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Instant Pot Black Bean Soup

Black Beans
Black Beans

Yesterday, I decided to try an old recipe…Instant Pot Style! Black Bean Soup has been a favorite of mine for a long time. Black beans are healthy, economical, and they taste great!

I don’t cook a lot using recipes, but I like to share them when I do:)

My first few experiences with the Instant Pot made me want to throw it out the door! I persisted because of my dear friend Lee who uses her Instant Pot constantly and is always telling me how it makes fixing dinner so easy. She is such a patient teacher! So here goes another experiment…

Ingredients:

4 cups dried black beans

2 quarts chicken broth

2 cups salsa (homemade or store-bought)

2 -3 teaspoons cumin to taste

4 garlic cloves (my favorite!) or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

4 teaspoons lime juice

Salt (to taste)

Optional seasoning: red pepper added for heat

Optional toppings: cilantro, sour cream, or plain yogurt

Add the dried black beans with the chicken broth and cook in the Instant Pot for 14 minutes (use the manual setting to set the time).

While beans are cooking, saute the onions in a skillet.

After the 14 minutes is up, let the Instant Pot self-release its steam. Stir to make sure the beans are well cooked, and then add the sauteed onions, salsa, lime, and all the seasonings. Turn it on saute for about 5 minutes until it is all hot and mixed well. If you want it to have more liquid you can add some more broth or water at this point, and then it’s done! This soup has a lot of wonderful flavors! You can serve it with rice, tortillas, or tortilla chips.

 

Original Black Bean Soup and Short Cuts Added

The original recipe is not as large so I always had to double and triple it when the kids were home. You know how much boys can eat!

Here is the recipe:

1 lb. dry beans cooked according to directions (shortcut: use two cans cooked black beans)

1 -2 C  chicken broth  (substitute: 1 C water and 1 bouillon cube for each cup)

1 small onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced (substitute: 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder)

2 cups of homemade salsa (substitute: 16 oz jar store-bought salsa)

4 teaspoons lime juice

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Optional toppings:

chopped fresh cilantro

sour cream or plain yogurt

Coat a large saucepan with cooking spray, cook onion and garlic over med-high for 4-5 min.  Add the cooked beans with their liquid, the salsa, lime, cumin, red pepper, and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low.  Cover.  Cook, stirring occasionally for 25-30 minutes.  Top with yogurt and fresh cilantro.

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Andalusian Christmas Soup

Andalusian Christmas Soup

How I Found This Recipe

Andalusian Christmas Soup.  My story. This recipe was found on a radio program in the 1980s while driving around Seattle, possibly being stuck in traffic. The host of the radio program offered the recipe for those who requested it. I requested it.

I was recently telling someone about this recipe and after a search for my original recipe, I found it while in WV. I hope you like it as much as I do! This recipe works well for vegetarians as well as meat eaters.

Origins

The south of Spain is the home of this inexpensive make-ahead soup. When served with condiments that include meats like miniature meatballs and sausage, fresh vegetables, and substantial garnishes, it makes a full meal especially well suited to informal entertaining.

The soup base is a blend of tomato puree, chicken broth, herbs and lots of sweet, slow-cooked onions. Serve it hot in a soup tureen or casserole, surrounded by choice of condiments.

The Recipe for the Soup Base

2 Tablespoons butter or margarine
1 Tablespoon olive oil
4 cups thinly sliced onions
3 Tablespoons flour (omit if gluten is an issue for you or your family) Use another thickener.
1 can (1 lb.) tomato puree
2 quarts chicken broth
1 clove garlic, minced or mashed
1 Tablespoon each red wine vinegar, Worcestershire
1/4 teaspoon each pepper, oregano, tarragon leaves, and liquid hot pepper seasoning
1/2 teaspoon cumin seed crushed

Condiments (suggestions below)

Directions

In a 4 or 5 quart pan, over medium-low heat, melt the butter; add the olive oil and onions. Slowly cook the onions stirring occasionally, until they are limp and slightly golden; it takes about 45 minutes.

Sprinkle flour over onions and blend; gradually stir in tomato puree and broth. Add the garlic and vinegar, Worcestershire, pepper, oregano, tarragon, hot pepper seasoning, and cumin; stir until well blended. Bring to boiling over high heat, reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Condiments:

Meats (choose 2 or 3)

  • About 30 meatballs: combine 1/2 lb. lean ground beef; 1 Tablespoon chopped green onions; 1/4 teaspoon salt; and 1/8 teaspoon each ground cumin, crushed oregano leaves, and pepper; form into bite-sized balls and bake in a shallow pan in a 500-degree oven for 5 minutes.
  • About 10 ounces linguica, chorizo, or kielbasa sausages: slice about 1/4 inch thick and in a dry frying pan over medium heat, turning until browned.
  • 1/4 to 1/3 pound tiny cooked shelled shrimp
  • About 3/4 pound cooked ham: cut into 1/2 inch cubes and saute in 2 Tablespoons butter until slightly browned.

Fresh Vegetables: (choose 3 or 4)

1 cup each of several vegetables

  • cubed red or green bell pepper or a mixture of the two
  • diced peeled cucumber
  • diced fresh tomato
  • diced sweet onion
  • 1/2 pound fresh mushrooms: sliced and sauteed in 2 Tablespoons butter
  • 1/2 pound fresh carrots: slice and cook in a small amount of water until fork tender, drain.

Garnishes (choose 3 or 4)

  • 3 or 4 hard cooked boiled eggs, coarsely chopped
  • 1 to 1 1/2 cups sour cream
  • 1/4 pound grated cheddar cheese, shredded
  • 2 or 3 small limes cut into wedges
  • 1 small can garbanzos drained
  • 1 small can of sliced ripe olives, drained
  • About 1/2 cup chopped parsley

This was originally published on my Redding Mountain blog.