture is reached. If using a blender, transfer about 4 cups of the soup to the blender, securely fasten the lid, and blend until smooth. Return the pureed soup to the pot.
- Stir in the lemon (or lime) juice and fresh cilantro. Taste the soup and season with additional salt and pepper, if needed. Serve.
Stove Top
- Heat 2 Tablespoons Oil (i.e., Olive Oil) in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, celery, and carrots. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft (about 10-15 minutes)
- Stir in the spices, except for the lemon (or lime juice) and fresh cilantro.
- Pour in the beans, broth, and water (if using). Cover and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cook, reducing the heat as needed to maintain a gentle simmer for about 2.5-3 hours (or until the beans are tender).
- At this point, you can either keep the beans whole or puree using an immersion blender or traditional blender. If using an immersion blender, blend a portion of the soup directly in the pot until desired texture is reached. If using a blender, transfer about 4 cups of the soup to the blender, securely fasten the lid, and blend until smooth. Return the pureed soup to the pot.
- Stir in the lemon (or lime) juice and fresh cilantro.
- Taste the soup and season with additional salt and pepper, if needed.
