Very Best Cuban Black Bean Soup (Stove Top + Instant Pot)

5 from 6 votes

Very Best Cuban Black Bean Soup (Stove Top + Instant Pot)

A hearty and filling Cuban black bean soup that you can make on the stovetop or in the instant pot. My Cuban black bean soup is vegan-friendly and is sure to be warm and comforting!

Course: Comfort Foods

Servings:

Calories: 424kcal

Author: Marzia

Ingredients

Sofrito:

3 tablespoons oil
1 medium onion chopped
1 ½ green bell peppers finely diced
½ red bell pepper finely diced
1 cubanelle pepper or serrano pepper finely chopped (remove ribs and seeds for less spice)
6-10 cloves garlic minced ( we like it with 10!)
3 bay leaves

Cuban Black Bean Soup:

1 pound dried black beans (~2 cups) rinsed, soak if using stove top method
5-6 cups vegetable or chicken stock
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2-3 tablespoons red wine vinegar according to taste
1 tablespoon brown sugar or muscovado sugar

Instructions

SAUTE: Heat the oil in a 4 quart (or larger) dutch oven or soup pot (or on the saute setting in your instant pot) over medium-high heat. When warm, add the onions, peppers, garlic, and bay leaves and saute for 5-6 minute or until the veggie soften.
STOVE TOP: Add the black beans, 6 cups of stock, oregano, and cumin and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat too low, cover, and simmer for 1 ½ -2 hours or until the beans are cooked through and the liquid has thickened to your liking. You can also puree ½ the soup in the blender if you want it to be thicker. Season with red wine vinegar, sugar, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Stir and adjust with additional salt as needed. Allow the soup to cool for 15 minutes. IT should thicken a bit as it sits. Top with chopped avocados, and serve with cooked rice!
INSTANT POT: Add the black beans, 5 cups of stock, oregano, and cumin. Cover, make sure the vent is sealed. Cook on manual high pressure for 30 minutes. If using organic or older beans, they may require additional time. Once the time goes off, allow a natural pressure release for 10 minutes. Then do a quick release to let out any remaining pressure. Stir the soup and test the beans for doneness; remove the bay leaves. You can puree 1/2 the soup in the blender if you want it to be thicker. I usually just smash using a wooden spoon on the walls of the pot until it reaches my desired consistency. Season with red wine vinegar, sugar, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Stir and adjust the salt as desired. Top with chopped avocados, and serve with cooked rice!

Notes

It’s important to soak the beans overnight. If you decide to make this soup and don’t have presoaked beans, add the beans to a medium pot and cover with water. Bring the beans to a boil, cook for two minutes, turn off the heat and allow the beans to sit covered for 1 hour. Drain and use it as if you’d presoaked the beans!
The soup does thicken as it sits and you may need more stock to thin leftovers

Nutrition