Vegetable Soup with Beans

Get all your veggies and beans in one delicious bowl and do little to nothing to prepare it. Vegetable soup with beans is so tasty and freezes well if you have any leftovers. In a hurry? Make this vegetable soup with beans recipe in the Instant Pot.

If I had to pick my favorite appliance, I would choose my crockpot. With winter settling in and cooler evenings, it's time for my favorite vegetable soup with beans. This vegetable soup with beans recipe includes tons of veggies in a thick, creamy tomato broth with pinto beans. As I've said before, if I can get my beans and all my veggies in one bowl, it's a win!

Jump to:

• The Health Benefits of Pinto Beans 
• Soup Ingredients
• Soup Ingredient Substitutions
• Crockpot/Slow Cooker Option
• Instant Pot Option
• Recipe FAQs
• Tips
• More Delicious Vegan Soups Recipes
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Reviews

Although I love soup in the winter months, there's something comforting about a hot bowl of soup any time of the year. 

The Health Benefits of Pinto Beans 

According to Healthline, pinto beans primarily comprise carbs, fiber, and protein. They also pack an incredible punch of vitamins and minerals.

One cup (171 grams) of pinto beans boiled with salt provides:

• Calories: 245
• Carbs: 45 grams
• Fiber: 15 grams
• Protein: 15 grams
• Fat: 1 gram
• Sodium: 407 mg
• Thiamine: 28% of the Daily Value (DV)
• Iron: 20% of the DV
• Magnesium: 21% of the DV
• Phosphorus: 20% of the DV
• Potassium: 16% of the DV

When cooked without salt or other additives, pinto beans are free of cholesterol and low in fat and sodium.

Soup Ingredients

This vegetable soup recipe is effortless but also cooks while you work.

For example, I used frozen spinach and a bag of mixed organic vegetables. The only chopping you have to do is an onion, and I even used my vegetable chopper, which took less than 2 minutes.

Although I usually use fresh vegetables, I was in a hurry, so I used Cascadian Farms Spinach and a bag of mixed vegetables: corn, green beans, carrots, and peas.

• Frozen Organic Spinach: I used chopped spinach.
• Fresh or Frozen Organic Mixed Vegetables: I used a bag of frozen organic Cascadian Farms mixed vegetables.
• Organic Diced Tomatoes: Organic diced tomatoes are divided into this vegetable soup with beans recipe. Half the tomatoes are partially blended, while the other can is used in its original form.
• Pinto Beans: Pinto beans are extremely nutritious. They're an excellent protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals source. These nutrients may provide several benefits, including improved blood sugar control and heart health. Pinto beans are also rich in various antioxidants and may help lower your risk of chronic disease.
• Yellow onion: Yellow onions have a nice balance of astringency and sweetness in their flavor, becoming sweeter the longer they cook. They are usually fist-sized with the fairly tough outer skin and meaty layers. 
• Garlic: I prefer fresh garlic cloves whenever possible for their deep flavor.
• Vegetable Broth: I buy organic vegetable broth in bulk at Costco because I use it so often.
• Nutritional Yeast: The nutritional yeast provides a cheesy, creamy flavor, as well as acts as a thickening agent in the soup.
• Chili Powder: The spice blend differs from one recipe to another, but it usually includes some mix of ground-dried chiles, cayenne pepper, cumin, garlic powder, paprika, oregano, and onion powder.
• Smoked Paprika: Smoked paprika is a Spanish specialty, made by slowly smoking pimentón (a type of pepper from La Vera, in southwestern Spain) over oak. It has a round, smoky, woodsy, spicy flavor completely different from everyday paprika.
• Black Pepper: Black pepper carries a complex flavor profile of piney, citrusy notes.
• Garlic Powder: Garlic powder is made from garlic cloves that have been dehydrated and ground into fine particles. The flavor is garlicky but vastly different than fresh-chopped garlic. It tastes sweeter and much less assertive than fresh garlic, but without the caramel undertones you get from roasted or sautéd garlic.
• Onion Powder: Onion powder adds a sweet and savory flavor to dishes you can't get from fresh onions.
• Bay Leaf: Essentially, bay leaves add another layer of flavor to a soup or stew, and the tea-like (oh-so-slightly menthol) aromas help lighten up a hearty dish, so it's less likely to bog you down after a big meal. The bay leaf shines more if you're making homemade broth or stock.

Soup Ingredient Substitutions

• Choose any mix of vegetables you prefer: fresh, frozen, or canned.
• Try fire-roasted canned tomatoes for a smokier flavor.
• Or, roast fresh tomatoes. You can usually substitute 4 cups of fresh chopped tomatoes for one 30-ounce can of diced tomatoes.
• Navy beans are a good alternative to pinto beans.
• Use white onion instead of yellow onion.
• One clove of garlic equals about ⅛th of a teaspoon of garlic powder – not much, so it's worth starting small and tasting as you go!
• Soy sauce, liquid aminos, Tamari, or white miso paste are often substitutes for nutritional yeast.
• For every 1 tablespoon of chili powder, use 2 teaspoons of paprika, 1 teaspoon of cumin, and a scant ¼ teaspoon of cayenne. You can customize the cayenne to taste based on your spice preference.
• Dried oregano or thyme are substitutes for bay leaves. These herbs add a hint of complexity to round out the flavor of whatever you're cooking. Oregano has more Italian vibe than thyme, which is more versatile for other cuisines.

Crockpot/Slow Cooker Option

And all you need to do is throw all the ingredients in the crockpot and walk away. Then, when you get home from work, your house will smell delightful, and dinner will be ready.

If you like to meal prep the night before, add all the ingredients to the crockpot ceramic base, cover, and refrigerate. In the morning, place the ceramic base full of the ingredients into the electric portion of the slow cooker and set your timer.

1. Cook on low for 8 hours
2. Or, cook on high for 4 hours

Instant Pot Option

If you prefer to make this vegetable soup with beans immediately, try using the Instant Pot.

1. In the Instant Pot on saute mode, add onion and garlic, cook, and stir until softened. 
2. Turn the Instant Pot off and add the slightly blended can of tomatoes and seasonings. Stir and cook for 1 minute on the residual heat.
3. Add the vegetable broth to the still-hot pan, and scrape the bottom with a spoon to remove any left-behind bits.
4. Add the second can of tomatoes, the vegetables (except for the spinach), the beans, bay leaf, and nutritional yeast. Stir to combine.
5. Put the lid on, turn the valve to sealing, and select Manual or Pressure Cook for 2 minutes. It will take about 15 minutes to come to pressure and begin counting down.
6. Once the cooking time is over, let the pressure release naturally for 8-10 minutes before opening the valve and removing the lid (this is to prevent the splatter that can come when pressure cooking soup).
7. Stir in the spinach, adjust seasonings to taste, and serve.

Recipe FAQs

Tips

• If using the Instant Pot, avoid cooking the soup too long or the vegetables turn to mush.
• Don't forget to turn the steam valve on top of your Instant Pot to “Sealing” before cooking! If the steam valve is left open in the “Venting” position, the pot won't come to pressure, and you'll end up frustrated and hungry!
• Do not be tempted to release pressure before 15 minutes have elapsed after cook time passes. This can result in a huge mess, as hot liquid will spray from the vent knob. 
• Want to make this a creamy vegetable soup? Once it's done cooking, add ½ cup unsweetened, unflavored plant milk (I like oat milk) and stir.
• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
• Allow the soup to cool, then transfer it to a freezer-safe container (I like Souper Cubes) and place it in the freezer for up to 4 months.
• I recommend thawing completely and then reheating it in a saucepan over the stove. It's the quickest way, and it's a good way to make sure the heat gets evenly distributed.

Try vegetable soup with beans and get all your veggies and beans in one delicious bowl.

More Delicious Vegan Soups Recipes

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