Simple Pinto Bean Soup (Instant Pot)

By the Gracious Vegan

The recipe for this healthy soup came about in my quest to get more beans into my diet. Soup seemed like a great solution, and I had some pinto beans, so…. I could have added a lot more to it (vegetables, grains), but I really like the deep flavor—the red wine vinegar at the end is the key. The seasoning isn’t complicated but packs a punch. You can always load up on garnishes to dress it up if you’re feeling fancy. Stovetop directions at bottom. Freezes well!

See below the recipe for a comparison of pinto vs. black beans.

Makes 7 servings (about 200 calories per serving)

Add the following ingredients to the Instant Pot.

1 pound (about 2.5 cups) dried pinto beans
7 cups water
1 small or medium onion, chopped
5 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
1.5 teaspoons cumin
1.5 teaspoons oregano (or Mexican oregano)

Cook on high pressure (“Manual”) for 30 minutes, then wait for at least 10 minutes before releasing, but you can basically wait as long as you like—it will be fine on Low.

Vent any remaining pressure. Remove the Instant Pot lid and add the following ingredients.

2-3 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
1.5 teaspoons salt

I like to use a stick (immersion) blender (or scoop some of the soup into your regular blender—be careful of hot soup in the blender—don’t fill it more than 1/3 full) to create a creamy base for the soup—if you prefer the beans-and-broth texture, skip the blending. Garnish each bowl of soup, if desired, with:

Gracious Vegan Crema, green onions, radishes, chopped tomatoes, finely chopped bell peppers

You can add about 1.5 cooked brown rice or other cooked grain at the end—very tasty.

Stovetop directions: Increase the water to 8 cups. Soak the pinto beans overnight, then drain and rinse them. Put everything together in a soup pot or Dutch oven. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a low simmer, cover the pot, and start checking for doneness after an hour. It may take up to two hours, depending on your beans, water, heat. After the beans are soft, follow the directions above.

Pinto vs. black beans

You can substitute black beans for the pintos in this recipe. The two beans’ nutritional profiles are very similar—both are super-healthy.

Here are the numbers for a half-cup serving of each type of:

Protein: about 7.5 grams of protein for each kind of bean
Fiber: about 7.5 grams for each type of bean
Carbs: about 20 grams for each
Calories: about 110 calories for each