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Vegan 15 Bean Soup (Instant Pot)

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I’m sure you’ve all seen those little bags of 15 Bean Soup Mix?  The ones with all the different colored beans and that little packet of flavoring?

Yeah those….. well I decided to make a Vegan 15 Bean Soup using that same little bag and my Instant Pot, and not only was it fast, AND easy – it was also gosh, darn, REALLY GOOD TOO!

vegan 15 bean soup

And for all our little friends who ask the age-old vegan question of….

“But where do you get your protein?”

Point them right here!

Not only do beans have a TON of protein, they also have calcium, iron, fiber, and loads of potassium.

This recipe makes about 16 servings (in other words – you could feed an army) and measures in at just 142 calories per serving, with very little fat, ZERO cholesterol, 574mg Potassium, 10g of Fiber, and 9g of Protein.

All of that, from just a little bag of beans and some added veggies.

Craziness, huh?

 

Oh, and for all of those people that say they simply can’t afford to eat healthy….. 

 

“What’s wrong with Wendy’s?
Not all of us can afford to spend $70-$80 every time we go out to dinner”   (????? huh what?)
“When you’re on a limited budget like we are, you have to buy what you can afford”

Huh.  Let me see…..

My grocery bill for this entire recipe was just about $9.42.  So for 16 servings, let’s do the math…… you ready?

THAT’S LESS THAN $1 per MEAL!

Hello?  

Tap tap tap {clicking on microphone}  – Is this thing working?  

$1 per meal?

Now I know there are many parts of the country where people simply don’t have access to a grocery store, let alone a Whole Foods or a Farmer’s Market.  But I’m talking about the people who DO, and still choose to eat fast food every day…..no more excuses.

There ARE many affordable, healthy options out there.  You just have to cook them yourself.

And for those WITHOUT an instant pot, I’ll convert this recipe to a stovetop version soon.

Now….let’s get cookin’….

 

 

Vegan 15 Bean Soup (Instant Pot)

 

vegan 15 bean soup 2

Vegan 15 Bean Soup | Brand New Vegan

Start by dumping that bag of beans into a colander (throw away that little packet of seasoning) and rinse the beans well.  Toss the rinsed beans into your Instant Pot.

Then you simply add everything else EXCEPT the canned tomatoes, lime juice, and spinach (if using).

Attach your lid, make sure it’s SEALED, and press MANUAL and HIGH PRESSURE.

Set your timer for 45 minutes and walk away.  It’s really THAT easy.

When finished, allow it to naturally release, or – if you’re in a hurry – drape a washcloth over the vent valve and using a wooden spoon – CAREFULLY start releasing the pressure, little by little.  The Instant Pot is so full, just releasing it all at once will probably blow burning hot soup all over your ceiling – so be careful.

Now you can stir in the canned tomatoes, spinach, and fresh lime juice, the spinach will begin to wilt immediately.

Serve with your choice of sides, but I personally like a nice, warm slice of crusty bread….mmm.

Good stuff.

Hope you enjoy and keep those comments coming!

brandnewvegan

vegan 15 bean soup pin

 

4.9 from 38 votes
vegan 15 bean soup 2
Print
Vegan 15 Bean Soup (Instant Pot)
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
45 mins
Total Time
1 hr
 

A Vegan 15 Bean Soup using one of those little bags of soup mix and my Instant Pot. From dried beans to deliciously healthy soup in just 1 hour. Pure Magic. 

Course: Main
Cuisine: American
Servings: 16 Servings
Calories: 142 kcal
Author: Chuck Underwood
Ingredients
  • 1 bag Hurst's 15 Bean Soup Blend (without the seasoning)
  • 4 cups Vegetable Broth (low sodium)
  • 4 cups Water
  • 2 Tbs Soy Sauce (low sodium)
  • 3 cloves Garlic (minced)
  • 1 med Sweet Onion (chopped)
  • 1 green Bell Pepper (chopped)
  • 1 Jalapeno, minced (optional)
  • 1 can Green Chiles, chopped (7oz)
  • 2 stalks Celery (chopped)
  • 2 Carrots (sliced)
  • 3/4 tsp Cumin
  • 3/4 tsp Thyme
  • 1 Bay Leaf
  • 1 can Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes (15oz)
  • 2 handfuls Fresh Spinach (optional)
  • 2 Tbs Lime Juice (1 lime)
Instructions

  1. Throw away that little seasoning packet in the beans, we won't be using it. 

  2. Rinse the beans well, and add them to your Instant Pot

  3. To the Instant Pot, add the broth, water, soy sauce, garlic, onion, peppers, chiles, celery, carrots, cumin, thyme, and bay leaf.  Attach the lid and set to SEALING. 

  4. Set your Instant Pot to MANUAL mode, HP, and 45 minutes. 

  5. When finished cooking, allow to vent naturally.  OR, cover pressure release valve with a clean washcloth, and using a wooden spoon - CAREFULLY and SLOWLY release the pressure manually.  

  6. Remove lid and stir in tomatoes, spinach, and lime juice.  Mix well and check for seasoning.  Add additional salt and pepper if needed. 

Recipe Notes

With the Soy Sauce and the Veg Broth the sodium content for 1 serving is 256mg.  For those of you watching your sodium intake, you can eliminate the soy sauce, and sub additional water in place of the veg broth.  

Tips Are Always Welcome!

 

 

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  5. Lynda Hill

    Well thanks Chuck. Here in Australia we dont have that particular brand of bean mix so I buy up bags of beans of all varieties (from an Indian shop, it smells so gorgeous in there with all their assorted bags of spices 😉) and make similar to your recipe. Yours looks v yummy. I love my pressure cooker. Greetings from Down Under

    Reply

  6. Evelina Marie

    You forgot the ham/sausage! **Giggles** One teaspoon of liquid smoke goes into the pot with the beans. And a smidge bit more after cooking if still needed. Be sure to let that cook in for a couple of minutes to allow the liquid smoke to meld into the other flavors. Your darling omnivores will never miss the ham bone…nor the smoked sausage.

    Reply

    • Cap'n Dave

      I imagine that you could also add some Tofurky or Field Roast sausage if they’re insistent (after the cooking of the beans, or you’d just wind up with mushy chunks), but just the liquid smoke alone should do it! Maybe a tiny sprinkle of ground clove and a little drizzle of maple syrup to add a “ham” flavor to it? Oh, the possibilities!

      Reply

  7. Sheri

    Hi Chuck! I made this a couple of days ago and had some for dinner tonight over jasmine rice. Wow ! The flavors really intensified overnight. Soo delicious! The only thing I did different was add a tsp of liquid smoke! Delicious!!! Thank you for another winning recipe!!😊👍😊

    Reply

  8. Kelly Ratcliff

    this looks wonderful. I have an IP and am a little intimidated to use it. Going to try this recipe- you make it seem very manageable. Thanks!

    Reply

  9. Sheri

    Hi again Chuck! Well… I had made this soup and while it was delicious.. I grew a bit tired of eating it. No one else in my family eats my delicious food! I was craving chili! I still had a mason jar full of this soup in fridge. So I added 2 TB chili powder, cumin, Rotel and 8 oz of a jalopeno tomato sauce to the soup. Omg!!! Yum!!! I can’t wait for dinner tonight!! 😊😊😊😊

    Reply

  11. Glenda Trimble Hays

    I made this yesterday and, while the taste is good, it had more than an inch of water on the top when we opened the Instant Pot. It was not as creamy as yours, either. Any suggestions?

    Reply

  12. Paul McLellan

    Who are you kidding??? The beans MUST BE SOAKED as stated in the Instapot Manual. Your recipe disaster produced a liquid with hard, uncooked beans that were given 50, not 45 minutes.
    What a waste.

    Reply

      • Terra

        I did not have that problem at all when making it today. The time was perfect. I had a 16 bean blend and there were all kinds of beans, and they all cooked through.

        Reply

    • Erato

      If the beans are old, they will stay hard no matter how long you cook them. Which I learned the hard way 🙁

      Reply

    • J

      I made this on the stove top. Outstanding recipe. I’m sorry you were not successful. Did you add salt. Salt keeps beans from cooking. You don’t want to add it until the beans are totally cooked. Wish I could give you more insight but I don’t own an instant pot

      Reply

    • SandraK

      Just made this today and used the 16 oz (450g) NuPak soup mix and it turned out perfectly although I did make some modifications based on what I had on hand and my energy level. I used about half a bag of frozen chopped vegetables for spaghetti sauce (tomato, onion, celery, green pepper, red pepper) and I had a huge tray of cherry tomatoes so I used about half of that instead of the canned. Didn’t have those chiles so I used some others I had on hand that were Italian and added a thyme sprig. The rest as is! Turned out great! I got about 2.5 litres of soup (I am Canadian eh?) so about 10 servings the way I separated it out for lunches and for freezing.

      Reply

    • Mike Schwehr

      Paul, pressure cookers and instant pots will cook dried beans just fine if you remember not to add acidic food with them. Tomatoes, tomato paste, or lemon juice will stop dry beans from re-hydrating, leave those ingredients until after the beans are fully cooked. Also, make sure your pressure is set to high, or 15 lbs. If you cook but don’t add pressure, the beans won’t soften for hours. I speak from experience on both tips.

      Reply

  13. Linda York

    I don’t know about anybody else but I made this recipe exactly to Chuck’s instructions and it came out AMAZING!! The depth of flavor was just incredible. My husband and I will be making this a regular dish come winter. Thank you so much for this one!!

    Reply

  15. Gail Garner Seffens

    Making the soup tonight — minus some of the ingredients I’m currently out of (bell pepper and green peppers) and have a question. What is the “HP” mode on the instant pot? I know about manual and the 45 min, but am somewhat new to using the IP and don’t know all it’s various quirks. Thank you for all the great recipes you’e posted.

    Reply

  16. Chuck

    Chuck …. I made this today, only with 16 Beans, not 15 LOL The taste was absolute perfection for me. I had my doubts on how it would turn out because I had some really old beans, but it turned out just fine !!!!! This is definitely a keeper for me (good thing because I made my own mix and wound up with 13 quart size jars of mix that I will have to use up. You can’t get much healthier than this 🙂

    Reply

  17. Nicole

    I’ve been making this for years on the stove and just got an Instant Pot. Do you really not need to soak the beans overnight?????

    Reply

  18. Kelly Jo Jensen Ratcliff

    I have a large bag of heirloom beans on hand that I will use. Can you approximate how many cups of beans I should use in this recipe?

    Reply

  20. Emilee Newman Bowles

    Made this tonight and it was delicious. My three-year-old is my pickiest eater and tonight he said, “I like these beans. They are yummy in my tummy. They make me happy.” No better recommendation than that!

    Reply

  21. Poppie

    I got my IP 3 days ago and this I was my very first recipe- can I just say…Wow!! This soup is delicious. Your instructions were spot-on and so easy to follow, even for a novice IP user. I omitted all of the peppers as they don’t agree with me. Looking forward to trying out some of your other recipes, Chuck. Thanks!!

    Reply

  22. Ella

    Chuck just found your website, right now trying the baked fries. Not sure where you are located but your recipes have a southern flair. I am southern and while I like the sound of your 15 beans, (I am not vegan but mostly) we cook a lot of pintos here with just water added, of course the southern way is add chunks of meat but you can cook them fine without meat. I know know you are wondering what the heck my question is right? I would like to cook pinto beans in the instant pot and have them come out with not watery substance but a nice thick soup, unless you are southern you probably won’t know what I mean,,,,after all,,,,we tend to cook our stuff to death lol.
    I just never know how much water and how much time in the instant pot. Well even if you don’t know the answer it was fine chatting with you and good luck on future adventures of cooking.

    Reply

    • Kandi V

      I cook 1 lb of pinto beans (unsoaked) and 5 1/2 cups of water for 50 minutes using the bean option. Nice and creamy! (I’m from AL. Perfect consistency for soaking up with cornbread)

      Reply

  23. Dorie Vazquez-Nolan

    I just bought my instapot today and your recipe looks very easy. I had already soaked my beans so I have my instapot set on manual for 25 minutes. I noticed the cookbook included with the instapot had a recipe for black bean soup with soaked beans and it said to only cook for 8-10 minutes. I didn’t saute my onions like that recipe directed so I’m hoping they will be tender. I’ll let ya know how it turns out!

    Reply

  25. Melissa

    I made this soup recently and you vegan granddaughter loved it. Several non-vegans loved it too! Oh, and no soaking is necessary when cooking beans no the Instant Pot!

    Reply

    • Tracy

      I would not recommend not soaking the beans, I’ve made this many times and love it, when I soak the beans. I like my beans soft and not crunchy.

      Reply

  27. Rach

    Love it! With coming to pressure and release plan for about 90 minutes, but it’s so delicious. I didn’t have bell pepper or a jalapeño, but they would have added to it. I used red wine vinegar instead of lime.

    Reply

  28. Sharon

    I used red beans as our grocery store did not have the mixed beans. I was afraid on what the result would be in not presoaking thebeans but took the chance. I cooked the soup for 50 minutes and the beans were tender. Yay! So happy to now know I don’t have to pre soak. My problem was they were very liquid, not creamy like your picture. I was afraid to add less water/ broth but will do so next time. I am now cooking them an extra 10 minutes to see if it helps toward the creaminess. Thanks for this IP recipe. Sure beats cooking the beans all day!!

    Reply

  29. Devan B

    Great recipe.

    I noticed many comments added some liquid smoke to the recipe. With that in mind, I swapped out the can of green chiles for canned chipotles in adobo sauce. I used two peppers and about a half a tablespoon of adobo sauce. I would characterize the final soup as medium spicy. You can adjust accordingly but my family and guests raved about it.

    Reply

  30. Terra

    I made this as the second vegan instant pot meal I have tried. I got an instant pot for christmas! My first meal was your instant pot chili. My bf and I have wanted to go vegan for a while but you know, change is hard. So we have started a vegan diet for the new year. One of my go to soups before was a Cajun bean soup, which of course had ham hocks in it. I took this recipe today and modified it by adding Cajun seasoning, celery leaves, fresh parsley, fresh rosemary and some vegetable based mock “chicken broth” cubes. I left out the jalapeno and used a 1o oz can of whole green chilis that I processed down myself and added some ancho chili powder. It really turned out great and I’m glad I could find a vegan alternative to an old staple. Thanks for giving me a starting point!

    Reply

  31. J P

    If I don’t soak or quick soak beans the extra gas is horrid. Vegans complain about gas and now I think I know why: it’s too easy to skip that first important step. The recipe is great, but, if you have a gas problem soak your beans.

    Reply

  32. Susan

    I have a Duo Mimi 3 quart Instant Pot. I’m wondering if this recipe is too big for this model, Im just learning how to use it.

    Reply

  33. Mico

    Toss in a teaspoon or tablespoon of fennel seeds in the IP and sauté a couple of minutes before continuing on with the beans. Fennel helps to get rid of the gas issues and gives a slight sweetness too.

    Reply

  34. Tami

    This was my first Instant Pot meal. I followed the directions exactly as written, and felt that the lime in the soup was overwhelming. I adjusted by separating out some of the liquid and adding more broth, and a can of cannelli beans. I’d recommend to others to start with 1 tablespoon lime juice, and then adjust. I also added some cayenne pepper to kick it up a notch.

    Reply

  35. Shannon

    I made this today in my Instant Pot and it was a huge hit with my three kids (ages 8, 5, and 3)! I added a pinch of crushed red peppers before cooking to give it a little more heat, but otherwise followed the recipe. This will be a keeper! Thank you so much!

    Reply

  36. Karen

    How long to cook if I’ve soaked the beans. I do better for digestion. I’ve made it with out soaking and it was very tasty!

    Reply

  37. Liz

    Made this tonight – easy and tasty! I swapped the jalapenos for chipotle in adobo… Great flavor even if it was a little spicy for our sensitive taste buds. I’ll definitely make this again! Thanks for the recipe. We’re trying to eat less meat and more plants, so this was a wonderful find!

    Reply

  38. Annie Wilhite

    Making this tonight (right now)! Without all the heat, lol. I left out the chilies and jalapeños and will add regular diced tomatoes. I also added chili powder, a pinch of cayenne, smoked paprika, and a splash of vegan worcestershire to make up for the flavors I left out. I’ll update once we taste it to see if the changes were all right 🙂 Thank you for the guidance!

    Reply

    • Annie Wilhite

      It was delicious! I would probably leave out the cayenne next time because it didn’t provide a lot of flavor up front but did leave a slight lingering tingle, not a great trade-off. I’ll add more chili powder. We used collard greens instead of spinach. Delicious! Thanks again 🙂

      Reply

  39. Karl

    Delicious! Store only had the 16oz size of beans so I cut the liquid from 8 to 6 cups, bit on the watery side but not by much. Will stick to these same measurements next time. Thanks!

    Reply

  40. Sue H

    I have a 3 quart Lux. I cut the recipe in half. (I’m new) Will this work? The ingredients are a little over 1/2 mark in pot.

    Reply

  41. marina

    I know this calls for an instapot but I don’t have one. Can you give me a brief description of how to make this on the stove?

    Reply

  43. Keri

    Made this today and it was fantastic. Didn’t have everything so I did a little substituting here and there and it came out terrific. It’s just me and my husband in the house, so we’ll have leftovers for days, but that’s not a bad thing. Can’t wait to add things to it to make it something new each time. Thank you!

    Tomorrow we’re trying the Easy Deviled Potatoes and I can’t wait! 🙂

    Reply

  45. Lynn

    Made this today for use for my bridge club luncheon on Friday. Will keep in the refrigerator until Friday morning. What is the best way to reheat this for our lunch… in the Instant Pot (and if so, what setting would you recommend) or on the stovetop? Thanks!

    Reply

  46. Dana

    Only had a bag of cranberry beans on hand and made the soup anyway. Loved it. Realized after I served it that I didn’t put in the tomatoes or spinach, but it was still delicious. Thank you!

    Reply

  47. Patricia

    I made this with a bulk bean blend from Sprouts. I didn’t quite have 20 oz. of beans (more like 18oz.), but it still came out perfect. I will definitely be making this again and again! Thanks for the amazing recipes. I made the “Best Damn Instant Pot Chili” last week. Also excellent, but I think I like this one even more!

    Reply

  49. paul

    I just purchased an instapot duo 80 7 in 1 programmable. It has a bean setting. should I just not use this for this receipt, I am looking forward to making this, My girlfriend is a Vegan, she will hopefully love it. Also I am going to parents for thanksgiving and making a ham, I plan on adding the bone and some ham for them and myself.

    Reply

  52. Janet

    Just finished a bowl of this soup and WOW it was delicious! I followed the recipe exactly as written and the beans were creamy and perfectly cooked. We will make this again and again. Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply

  54. Judy

    I finally made this soup last night, with a couple personal tweaks as I am not a big fan of hot spices. I used half the cumin and did not use jalapeno; added an extra half can of tomatoes because I had it left over from another recipe, and had no lime. It turned out savory delicious and my husband loved it!

    Reply

    • Judy

      Oh, and I used regular onion as I had no sweet on hand. Isn’t it wonderful how versatile plant food is?

      Reply

  55. Diana Ceko

    Absolutely delicious! Used 1 lb. bag of mixed beans and did not soak the beans. Also, only had a 10 oz. can of fire roasted tomatoes, so I added a large fresh tomato. The lime is very important, don’t leave out. Threw out the flavor packet too.

    Reply

  56. Liz keplar

    Delicious!!! Added a little liquid smoke to replicate ham taste. I did have to cook the soup an extra ten minutes, as the larger white beans weren’t soft enough, but I’d quick released, so maybe natural release would have worked perfectly. Very yummy!

    Reply

  57. Beth P

    I made this tonight for our dinner and served it over Mexican red rice with vegan corn muffins. It was absolutely delicious! I followed the recipe but did not add the optional jalapeños as the rice also had peppers in it. I will definitely make this again. I’m sure it will be a winter staple.

    Reply

  59. VeggieTater

    Oh no! Throw the Hambeens packet away??? No way, send it to me,,, it’s awesome! It’s vegan, there’s nothing horrible in it, and sure beats using actual ham!

    Reply

  60. Patricia Hansen

    I made this soup yesterday and it’s excellent! I didn’t have a jalapeno and didn’t think to get one at the store, so I used a can of hot Hatch chiles. Unfortunately, they disappeared completely, so there was no heat or chile flavor in such a big pot of soup. I have some frozen Hatch chiles, so maybe I’ll thaw some for the soup next time. Because there will definitely be a next time!

    Reply

  61. Shannon

    Hi Chuck, I am new to cooking and made this yesterday in my pressure cooker. I want to love it but it is really bland. what can I do to give it more flavor?

    Reply

  62. Vera

    I made this soup months ago twice and it was amazing! I just made it again, and it’s not soup or even a stew. It’s a one-pot meal with no liquid. I don’t understand…

    Reply

  63. Lee

    Since I pots come in different sizes I was wondering if this recipe can be doubled or maybe at least 1 1/2 times in a 6 quart?

    Reply

  65. SusanC

    I made this soup last night & it is so so good! I think tonight I’ll have it over mashed potatoes. I’m a bit of a soupaholic so happy to have a new one in the rotation.

    Reply

  66. Cheryl Dutcher

    I have had a bag of 13 bean soup for awhile looking for the right recipe and this definitely did it. I left out the tomatoes and spinach but it turned out great and I have leftovers for work. I will add this to my recipe library.

    Reply

    • Tamia

      Meant to say I would love this recipe for a crockpot. Could you please give the instructions for making this in a crockpot. Thank you

      Reply

  72. Jennifer

    There are not enough stars to give this soup! Absolutely wonderful exactly as it is in the recipe without modification. If you are even considering giving this a try I highly recommend it. This recipe is very flavorful and not bland at all like many bean soups out there.

    Reply

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