Description

This Pressure Cooker Black Bean Soup is a household favorite in the cold fall and winter months. It's the best kind of hearty, stick-to-your bones meal that is always welcome on an especially chilly night -- and is just as good, if not better, the next day.

Ingredients

Scale

8 oz (1/2 lb) uncured bacon, chopped
2 cloves minced garlic (may sub for 2 tbsp garlic-infused olive oil if intolerant)
1/2 yellow or red onion (about 150 grams) (may sub for 100 g / 1 cup green onion tops if intolerant)
1 large (about 120 g) poblano pepper, seeded and chopped
1 large (about 45 g) jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
16 oz (2 cups) chicken broth (see notes below for adjusted liquid measurements when using dried beans)
5 - 15 oz cans black beans, drained but not rinsed -- OR -- 1 lb dried black beans (see notes below for dried bean prep)*
1 tbsp cumin
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp paprika
2 tsp Kosher salt
1/2 tsp Cracked black pepper
Optional toppings: sour cream, shredded cheese, green or red onion (or pico de gallo), diced avocado, cilantro, lime wedges, hot sauce

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Instructions

Set your electric pressure cooker to the saute function. Once hot, add the bacon and cook stirring regularly with a wooden spoon or spatula until browned. Reserve cooked bacon in a paper towel-lined prep bowl to the side.
Carefully dispose of all but 3 tbsp rendered bacon fat. If you are using the garlic-infused olive oil substitution instead of garlic cloves, you can dispose of all but about 1 tbsp of the rendered bacon fat, then add the garlic oil at this time.
Add the onion, poblano pepper, jalapeno pepper, and minced garlic cloves (if using) and saute for 2-3 minutes, stirring regularly, until the onion and peppers have slightly softened. Turn the saute function off so that the bowl can begin to cool slightly.
Add the chicken broth to the bowl and using your wooden spoon or spatula, scrape any brown bits from the bottom of the bowl. This will help prevent the pressure cooker from giving a burn notice during cooking.
Add the black beans to the bowl along with the reserved bacon. Then season with cumin, chili powder, paprika, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine.
Secure the lid and set to pressure cook on high for 25-minutes for canned beans, 50-minutes for pre-soaked dried beans, or 65-minutes for unsoaked dried beans.
Once finished, natural release pressure for 15-minutes, then safely quick release the remaining pressure. Taste for salt and adjust if needed. Serve warm with optional toppings of choice and a side of Brown Butter Buttermilk Skillet Cornbread on the side.

Notes

Do I need to pre-soak my dried black beans? No, technically you do not have to pre-soak your black beans before making this soup. However, I prefer to pre-soak mine because it helps the beans cook more quickly and evenly and it can help make them easier to digest.

Pre-soaking dried black beans: The night before I plan to make soup (or first thing in the morning) I transfer the dried beans to a large bowl and cover with water (2-inches above the beans), then cover the bowl and allow to rest for 8-12 hours). After soaking, you'll want to drain the beans well and give them a good rinse rather than using the liquid the beans were soaked in. If you choose to start with pre-soaked dried beans (rather than canned beans), you'll want to increase the cooking broth or water by 8 oz / 1 cup.

No-soak dried black beans: If the time and digestion improvements are not issues for you, you can use unsoaked dried beans. If you choose to start with dried beans that have not been presoaked, you'll want to give them a good rinse before cooking, then increase the broth by 32 oz / 4 cups (The broth or water should cover the unsoaked dried beans by about 1 1/2 - 2 inches).

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 serving
Calories: 566
Sugar: 9 g
Sodium: 2483 mg
Fat: 10 g
Saturated Fat: 3 g
Carbohydrates: 98 g
Fiber: 39 g
Protein: 34 g
Cholesterol: 10 mg