Servings
Font
Back
5.0 from 12 votes

Instant Pot Black Bean Soup

You only need 4 ingredients and 10 active minutes to make this Instant Pot Black Bean Soup from Guatemala at home. Customize it to your liking and enjoy a taste of Central America from your own kitchen!

Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
1 hr
Total Time
1 hr 5 mins
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 269 kcal
Course: Main Course , Soup
Cuisine: Guatemalan

Ingredients

Soup Ingredients
  • 1 pound dried black beans
  • 6 cups water
  • 5 cloves garlic whole
  • 1 yellow onion chopped
Seasoning/Topping Suggestions
  • salt
  • garlic powder
  • onion powder
  • sour cream
  • avocado
  • green onion
  • cilantro
  • tortilla chips

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Put 1 lb dry black beans, 6 cups water, 6 whole garlic cloves, and 1 chopped yellow onion in the Instant Pot. Set the timer for 40 minutes and then when the timer is up, allow for a 20 minute natural pressure release. Use a QR to release any remaining pressure after 20 minutes.
  2. Once you have released the pressure, put about half of the beans/water and all of the garlic in a blender or food processor. Blend them up, then add them back into the pot with the rest of the beans.
  3. Spoon into bowls and serve with any of the above toppings. Enjoy!

Notes

  • Recipe adapted from A Taste for Travel. 
  • Please keep in mind that
  • this
  • recipe
  • was adapted from a Guatemalan blog about how to make Guatemalan Black Bean Soup. The article mentions that Guatemalan black bean soup recipes do not have spices or seasonings, which is why I followed suit in my Instant Pot adaptation.
  • If you would like seasonings, you can add some of the recommended ones below. You can also add toppings to the soup to make the whole bowl even more delicious!
  • If you can find Black Turtle Beans, use those! 
  • You can use a yellow or white onion. I used yellow.
  • In some recipes I’m all for using pre-chopped garlic, but in this recipe I recommend using fresh garlic cloves. It makes a world of difference!
  • Rinse and sort through the black beans to make sure you have all dirt and stones removed before cooking. You do not need to soak the black beans (just like for this
  • Cuban Black Bean Recipe
  • ), so just begin the process with dry beans! 
  • It is common to also add chicharron to the bowls of soup before serving them. Find instructions on how to make Chicharrones in my
  • Chifrijo recipe
  • . 
  • This recipe is normally cooked in a pot over an open flame in Guatemala. The Pressure Cooker is not a traditional method, but instead is used to speed up the process. Find instructions for how to make this on the stovetop in the FAQs section.
  • Please keep in mind that this recipe was adapted from a Guatemalan blog about how to make Guatemalan Black Bean Soup. The article mentions that Guatemalan black bean soup recipes do not have spices or seasonings, which is why I followed suit in my Instant Pot adaptation. If you would like seasonings, you can add some of the recommended ones below. You can also add toppings to the soup to make the whole bowl even more delicious!
  • Dried Black Beans: If you can find Black Turtle Beans, use those! 
  • Onion: You can use a yellow or white onion. I used yellow.
  • Garlic: In some recipes I’m all for using pre-chopped garlic, but in this recipe I recommend using fresh garlic cloves. It makes a world of difference!
  • Rinse and sort through the black beans to make sure you have all dirt and stones removed before cooking. You do not need to soak the black beans (just like for this Cuban Black Bean Recipe), so just begin the process with dry beans! 
  • It is common to also add chicharron to the bowls of soup before serving them. Find instructions on how to make Chicharrones in my Chifrijo recipe. 
  • This recipe is normally cooked in a pot over an open flame in Guatemala. The Pressure Cooker is not a traditional method, but instead is used to speed up the process. Find instructions for how to make this on the stovetop in the FAQs section.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1serving Calories 269kcal (13%) Carbohydrates 50g (17%) Protein 17g (34%) Fat 1g (2%) Saturated Fat 1g (5%) Polyunsaturated Fat 1g Monounsaturated Fat 1g Sodium 17mg (1%) Potassium 1158mg (33%) Fiber 12g (48%) Sugar 2g (4%) Vitamin A 13IU (0%) Vitamin C 2mg (2%) Calcium 109mg (11%) Iron 4mg (22%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 6servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 269

% Daily Value*

Serving 1serving
Calories 269kcal 13%
Carbohydrates 50g 17%
Protein 17g 34%
Fat 1g 2%
Saturated Fat 1g 5%
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g 6%
Monounsaturated Fat 1g 5%
Sodium 17mg 1%
Potassium 1158mg 25%
Fiber 12g 48%
Sugar 2g 4%
Vitamin A 13IU 0%
Vitamin C 2mg 2%
Calcium 109mg 11%
Iron 4mg 22%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.