Creamy, delicious, and hearty, this one-pot white bean soup comes together quickly in the Instant Pot.
I think we can all agree that soup is the ultimate comfort food. There is nothing better than a bowl of luscious, creamy soup on a cold day. The only thing better than this is how quick and easy it is to make.
Thanks to the instant pot, this soup comes together in under an hour. I love to add beans to soup recipes because they’re super filling, high in protein, and -best of all – CHEAP. If you have never cooked with dried beans, now is the time! Dried beans keep a long time and are super easy to cook in an instant pot.
Filled with vegetables, fresh herbs, and a delicious secret sauce (more on that in a minute!), this northern bean soup recipe is bound to be one of your favorites!
BEANS, BEANS, BEANS!
Beans are delicious and are a fantastic source of plant-based protein. Filling and creamy, they make an excellent addition to any cozy soup recipe.
This recipe calls for great northern beans, but you can totally use whatever you have on hand. If you do switch out the bean type, keep in mind you may need to adjust the cooking time.
Other white beans, such as cannellini beans or navy beans, are an easy substitution. The cook time will be the same as northern beans.
If you use chickpeas, you may need to adjust the time. Start with 15-20 minutes. If the beans are still hard or slightly crunchy, pressure cook them for another 5 minutes.
TO SOAK OR NOT TO SOAK?
Are you intimidated by the thought of cooking with dried beans? If you have ever cooked dried beans on the stovetop, you may know that familiar feeling: oh shit, I forgot to soak the beans! What should I do?!?
The answer is: use an instant pot! The beauty of an electric pressure cooker is that it can cook anything in a fraction of the usual time.
With this recipe, it is up to you if you want to soak the dry beans beforehand. If you forget to soak the beans, don’t sweat it! Having the flexibility to presoak beans or not is such a relief!
DRIED BEANS: If you use dried beans, you will need to adjust the cooking time. Start with 20 minutes. If you find that they are still slightly too hard, pressure cook for another 2-5 minutes.
SOAKED BEANS: Personally, I prefer to soak my beans. Soaked beans are a little softer and are easier to digest. If you want to soak your beans, cover them in water the night before. It is best to soak for at least 8 hours. Don’t worry about oversoaking- I have left beans upwards of 12-24 hours and the texture has been just fine.
Keep in mind that soaking for longer did not shorten the cooking time. If you use soaked beans, pressure cook the soup for 15 minutes.
If you don’t have any dried beans on hand, don’t worry. You can totally use canned beans. Instead of cooking the soup for 15-20 minutes, cook it for 8-10 minutes. Once the soup has finished cooking, add the beans. If you pressure cook canned beans, they will get very mushy. If that happens, it’s a great time to break out an immersion blender and blend this soup right up.
SECRET SAUCE
The key to this hearty soup is the creamy base. I discovered the recipe on one of my favorite food blogs. It is a great way to add cream to the soup without using dairy. Let me tell you- it is so easy and delicious, you will be adding it to all of your recipes!
To make the cashew cream sauce, all you need is fresh cashews, miso paste, northern beans, and broth. Use canned beans here, as they are already cooked and ready to go.
Add all of the ingredients to a blender and blend away for 30 seconds, until smooth and creamy. Add it to the soup once it has finished cooking. Bonus points if you wash the blender container down with a cup of water and add it to the soup. That way you get every last drop of the secret sauce goodness!
This sauce adds a subtle nutty taste to the soup that adds so much flavor. Of course, if you want to use heavy cream that is just fine. Just promise me you will give this cashew cream sauce a try one day!
INGREDIENTS
This delicious bean soup is made from simple ingredients.
Olive oil: To thicken the soup.
Shallot: A shallot has a stronger taste than regular onion. If you don’t have a shallot, an onion works just fine!
Garlic: Fresh garlic adds great flavor to the delicious broth.
Celery & Carrots: These vegetables help thicken the soup.
Crushed red pepper: For a small kick of heat.
Rosemary: Fresh rosemary helps to flavor the broth. Fresh thyme also works great with this recipe.
Broth: I love to use chicken broth, but if you want to make this recipe vegetarian or vegan use vegetable stock.
Beans: The star of the show! I use northern beans, but you can use whatever you have on hand.
Salt & black pepper: To flavor the soup.
Miso: Miso is a delicious Japanese paste that adds saltiness and umami to the soup. Use white miso as it is milder.
Cashews: Fresh cashews are blended to add a delicious vegan cream to this recipe.
Kale: Kale or spinach
HOW TO COOK WHITE BEAN SOUP
Oh, how I love pressure cooking. Dump, stir, set, and walk away. Kick up your feet and relax while the pressure cooker does the work for you. Ok, ok, you still have to make the cream sauce. With a high-speed blender, that will take 2 minutes. Keep those feet up and binge that Netflix show. From start to finish, the recipe should be ready in just under an hour- you’re welcome!
- SAUTEE: Set the instant pot to saute and heat olive oil. Add shallot and cook for 2 minutes until softened. Add carrots and celery, cooking until softened, about 5-7 minutes. Next, add garlic, rosemary, crushed red pepper, salt, and pepper. Let this cook for 2 minutes until fragrant. Add a cup of broth and deglaze the bottom of the pot. Add the remaining 3 cups of stock and beans.
- PRESSURE COOK: Change the setting to Pressure Cook and set it to high pressure. Set the timer for 15-20 minutes. If you soaked the beans, start with 15 minutes. If you didn’t soak, set it to 20 minutes. Make sure to change the pressure release valve to sealing. It will take about 20 minutes for the pot to build pressure before it starts to cook.
- MAKE THE CREAM SAUCE: Add 1 cup of broth or cold water, 1 cup of canned beans, miso, and cashews. Blend on high for 30-60 seconds. Set aside.
- ENJOY! Once the instant pot is done, change the pressure release valve to venting. You want a quick release, not a natural release. Add kale and the cream sauce, stirring well to combine.
This soup is best enjoyed immediately with a chunk of crusty bread (preferably slathered in butter!).
This soup will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 5 days. Like most soups, the longer it sits, the better it gets! This recipe is delicious for lunch the next day and is easy to transport to the office.
Do you love soup as much as me?? Did you use a different type of bean to cook this recipe? Let me know in the comments below!
Easy and Creamy Instant Pot White Bean Soup
Equipment
- Instant Pot
- Vitamix or high speed blender
Ingredients
Soup
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 shallot diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup carrots diced, about 2 large
- 1 cup celery diced, about 3-4 stalks
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary finely chopped
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 4 cups broth
- 1 cup dried white beans
Cashew Cream Sauce
- 1 cup broth or water
- 1 cup canned white beans drained & rinsed
- 2 tablespoons miso paste
- 1/2 cup raw cashews
Instructions
- SAUTEE: Set the instant pot to saute and heat olive oil. Add shallot and cook for 2 minutes until softened. Add carrots and celery, cooking until softened, about 5-7 minutes. Next, add garlic, rosemary, crushed red pepper, salt, and pepper. Let this cook for 2 minutes until fragrant. Add a cup of broth and deglaze the bottom of the pot. Add the remaining 3 cups of stock and beans.
- PRESSURE COOK: Change the setting to Pressure Cook and set it to high pressure. Set the timer for 15-20 minutes. If you soaked the beans, start with 15 minutes. If you didn't soak, set it to 20 minutes. Make sure to change the pressure release valve to sealing. It will take about 20 minutes for the pot to build pressure before it starts to cook.
- MAKE THE CREAM SAUCE: Add 1 cup of broth or cold water, 1 cup of canned beans, miso, and cashews. Blend on high for 30-60 seconds. Set aside.
- ENJOY! Once the instant pot is done, change the pressure release valve to venting. You want a quick release, not a natural release. Add kale and the cream sauce, stirring well to combine.
Notes
- If you have a lot of cashew cream sauce left in the blender, use an extra cup of water and blend for 30 seconds. This will loosen the cashew cream so you can add every drop to the soup!
- This soup keeps fresh in an airtight container for 5 days in the fridge.
- You can freeze this soup! Once the soup has cooled, store in individual portions for easy reheating. The soup should last for a year in the freezer.
- Cashew cream sauce was inspired and adapted from Love & Lemons Wild Rice Soup.