This soup is my answer to that post-holiday need to lighten things up. And, if you feel like you've seen this recipe before on my blog you have. I feel like I've been working on perfecting this soup for over a year. It tastes delicious whenever I make it, so it's not about the recipe not working. It's really just about the small tweaks. In previous versions I used 2 tomatoes - but realized that was a little too much. Or, I used only 2 teaspoons of mushroom powder - but then decided to double it - that was too much. I settled in at a tablespoon, which was perfect. Rich, but still light. If you are unfamiliar with mushroom powder, not to worry, I am working on a separate post to explain it. For now, head to your local grocer and ask for it. It's become one of the hottest spice blends out there to add depth and flavor without needing meat or stock. If you don't have it not a worry, just make this soup without. If you would like to add an Indian twist and the healing properties of turmeric, add in 1/2 teaspoon in the second step. I hope you'll grow to love this recipe as much as I do. It started with an Instant Pot version of Italian white bean soup and has evolved into this recipe. And, not to worry, I'll have a stovetop version for you soon.
Instant Pot: White Bean Soup with Mushroom Powder
Pressure Cooker Size: 6 quart or larger
Warm Up: 18 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Cool Down: 10 minutes NR + MR
TOTAL: 48 minutes
Makes 10 cups
2 cups dried white cannellini beans, picked over and washed
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 bay leaves
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced or minced
1 medium shallot, minced
3-4 stalks celery, thinly sliced
1 large carrot, sliced in rounds
1/2 medium Russet potato, peeled and diced small
1 medium tomato, pureed (no peel)
1 teaspoon red chile flakes
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon mushroom powder
1 tablespoon salt
7 cups water, for cooking
2 teaspoons minced dried or fresh parsley
1. Soak the beans in hot, boiling water for at least 1 hour or in room temperature water for 6 hours to overnight. Drain and discard the water.
2. Select the SAUTE setting on your Instant Pot and adjust to NORMAL. When the indicator flashes HOT, add the oil. Once the oil is warm, add the bay leaves, garlic, and shallot. Stir and cook for 1 minute.
3. Add the celery, carrot, and potato. Stir and cook for 1 minute.
4. Add the tomato. Stir and cook for 1 minute. Puree tomatoes using the large hole side of a box grater or peel and grind in a food processor.
5. Press CANCEL. Add the chile flakes, black pepper, mushroom powder, salt, drained beans, and cooking water. Stir. Mushroom powder is a great vegetarian option to add deeper flavor.
6. Lock the lid into place and make sure the pressure release valve is set to the sealing position (upwards). Press the PRESSURE COOK button and then press the PRESSURE LEVEL button until the panel reads HIGH. Adjust the cook time to 20 minutes.
7. Once the cooking is complete, release the pressure naturally for 10 minutes. Then, manually release the remaining pressure. Press CANCEL, remove the lid, and remove and discard the bay leaves. Add the parsley. Stir and serve piping hot as is or sprinkled with minced kale and/or Parmesan cheese and garnished with croutons. For a 3-quart Instant Pot, cut your ingredients in half. The process and cook time remain the same, the warmup is 15 minutes, and the recipe makes about 7 cups. To make this on the stovetop, use a roomy pot or Dutch oven and follow the instructions above. Simmer the soup for about 45 minutes partially covered until the beans are soft, adding water as needed to account for evaporation.
Want to make a large batch in your 8-quart Instant Pot? Simply double the recipe above. The only tweak is that you'll have to reduce the amount of water used and add the extra in at the end. Watch this video to see what I mean.
UPDATE in AUGUST 2024: I wanted to double this soup recipe and so naturally looked for my 8 quart Instant Pot. When I couldn't find the insert, I decided to double the recipe in my 6-quart. Obviously, the ingredients and 14 cups of water would not fit in the pot. So, after following the recipe above, I added just 5 cups of water. Enough to cook my beans but not so much that I exceeded the PC MAX line. What I had after was a really cool discovery - when you make a big batch of soup that you'll eventually want to portion out and store in the fridge and freezer cooking it with half the water saves a ton of space. Then, when I reheat it, I add in more water and boil it on the stove for a few extra minutes. It's so incredibly easy. In this updated recipe, I used navy beans - my husband apparently does not know the difference between them and cannellini. But, navy beans are smaller and tougher so I had to add 20 minutes to the cook time. To make my new recipe, simply double the recipe above (though on the oil I use 3 tablespoons), add only 5 cups of water, and cook for 40 minutes. The warm up time is 27 minutes. When done, add more water and bring to a boil when you serve it as a soup, or serve as is. These have the same consistency as baked beans minus the sugar - super yummy. Another tip? Add a few slices of fresh turmeric before closing the lid and cooking and remove them once you are done. The extra color and nutrition make for a beautiful robust broth.
Comments will be approved before showing up.
Pam
February 08, 2024
Hi! Discovered your blog the other day. Everything looks so tasty!
Congrats on your recent published cookbook of instant pot recipes! I’m looking forward to trying this recipe, as soon as I get my hands on some mushroom powder and dried beans. I’ll try navy beans, as dried cannellini beans seem harder to find in my area. BTW, I noticed that you have carrots listed in the directions and they don’t appear on the ingredients list. I’ll treat them as optional :)
Best wishes.