Quick Nutrient-Rich Black Bean Soup (Review)
on May 29, 2024, Updated Jul 16, 2024
This post contains affiliate links. Please see our disclosure policy.
Welcome to a bowl of pure comfort and nutrition with Chef AJ’s Quick Nutrient-Rich Black Bean Soup! Packed with a rainbow of vegetables and bursting with flavor, this easy-to-make soup is your perfect solution for a hearty, wholesome meal. Whether you’re looking for a quick lunch or a satisfying dinner, this black bean soup delivers a rich, savory taste while providing a powerhouse of nutrients. It’s a delicious way to enjoy a variety of veggies in one warm, comforting dish!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
As a family that constantly juggles multiple businesses along with running the blog, finding recipes that are quick, easy, and nutritious is an absolute must. We went on a mission to make as many of Chef AJ’s Instant Pot recipes as we could – because quick, plant-based, oil-free and low sodium meals are our goal. Never having owned an Instant Pot before, it was a really good exercise for us! When I’m not in the kitchen developing new plant-based recipes, my hectic schedule keeps me on the go – so I need meals that basically make themselves with minimal effort. This soup fits the bill perfectly.
Not only does it come together quickly with a few frozen ingredients and pantry staples, but the straightforward instructions make it an incredibly beginner-friendly recipe. Even someone with zero cooking experience could whip this up without issue. Using basic ingredients like canned black beans, frozen corn, and some fresh produce like onions and garlic, it’s a nutrient-dense soup that doesn’t require any fancy techniques or equipment. For a busy entrepreneur like myself, having such a simple yet satisfying recipe in my back pocket is invaluable on those nights when time is limited but I still want something homemade and healthy.
Key Ingredients
Let’s take a closer look at each ingredient in Chef AJ’s recipe for Quick Nutrient-Rich Black Bean Soup and explore why they’re essential:
- Black beans are the star of the soup, providing a delicious earthy flavor along with plant-based protein and fiber to keep you feeling full.
- Sweet potatoes add natural sweetness and creamy texture while contributing vitamin A, vitamin C, and potassium.
- Corn kernels lend a lovely pop of texture and color, as well as fiber, folate, and antioxidants like lutein and zeaxanthin.
- Garlic brings its signature pungent aroma and flavor that makes the soup incredibly savory and comforting.
- Onions provide the aromatic base for the soup, adding depth of flavor along with prebiotics, vitamin C, and antioxidants.
- Spinach packs a nutritional punch with vitamins A, K, and C, folate, iron, and magnesium while lending an earthy green essence.Lime juice brightens up the soup with a burst of citrusy acidity that balances and enhances the other flavors.
The Process
Making Chef AJ’s Nutrient-Rich Black Bean Soup couldn’t be easier! You are minutes away from enjoying a rich, nutritious soup!
Add all ingredients except for the greens to the Instant Pot. Give everything a stir to combine.
Cook on high pressure for 8 minutes. Release the pressure and add the defrosted greens to the hot soup. Use an immersion blender or a regular blender to blend the soup to your desired consistency.
Recipe Tips
- If you prefer a chunky soup texture, you can serve it as is. For a smoother, creamier soup, use an immersion blender to blend it directly in the pot until it reaches your desired consistency. Or, transfer the hot soup in batches to a blender and blend until smooth.
- For a soup with both smooth and chunky textures, don’t fully puree all of it. Leave some unblended soup in the pot after pureeing a portion, then stir it back into the blended soup.
- Save time on chopping the ingredients finely if you are blending the soup. Some things can go into the pot whole, others may just need a quick rough chop.
- Adding the zest of one lime will give the soup a delicious flavor boost.
- Use your favorite greens or whatever you have on hand. We used some fresh bok choy and spinach. Bok choy isn’t a common ingredient to have on hand, but we jumped at the chance to use it up!
- Be sure to use sun-dried tomatoes packed in water instead of oil, if at all possible. I used oil-packed because that’s all I had. I rinsed them very well with hot water before adding them to the pot. It isn’t ideal for an oil-free lifestyle, but sometimes we need to work with what we have on hand.
- Chipotle chili powder can be spicy. Omit it to decrease the heat. Or add more if you are like us and like to keep things spicy.
- Garnish with chopped scallions or crushed oil-free tortilla chips. The soup is also delicious served over brown rice or a baked white or sweet potato.
Keepin’ It Fresh: How to Store the Quick Nutrient-Rich Black Bean Soup
Be sure to completely cool the soup and allow it to come to room temperature before storing it in a covered container in the refrigerator. The soup also freezes very well. We keep this one stocked in our freezer for quick soup + salad lunches.
Frequently Asked Questions
The soup will last for up to 7 days in the refrigerator.
Yes! The soup does very well to freeze and will keep for up to 6 months in the freezer.
Of course, but you will need to cook your beans before using them in this recipe. Look up a dried bean recipe for your Instant Pot to speed things along.
Of course! That’s what I did!
Yes! This soup is a great way to use up any greens you have on hand.
Of course! It will take longer. I would sauté the onion, mushrooms and garlic first in vegetable broth until soft and then add the spices for a few minutes to release their flavor. Then add all the rest of the ingredients and simmer until the vegetables are tender.
Chef AJ’s Quick Nutrient-Rich Black Bean Soup
Equipment
- Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 6 cups vegetable broth, low-sodium or water
- 3 (15 oz) cans black beans, salt-free or low sodium
- 1 red onion, peeled and rough chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled
- 8 ounces mushrooms
- 1 pound frozen spinach or kale, defrosted with water squeezed out
- 1 large sweet potato, peeled if not organic
- 1 bag frozen corn, fire-roasted and defrosted
- 2 ounces sun-dried tomatoes, not oil-packed
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- ½ tbsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp chipotle chili powder, or more to taste
- 4 tbsp lime juice, plus zest if using fresh
The Verdict
This high fiber nutrition bomb of a soup hit the spot for us. In our quest to make a bunch of Chef AJ’s Instant Pot recipes, we discovered just how handy it is to have frozen soup in the freezer to eat later when you’re in a pinch. The soup very much reminded us of the flavor of black bean enchiladas… and who doesn’t love those? We would definitely make this one again.
