Spicy Pinto Bean Soup! We are having a lovefest with them humble and tasty pinto beans. So versatile and creamy, this tasty bean takes a twist in a velvety BOLD soup.
There is nothing quite as comforting as a delicious warming bowl of soup. This healthy, oil-free, and low-fat Spicy Pinto Bean Soup is real comfort food in a bowl. Easy to make, filled with deliciously creamy pinto beans, and accented with bold aromatic spices, this wholesome dish is sure to warm you up inside. Throw in some left-over steamed rice or roasted veggies, and you have a perfectly satisfying and filling soup. Instant Pot and stove top instructions makes this recipe easy and versatile.
Whole Food Plant Based, vegan, plant based, oil free, refined sugar free, gluten free, no highly processed ingredients.
Hi there, Ameera here!
You know what I love about the Whole Food Plant Based diet? The wide range of delicious ways to eat whole foods. When I tell people I am Whole Food Plant Based (which isn’t often) as I am very aware that people seem to want to argue with you about why meat and dairy are important and frankly, I am just kind of tired of arguing, ya know? Don’t get me wrong, I respect everyone’s food choices, but I would like others to respect mine too. I have found that people believe what they want to and no matter how much evidence or science you provide, they aren’t going to believe you anyways, so I just try to lead by example.
Chili Powder
This soup is so flavorful with just the right amount of heat and spiciness! I absolutely love it. It does have a kick of heat as it has a full tablespoon of chili powder in it.
Just know that not all chili powders are created equally. Chili powders are a blend of peppers and spices. Some have more cayenne pepper than others and if you use a chili powder that has a lot of cayenne pepper, your soup will totally clean out your sinuses!
Choose a mild chili powder. We once had a Reader who was super upset with us because she thought our enchilada sauce was way too hot, only to find out that she was using a “hot chili powder” (said so on the chili powder label) and her enchilada sauce was inedible. Please be careful to read the labels.
I’ll let Mom tell you more.
Hi! Robin here!
I could eat this yummy soup every day! I loved having it over steamed rice and topped with avocadoes. The creamy avocados perfectly complimented this tasty soup and the rice gave it some extra hardiness that transformed this soup from a soup to a meal.
This soup is perfect for those days when you need something hearty, warm, flavorful, and filling. It checks off all those boxes perfectly. You can easily punch those spices up or lower them accordingly if you wish to fit your own personal tastes.
We would love for you to give this recipe a try! We just know you are going to love it.
If you try this flavorful soup, we would love to know if you enjoy it as much as we do! Please leave us a review! Post a picture on Facebook or Instagram and tag us! We would love to hear from you.
Products Used:
- Emersion blender, Food processor, or High-Speed blender
- Instant Pot or Ceramic/Enamel Lined Dutch Oven or similarly large stock pot with a tight-fitting lid
Spicy Pinto Bean Soup
- Prep Time: 15 Minutes
- Cook Time: 14 Minutes
- Total Time: 19 Minutes (+Rest Time)
- Yield: 4 Servings 1x
- Category: Soup
- Method: Instant Pot/Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mexican/Southwestern
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This healthy, oil-free, and low-fat Instant Pot Spicy Pinto Bean Soup is easy to make, satisfying and deliciously bold.
Ingredients
Base Ingredients:
- 1 cup yellow onions, fine dice
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 jalapeno pepper, fine dice
- 2 Tablespoons minced garlic
- 1 cup vegetable broth *
- 1 ½ cups water (or broth)
- 1 Tablespoon tamari *
- 1 – [ 14 oz. can ] petite diced tomatoes
- 2 – [ 15.5 oz. cans ] pinto beans, drained and rinsed *
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda *
Spice/Herb Ingredients:
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 Tablespoons dried minced onions
- 1 to 1 ½ teaspoons smoked paprika (+/-)
- 2 to 3 teaspoons regular chili powder (+/-) *
- 1 to 1 ½ teaspoons cumin (+/-)
- 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano *
- pinch to ¼ teaspoon chipotle powder (+/-)
- ½ to 1 ¼ teaspoons sea salt (+/-) *
- 2 bay leaves
Other Ingredients:
- 1 Tablespoon lime juice
Optional Toppings:
- Vegan sour cream
- Vegan plain unsweetened yogurt
- Avocado slices
- Freshly chopped cilantro
- Tortilla chips
Serving Ideas:
- Over rice
Instructions
Instant Pot Instructions
- Place the Spice/Herb Ingredients (except the bay leaves) in a small bowl, mix well, set aside.
- Add all the Base Ingredients and Spice/Herb Mix, stir well to combine, then tuck the bay leaves into the mixture. Set the Instant Pot to Manual Pressure High for 14 minutes. When finished, press Cancel and allow to sit for 4 minutes, then do a Quick Release. Unplug the Instant Pot.
- Once all the pressure is released, carefully remove the lid, add the lime juice. Stir well to combine. Discard the bay leaves. Then take an emersion blender and blend until the soup is smooth and creamy. Taste test the flavors and add any additional seasonings at this time, stir to combine, allow at least 5 minutes for the flavors to marry. Serve with your favorite toppings.
Stove Top Instructions
- Place the Spice/Herb Ingredients (except the bay leaves) in a small bowl, mix well, set aside.
- Add all the Base Ingredients and Spice/Herb Mix, stir well to combine, then tuck the bay leaves into the mixture. Bring the mixture to a boil, then lower to a simmer and cover with a tight-fitting lid. Simmer for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove the lid, then add the lime juice. Stir well to combine. Discard the bay leaves. Then take an emersion blender and blend until the soup is smooth and creamy. Taste test the flavors and add any additional seasonings at this time, stir to combine, allow at least 5 minutes for the flavors to marry. Serve with your favorite toppings.
Notes
*TIPS for Success:
- Instant Pot: We used an 8-quart Instant Pot. If using a 6-quart Instant Pot, reduce the time accordingly. Additionally, if using an Instant Pot, make sure you stir the soup mixture really well after everything has been combined before you set the IP to pressure cook the soup.
- Liquids: If using an Instant Pot (or stove top), when you remove the lid after the Quick Release, the soup will look very watery. That is OK, stir the soup really well, then use an emersion blender, food processor or high-speed blender to create a smooth and emulsified soup
- Bay Leaves: Do not forget to pull out and discard the bay leaves before emulsifying the soup.
- Flavors to Marry: Make sure you allow at least 5 minutes for the flavors to marry after mashing the beans. The flavors continue to develop once the soup slightly cools.
- Extra Beans: If you are looking for some extra texture, add an extra can of pinto beans at the very end after you have blended the beans. This will create a very creamy soup with some beautiful beans for added texture.
- Stove Top/Instant Pot Sauté: If you wish to add some extra flavor on the stove top, feel free to sauté the onions, bell peppers, jalapeno and minced garlic until tender. We tried using the sauté function with the Instant Pot doing the same, and it really made no discernable difference.
*Notes Continued:
*Vegetable Stock: We use Pacific Organic Low Sodium Vegetable Stock. We love this brand because it is Whole Food Plant Based compliant, as it does not contain MSG, has no oil, and does not contain any highly-processed ingredients.
*Baking Soda: Baking soda is often used as a neutralizer for dishes that contain a lot of acidity, typically from tomatoes. We use it in this dish to remove some of the tomato acidity (from the petite diced tomatoes) without losing the tomatoey flavor. When you add it, the mixture may bubble up, then settle down as it neutralizes the acidity.
*Chili Powder: Chili powders come in varying degrees of heat as well. We prefer Penzeys Regular Chili Powder. It has great flavor without the heat. Feel free to use your favorite chili powder.
*Tamari: We used San J Tamari Soy Sauce, Gluten Free, Reduced Sodium. You can substitute the tamari with reduced sodium soy sauce, Braggs Liquid Aminos, or Braggs Coconut Liquid Aminos.
*Sea Salt: Please adjust the sea salt based upon your family’s sea salt preferences and/or based upon dietary needs.
*Serving: 4
*Storage: Refrigerate and use within 5 days, freezes well.
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Sounds so good, I love pintos. What do you think about using salsa in place of the diced tomatoes? I have a ton of salsa in my pantry.
Hi there Susan,
Thank you so much! You could potentially replace with salsa with the understanding that it will influence the flavor accordingly. We think it could potentially work. Let us know if you give it a try and how it comes out.
-Ameera and Robin