Easy Instant Pot Back Bean Soup with Roasted Red Peppers (gluten-free)

This Instant Pot Black Bean Soup recipe is so yummy so good for you! Naturally gluten-free and full of flavour, this soup warms you up from the inside. You just need a few star ingredients like protein-packed black beans, roasted bell peppers, and spices you probably have in your cupboard.

Nothin' will really WARM YOU UP like a filling and healthy black bean soup🥣

And making your own soup is great because then you KNOW it's 100% gluten-free.

Because when you first go gluten-free, you find out that even SOUP can have hidden gluten in it.

For example, did you know that chicken broth isn't always gluten-free?!

It can a little confusing when you first get going.

But once you get the hang of reading labels, you'll be able to side step gluten for life😄

Jump to:

• Grab this PDF cheat sheet of foods NOT to eat🚫
• 📝Ingredients Instant Pot black bean soup
• 🔪Instructions for black bean soup
• ✅Make ahead tip
• 🥡Storage and Freezing
• 🙋‍♀️How do you roast red peppers?
• 🍽️What to serve with black bean soup
• ✅ Is black bean soup good for you?
• Got extra black beans?
• ❓Why does my black bean soup taste bitter?
• 🥣How do you get rid of the bitter taste in black bean soup?
• 🍽️Easy gluten-free dinner recipes
• Want more?
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Comments

If you love gluten-free soups, definitely check out this recipe for Easy Winter Soup with Beans, this Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Coconut Milk or this recipe for Easy Weeknight Hamburger Soup with Sweet Potatoes.

📝Ingredients Instant Pot black bean soup

• Olive oil
• Onion - I like using shallots and you can also sub in cooking onion
• Garlic
• Chili powder - if you like things spicy, add extra to the soup
• Cumin - a common ingredient black bean soup
• Paprika
• Salt
• Apple cider vinegar - this addition of an acidic ingredient will help balance the taste of the soup out. You can sub in red wine vinegar or regular vinegar if you don't have apple cider vinegar or even fresh lime juice
• Black Beans - the main event! I use canned black beans that have been rinsed
• Red Bell Peppers - orange or yellow will work too (you'll be roasting these)
• Jalapeno pepper - to give you a little kick of heat🔥
• Chicken broth - gluten-free, low salt. Vegetable broth will work too

🔪Instructions for black bean soup

Roast the bell peppers:

Make the black bean soup:

✅Make ahead tip

Got a hot oven from your Friday Pizza Night?

Pop the bell peppers in and get the roasting out of the way.

Then store the roasted peppers an air-tight container overnight and make the black bean soup in the next day or two.

🥡Storage and Freezing

Leftover black bean soup is good up to 3 days in the fridge.

Just re-heat until hot and serve.

You can also freeze this black bean soup: just cool it down and place it in an air-tight container. Freeze for up to 1 month.

When ready to serve, take out the night before wanting to eat. If the soup separates a little bit, just whisk it back together.

Use extra broth to thin it out if it's a little too thick for your liking.

🙋‍♀️How do you roast red peppers?

All you do is toss roughly chopped red, yellow and / or orange bell peppers in a baking dish with olive oil, paprika and a little Kosher salt.

Then bake in a pre-heated oven at 400 degrees F for 30 minutes. That's it!

🍽️What to serve with black bean soup

For toppings, this soup is delicious topped with some sour cream, crushed tortilla chips, shredded cheese and / or cilantro.

For a lunch, a black bean soup is a fabulous pairing for the classic soup+salad combo🥗

Try one of these easy gluten-free salads with this soup:

It also makes an easy work-from-home-lunch, paired with some gluten-free crackers and tuna.

✅ Is black bean soup good for you?

Black bean soup is definitely a healthy and nutritious addition to your gluten-free diet.

Black beans are a good source of plant-based protein, healthy carbs, fibre, and a variety of vitamins and minerals, including iron, magnesium, and folate.

This black bean soup also adds even more antioxidants and vitamin C from the roasted bell peppers.

❓Why does my black bean soup taste bitter?

There are a few reasons why your black bean soup might taste bitter:

1. Burnt Ingredients: If any of the ingredients, such as the onions, garlic, or spices, were burnt during the cooking process, it can make the whole soup taste bitter. Make sure to stir the onions and spices frequently at the start to avoid burning and use the amount of broth as indicated in the recipe.
2. Old or Stale Spices: Spices can lose their flavour and become stale over time, which can result in a bitter taste. Make sure to use fresh spices or replace old ones.
3. Too Much Cumin: Cumin is a common spice used in black bean soup, but if too much is used, it can make the soup taste bitter. Try reducing the amount of cumin used or just cut it out all altogether if you're not a fan.
4. Overcooked Beans: If you're using dry black beans, overcooking the black beans can also result in a bitter taste. Make sure to follow the cooking instructions and check the beans frequently to avoid overcooking.
5. Burnt Broth or Stock: If the broth or stock used in the soup is burnt or overcooked, it can also cause a bitter taste. Use fresh broth and avoid overcooking it.

🥣How do you get rid of the bitter taste in black bean soup?

Here's some ways to help reduce the bitterness in black bean soup:

1. Add sweetness: You can add sweetness to the soup by adding a little bit of sugar or honey. Start with a small amount and taste it before adding more.
2. Acidic ingredients: Adding some acidic ingredients like lime juice, vinegar or tomatoes can help to balance out the bitterness in the soup.
3. Using salt: Salt can help to reduce bitterness in the soup. Be sure to taste the soup and add salt gradually to avoid over-salting it.
4. Spices: Adding spices like paprika or chili powder can help to enhance the flavor of the soup and reduce bitterness. This recipe has both of them😄
5. Dilution: If the soup is too bitter, you can dilute it by adding more liquid like broth or water.

Remember that the best way to get rid of bitterness in black bean soup is to prevent it in the first place.

Not as common when you use canned black beans, as this recipe calls for.

But it's more common if you choose to use dry beans.

If you're using dry beans for this recipe, be sure to soak the beans overnight, drain and rinse them well before cooking.

My favourite way to work with dry beans in this soup recipe is to cook them using this method from Minimalist Baker.

I've used this recipe a bunch times and they turn out perfectly every time.

I hope you love this easy black bean soup recipe like we do!

~April

🍽️Easy gluten-free dinner recipes

📖 Recipe