Tasty Homemade Bean Soup

This tasty homemade bean soup is the perfect recipe to make on a snowy winter day. It’s easy, flavorful, warming, and fresh! It’s also amazing paired with my Herbs and Cheddar Zucchini Bread, which you can also make without sourdough. When it comes to cooking, it’s nice to have some options, and this recipe delivers. Want some spice? Add the optional ingredients. Want a more mellow flavor? Go without. Ham is also a wonderful addition.

There Are Interesting Beans Out There

Maybe you’re someone who has always just opened a can when it comes to making soup. And, no judgment, I get it. However, there’s something to be said for knowing how to make a good soup primarily from scratch. It’s a cooking skill I highly recommend!

If you’ve always cooked with canned beans, you may not be familiar with the dried varieties on grocery store shelves. In this recipe, instead of just one type of dried bean, I grabbed a bag of 15 bean soup mix. If you’re not familiar, you’re missing out! There’s a variety of all kinds of beans in this bag, from northern to garbanzo, to kidney beans, to lentils. Even white and black beans! Some of the beans are small and break down as they cook, which naturally thickens the soup.

This bag of beans comes with a flavor packet. However, I’m tossing that out and will substitute it with other natural flavorings and spices. Frankly, I tend to look at all flavor packets with healthy skepticism due to their added chemicals, manufactured colors, and preservatives. ?

Traditionally, bean soup takes some time to make. You typically have to soak the beans and cook them for a long time. I like to make this soup on a weekend day when the snow is blowing, and anything pressing on my schedule can be done indoors. Today, though, I’m sharing two ways you can make this soup; the traditional way and the time-saving way with an Instant Pot, one of my favorite small kitchen appliances ever. Who doesn’t like to save time?

Tasty Homemade Bean Soup Ingredients

• 1 bag of dried 15 bean mix, such as HamBone
• 3 14 1/2-ounce cans of ready to serve chicken broth or your own homemade broth
• 2 cups chopped onion
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 1 10-ounce can diced tomatoes (with chiles optional)
• 1/2 cup lemon juice (or more chicken broth if not using tomatoes with chiles)
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon hot sauce (optional)
• Cheese and sour cream (optional toppings)

How To Make This Homemade Bean Soup

• Empty the bag of dried beans in a colander and rinse well with water.

• Next, place the beans in a Dutch oven or deep pot and cover with water 2 inches above the beans.
• Bring the beans to a boil; cover; remove from heat, and let stand for 1 hour.
• Drain the beans and add them back to the Dutch oven.
• Add the chicken broth, partially cover the pot, and cook over medium-low heat for 2-3 hours or until beans are tender, stirring occasionally.
• Next, melt the coconut oil in a large skillet and add the chopped onion and garlic, stirring until tender, about ten minutes..
• Reduce the heat to medium and stir in tomatoes and the next 3 ingredients. Cook 5 more minutes.

• Process tomato mixture and 2 cups of the beans in a large food processor or blender, pulsing until blended. Stir into the remaining beans in the Dutch oven.
• Ladle into soup bowls and add any optional toppings, like cheese or sour cream before serving. 

Instant Pot Version

• Empty the bag of dried beans in a colander and rinse well with water.
• Place the beans in your Instant Pot and cover with 2 quarts of water.
• Next, set the Instant Pot to 1 minute at high pressure.
• Once the cooking time ends, let the pressure release naturally and let the beans soak for 1 hour without removing the Instant Pot lid.
• Meanwhile, melt the coconut oil in a large skillet and add the chopped onion and garlic, stirring until tender.
• Remove the Instant Pot lid and add the tomatoes, lemon juice, black pepper, and hot sauce, stirring well.
• Next, return the lid and set the cooking time for 3 minutes.
• After the cooking time is done, let the Instant Pot naturally release for 10 minutes.
• Process 2 cups of the bean soup in a food processor, pulsing until blended. Stir into the remaining bean soup.
• Ladle into bowls and add any optional toppings, like cheese or sour cream.