{"id":3300,"date":"2019-09-23T10:40:43","date_gmt":"2019-09-23T15:40:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.bowlofdelicious.com\/?p=3300"},"modified":"2019-10-04T10:13:10","modified_gmt":"2019-10-04T15:13:10","slug":"smoky-slow-cooker-black-bean-soup","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bowlofdelicious.com\/smoky-slow-cooker-black-bean-soup\/","title":{"rendered":"Slow Cooker Black Bean Soup (Instant Pot and Stovetop Friendly)"},"content":{"rendered":"

This hearty and healthy slow cooker black bean soup<\/strong> cooks for hours in your crockpot, with only FIVE MINUTES of prep<\/strong>! This recipe is made with bacon, but you can easily make it vegan\/vegetarian<\/strong> by omitting it, or you can use ham instead. I love how smoky and flavorful this black bean soup is, and how it has a ton of vegetables packed into it<\/strong> as well. I like it served with crumbled cotija cheese, avocado slices, a squeeze of lime, and some fresh cilantro. You can even make it in your instant pot or on your stovetop with only a few recipe tweaks.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"An<\/p>\n

When I was a teacher, I worked 8-10 hour days. With a commute in and out of Boston, I was often gone for 12 hours at a time. Slow cooker meals like this saved my life!<\/p>\n

This black bean soup requires only 5 minutes of prep, and you can let it cook for 4, 6, 8, or even 10 hours in your slow cooker. This dump dinner is really hard to mess up, precise timing isn’t necessary, and it’s a very forgiving recipe if you want to add or take away any of the ingredients. Which means you can come home after a long day and have dinner ready to go. The smell of the house as it cooks is incredible.<\/p>\n

AND this recipe makes a ton, so you can keep some in your freezer for later.<\/p>\n

How to make black bean soup in your slow cooker<\/h2>\n
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  1. Add black beans (soaked, drained, and rinsed), bell pepper, jalapeño pepper, onion, celery, carrot, garlic, and bacon to the slow cooker.<\/li>\n
  2. Add spices- cumin, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper.<\/li>\n
  3. Pour in chicken stock (or vegetable stock, to make this recipe vegan\/vegetarian) and mix together.<\/li>\n
  4. Cover and cook on high for 4-6 hours or low for 8-10 hours in your crockpot.<\/li>\n
  5. Stir in fresh cilantro and lime juice. <\/li>\n
  6. Use a potato masher to mash the soup until it’s thickened a bit. All done!<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    \"A<\/p>\n

    How \/ why to soak the dry black beans<\/h2>\n

    I love cooking with dry beans because they’re SO cheap, and they’re perfect for cooking low and slow in your slow cooker or pressure cooking in your instant pot.<\/p>\n

    But it’s important to soak, drain, and rinse<\/strong> your beans before cooking with them. This doesn’t take long, but it does take some planning ahead.<\/p>\n

    Soaking the beans in salted water does a few things:<\/p>\n

      \n
    1. The salt helps flavor the beans and also helps make the skin softer, resulting in a creamier texture. Add about three tablespoons of salt to 4 quarts of water to soak 1 lb. of beans. Read more about it here<\/a>. <\/li>\n
    2. The water helps break down the indigestible parts of the beans, so they are easier to digest.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Cooking dry beans without soaking them first is possible, and many recipes swear by it, but I’ve personally found that pre-soaked beans are easier to cook, more flavorful, and much easier to digest.<\/p>\n

      \"A<\/p>\n

      How to cook black bean soup in your instant pot<\/h2>\n

      The easiest and fastest way to make this black bean soup in your instant pot is to combine all the ingredients (except for the lime juice and cilantro) in your pressure cooker, cover, and set the pressure to manual, high for 15 minutes. Allow the pressure to naturally release for at least 10 minutes, at which point you can quick release. Then, stir in the cilantro and lime juice and mash until desired consistency is reached.<\/p>\n

      For extra credit, before pressure cooking, you can cook the bacon using the sauté function, remove it and set aside, then add the onions, celery, and carrots to sauté in the bacon fat for a little bit too. Then, add the remaining ingredients, including the bacon, and proceed.<\/p>\n

      How to cook black bean soup on the stovetop<\/h2>\n

      Cook the bacon in the bottom of a large pot or dutch oven. Remove the bacon and set aside. Add the onions, celery, and carrots to the bacon fat and sautè until softened and starting to brown. Add the remaining ingredients, including the cooked bacon, except for the lime juice and cilantro. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer for 2 hours, until beans are completely cooked and tender. Then, stir in the lime juice and cilantro and mash.<\/p>\n

      How to make super smooth, creamy black bean soup<\/h2>\n

      When you’re done cooking the black bean soup, you’ll use a potato masher to mash some of the beans to thicken it up. You can keep mashing them as long as you want- the more you mash, the creamier the soup will be. Or, you can take it a step further and use an immersion blender<\/a> to puree the soup.<\/p>\n

      \"A<\/p>\n

      Other easy black bean recipes:<\/h2>\n