
Ingredients:
1 # dried black beans, sorted and rinsed or pinto beans (about 3 cups)
2 teaspoons salt
6 cups water
Soup Ingredients:
1 medium onion, diced
3 tablespoons ketchup
1 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon vinegar, I used rice vinegar
6 oz chopped lean ham
1 carrot, peeled or scrubbed and diced
2 small mini peppers or 1/4 bell pepper, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 tablespoon molasses or sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground thyme (or substitute with 2 bay leaves or 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika)
1/4 teaspoon prepared mustard or ground mustard
8 oz tomato sauce
1 small sweet potato, peeled or scrubbed and diced or
replace with another carrot
3 garlic cloves, minced and let sit for 20 minutes.
1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
Quick soak the black beans:
Add beans and salt to a deep pan or small stock pot. Cover with water plus 1-2 inches over bean line. This is about 6-8 cups water. Boil for 10 minutes and cover pot to soak beans for 30 minutes. This can also be done on the saute’
function in your instant pot. Add more water if needed. After soaking, drain cooking water. This will remove some of the oligosaccharides, which are the carbohydrates/sugar in beans that produce gas after eating beans. Another reason to always drain and rinse your canned beans.
Pressure cook the black beans:
After drained, add beans to the pressure cooker or instant pot. Cover with fresh water over 1-2 inches about 5-6 cups. (Or use 4 cups water and 2 cups chicken broth). Make sure your valve in on sealing.
Prepare black bean soup:
Stir in the remaining soup ingredients above, onion through minced garlic. Avoid ham for vegetarian version. Set instant pot cooker to bean/chili function or about 20 minutes. Natural release (or keep in IP for 30 minutes) and then do a quick release, by moving the valve to venting. Cover valve with dish towel to avoid bean juice spurting or spraying.
Remove 1 cup beans and smash with fork return to IP cooker to thicken soup. Add salt and pepper to your preference. I don’t use much salt in my cooking so be sure to taste soup. Serve with lime juice, scallions, tortilla chips/avocado or cornbread.
I created this recipe after a few hours of researching and all I had was confusion. I had made this recipe before with 10 hours of soaking the beans and in the crock pot for 9 hours. So, I used a combination of stove top and instant pot cooker to bring the best of both methods, reducing soaking and cooking times by many hours. Scrubbing instead of peeling your veggies, may provide more nutrients, found just under the peeling. Mincing your garlic and waiting to use may also supply more healthy benefits. Enjoy!
Recipe by Becky Guittar, dietitian and recipe enthusiast.




I have to admit that this summer when I was somewhat not myself, I tried to make some soup in the Instant Pot and mistakenly poured broth into the pot with no stainless steel pot/liner!! The broth poured into the bottom of the unit where all the electronic circuits are located. NOT GOOD!
We tried to “dry the circuits” but just decided instead to ask Santa for a new Instant Pot Duo Plus for Christmas. I found out the new Instant Pot Duo Plus came with some great enhancements. The new one has a screen that shows a cooking progress bar or timeline like pre-heating, cooking and keep warm. I love the screen so you don’t have to guess anymore.