I made my own version of Panera Bread's Vegan Black Bean Soup last night, and thanks to my Instant Pot Pressure Cooker - it was fast and easy!
And tasty? It tasted just like the restaurant version, only mine is completely oil-free!

Besides being full of all that Black Bean goodness (protein, fiber, calcium, iron, etc), this soup is also literally LOADED with veggies.
Onion, garlic, celery, green chile, tomatoes, and red bell pepper add even more antioxidants and phytonutrients, without even a HINT of saturated fat or cholesterol.
And none of that fake processed stuff either.....nope....just REAL food. WHOLE foods.... like nature intended.
Did I mention it tastes great?
It is EVERY bit as good (if not BETTER) as the restaurant version, and by using my Instant Pot Pressure Cooker I reduced the time to cook the dried Black Beans down to about 30 minutes.
So if you're looking for another Instant Pot Recipe - or maybe just another great 'South of the Border' Recipe - then definitely give this one a try.
Vegan Black Bean Soup (Instant Pot)

Start by finely chopping the following vegetables into your Instant Pot.
- 1 red onion
- 2 ribs of celery
- ½ of a red bell pepper
Set your IP to SAUTE mode and using a few tablespoons of water or veg broth, sauté until the veggies begin to soften.
Next, stir in 4-5 cloves of minced garlic and the following spices:
- 2 tsp Mexican oregano (crumble it between your palms first)
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 1-2 tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp ground pepper
Mix that up well until it becomes aromatic, then turn off the heat by pressing the KEEP WARM button on your IP.
Next, add 2 cups of low sodium veggie broth and 2 cups of water. Stir well.
Rinse and pick over 2 cups of dried Black Beans (removing any odd-shaped ones, rocks, whatever) and add the beans to the pot. Again, stir well.
Finally, pour one can of Rotel Tomatoes with Green Chiles right into the center of the soup. DO NOT MIX. Tomatoes scorch really easy if they come in contact with the hot outside edges of the pot, so leave them in the center. I also used a NO SALT ADDED variety of Rotel to keep the salt content down.
Attach your IP lid, make sure the vent plug is set to SEALING and set your timer for MANUAL MODE for 30 minutes.
Come back 30 minutes later and allow the IP to naturally vent for 10 minutes. I use a wooden spoon to help pop up the vent valve and release whatever steam is remaining. (CAUTION: The steam is VERY HOT!)
Carefully remove the lid, and remove 2 cups of the soup to a blender and blend until smooth, then stir this back into the soup to thicken.
If the soup is still too thin, you can add 1 tablespoon of Masa Harina Corn Flour to help thicken it up even more.
Garnish with chopped green onion, cilantro, salsa, lime wedges, or even a dollop of my Green Chili Sour Cream if you like, and maybe some homemade Cornbread for a complete meal.
As always, I hope you enjoy this flavorful and healthy soup. Let me know what you think and be sure and like it on Facebook or Instagram!
Enjoy!

Vegan Black Bean Soup (Instant Pot)
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 servings 1x
- Category: Soup/Stew
- Method: Instant Pot
- Cuisine: Mexican
Description
A copycat recipe of Panera Bread's Vegan Black Bean Soup, using an Instant Pot. Cooks in just 30 minutes!
Ingredients
- 1 red onion (finely diced)
- 2 ribs celery (finely diced)
- ½ red bell pepper (finely diced)
- 4-5 cloves garlic (finely minced)
- 2 tsp Mexican oregano
- 2 tsp McCormick's chili powder
- 1-2 tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp ground pepper
- 2 cups low sodium vegetable broth
- 2 cups water
- 2 cups dried black beans
- 1 can Rotel tomatoes & green chiles (10oz)
Instructions
- Finely chop onion, celery, and bell pepper and add to Instant Pot. Saute veggies using SAUTE MODE using a splash of water or veggie broth to prevent sticking.
- Stir in garlic & spices and simmer just until they become aromatic. About 15-20 seconds.
- Press KEEP WARM to stop the saute mode and remove the heat.
- Slowly add the vegetable broth and water and stir well.
- Rinse 2 cups of dried black beans, removing any debris, and add to pot. Stir to mix.
- Pour the Rotel tomatoes into the CENTER of the soup and DO NOT STIR.
- Attach lid, make sure vent is set to SEALING, and set timer for MANUAL MODE for 30 minutes.
- Allow to naturally vent for 10 minutes before CAREFULLY releasing whatever steam is left (I use a wooden spoon handle)
- Remove 2 cups of the beans & veggies and blend until smooth. Add back into the soup and stir.
- Garnish with chopped green onion, cilantro, salsa, lime wedges, or even my Green Chile Sour Cream if desired.
Notes
Keywords: black bean soup
MCB
Absolutely the best soup! My go- to last minute meal is Dr McDougall’s black bean soup. This was of course so far superior I’ll never buy them again because I’ll be freezing my leftovers so I always have this available! Thanks Chuck!
Cena
Just made this for tonight. I had no celery so I used stalks from chard. Served over white rice. So pretty. Put some fresh chopped tomatoes for garnish. This will be on our winter rotation .
MG
Love this recipe! Its my go to when I need something but don't know when we will be eating. I took this to my daughter's house , ready to go, , plugged it in when we arrived and when we were done meeting and greeting, lunch was ready! Paired it with a loaf of homemade bread.
!
★★★★★
Sheryl
Easy to make and absolutely delicious!
★★★★★