Vegan Red Kidney Bean Soup Recipe
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Vegan Red Kidney Bean soup!
((This recipe and blog post was updated 1/10/2021))
I'll take a huge bowl of this goodness any dayyyy of the week.
Especially in winter.
On cold nights.
Because this is #comfortfood to the max.
This vegan red kidney bean soup is most definitely NOT your mother's bean soup.
BECAUSE THERE IS NO MEAT, and it can be made oil-free if you wanted to.
If you're Hispanic like I am, then you already know what I mean. My mom cooks everythinggg and anything with lotsss of meat and oil.
I have nothing against meat.. BUT I do love vegan food, and I also think it is important to eat animal products in moderation, not in excess, which is why I kept this red kidney bean soup vegan.
This soup would be perfect for those who follow a strict vegan plant-based diet, or for those looking to add more plant-based foods into their rotation - maybe you're doing meatless Mondays or Veganuary (eating all vegan for the month of January).
This recipe is tasty, delicious, yummy, chunky, filling, and good-for-you. Oh and it tastes just as good as that kind my momma use to make me as a kid. #winning
Five things to know about this vegan red kidney bean soup recipe
- It's relatively easy to make even if you've never made beans from scratch.
- Super chunky and filling, makes for a great lunch or dinner.
- Great source of protein.
- Makes for great meal preppin' because they freeze very well.
- Made with wholesome real food ingredients, and can easily be made oil-free.
cooking vegan red kidney bean soup in an instant pot vs stove top
Preparing these in the instant pot makes things a lot easier because for starters, you don't have to pre-soak the dry beans... the instant pot takes care of softening the beans up for you in 60 minutes... This is one of the reasons why I absolutely adore my instant pot - because it eliminates the need to pre-soak the beans.
I am super forgetful, especially now with a baby, and usually forget to soak the beans the night before. If it wasn't for my instant pot, I'd be left without red kidney bean soup often.
But, if you do not have an instant pot, fear not! You can still make these as I offer a stove top version as well. Just make sure to soak your beans the night before, or you can always use the quick soaking method that is listed under the notes section on the recipe card.
This red kidney bean soup recipe is a great one to keep handy. Beans are very versatile and go along great with many dishes. You can serve this just as is in a bowl topped with avocado slices or with a banana on the side.
Does anyone else eat their beans with bananas? Or is that a Cuban thing?
You can also serve this over rice or quinoa with a side salad for a heavier meal. Who says vegan food is boring?! (I'm no longer vegan BUT I still loveee vegan food - no shade here).
This recipe is also very forgiving. Let's say you don't have carrots... that's fine just add more sweet potatoes. Or let's say, you don't have tomato paste.. that's okay you can use a tomato-based spaghetti sauce.. in other words, you can add or subtract a few of these ingredients without messing the whole thing up. Don't stress!
Tips for making this the best vegan red kidney bean soup ever:
Here are some tips to help you along the way.
- If, for some reason, once you're done cooking the beans in the instantpot, the beans are not soft and tender but are still hard.. just pop the cover back on the IP and add another 10 to 15 minutes on manual high pressure. This has happened to me before, sometimes it's just because of the specific batch of beans I have on hand.
- TASTE your beans as you go! Taste is subjective. You might like food a lot saltier than I do so 1 teaspoon of salt may not be enough - if you need to add more salt, go for it. If you don't like the taste of tomato or vinegar, maybe start off with less say 1 tablespoon and add more as needed. Learn to taste your food as you go!
- If you want to keep this oil free then saute your veggies in vegetable broth, but if you do not mind oil - then saute your veggies using 1 tablespoon of olive oil. It adds a nice depth of flavor.
- In this recipe I used dried herbs - but if you have some fresh ones on hand those will work too.
- Like I mentioned above, this recipe is very forgiving... don't sweat it if you're missing one or two ingredients... it will still be delicious.
- If you do not have an instant pot and you will be making these using the stove-top method - please please try to soak your beans the night before OR use the quick-soaking method listed in the notes section. This is a MUST.
So, go go go make this delicious finger-licking, or I should say, bowl-licking good meal and impress your friends, and your family, and your neighbors and your co-workers if sharing is your thing! 😉
And if you want more beans-from-scratch recipes, check out this tasty Garbanzo Bean Soup, that I made a few weeks back and has been a big big favorite on the blog.
Random question:
Are you into juicing by the way?
'Cause if you are, you might want to check out the 'Juicing For Beginners' series I made that breaks down all the benefits of juicing and how to juice, as well as some delicious healthy and easy juice recipes like this Arugula and Kale Green Juice or this pretty red Beet Pineapple and Lime Juice.
WANT MORE HEALTHY DINNER RECIPES?
Check out this delicious garbanzo bean soup made from scratch
or
Try making this mouth-watering cheezy spicy cauliflower casserole
with love + gratitude,
Jen ♥
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Vegan Red Kidney Bean Soup Recipe
A heart warming vegan Red Kidney Bean Soup recipe that your taste-buds will thank you for. Oil Free Version | Gluten Free | Plant Based
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: dinner
- Method: stove top
- Cuisine: beans
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
- 1 package (16oz) of dry red kidney beans (rinsed and drained)
- half of a yellow onion or red onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup of veg broth for oil-free OR 1 tablespoon olive oil (to saute veggies)
- 1 sliced red bell pepper
- 1 chopped tomato
- 3 chopped carrots (I like using multi-colored)
- 1 chopped sweet potato (I leave my unpeeled, but you can peel yours if you prefer)
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste or sauce
- 3 tablespoons white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon each garlic powder + onion powder
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried cilantro
- 1 teaspoon of Himalayan salt (or more to taste)
- A dash of black pepper and cayenne pepper to taste
Instructions
- If you do not have an instant pot – it is best if you soak your beans the night before. You can also use the quick soak method that is listed below in the notes section. If you have an instant pot – you do not have to pre-soak your beans.
- For instant pot users – Add beans, carrots, and sweet potatoes to instant pot. Add 7 cups of water. Hit the manual button and cook on high pressure for 60 minutes. Don’t add anything else for now. Once the 60 minutes are up, I always leave the instant pot alone for another 10 to 15 minutes to allow the pressure to naturally release. Remember, if when you open the IP the beans still feel hard then just pop the cover back on and add another 10 or 15 minutes.
- For stove top method – Place soaked beans and chopped carrots and sweet potatoes in a large pot with 7 cups of water, heat over medium heat and simmer gently with lid tilted until beans are soft and tender. This usually takes 60 minutes to 1 1/2 hours. Make sure to keep an eye on your beans and stir occasionally, burnt beans are the worst! You may have to add water as you go if the water evaporates but the beans are still not tender enough. You’ll know the beans are ready once they are soft. I like to taste the beans as I go.
- While your beans are cooking – saute the veggies. In a saucepan, pour about 1/2 cup of vegetable broth OR 1 tablespoon olive oil and heat over medium heat. Add chopped onions, red bell pepper, and garlic. Once veggies are soft and fragrant, remove from heat and set aside.
- Once beans are soft – (you tasted them and the actual bean is soft, not hard) then add the sautéed veggies to the large pot or instant pot as well as the chopped tomato, vinegar, and the rest of the spices: salt, garlic powder, onion powder, dried basil, dried cilantro, black pepper and cayenne. Continue to cook over low/medium heat (or if using instant pot, leave it on the “keep warm” setting while you add all these things) for another 10 to 15 minutes allowing all of the flavors to come together.
- Depending on the consistency that you like – you can keep the bean soup a little longer over medium heat and the soup will thicken up. If you feel that the soup is too thick for your liking, you can always add bits of water back in to thin it out.
- Taste and adjust flavors as needed. Serve as is, or you can serve with a side of quinoa, wild rice, a banana, or avocado slices.. yummm. Enjoy 🙂
Notes
- If you didn’t pre-soak your beans the night before and you do not have an instant pot, you can use the Quick Soaking Method – quick soak your beans by bringing beans and 6-8 cups of water to a rapid boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat, cover with a lid, and allow to sit for about 2 hours. If you have an instant pot, you do not need to soak them.
Keywords: red kidney beans, bean soup, winter, vegan, plantbased, oil free, gluten free, whole 30,
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Such an easy recipe! So great, warming and hearty for winter. 🙂
Totally agree. Perfect for winter. I love beans so much haha.
What a great easy recipe Jen, especially on cold winter days! I think I might have 2 bowls, as I’m sure it tastes delicious!
Thanks Tania! Yes, this is perfect for cold winter night. #comfortfood! Hahaha and I always have two bowls too 😛
My husband has really been wanting red kidney beans! This will be the perfect soup to make.
Perfect timing then!! Give it a try, this one is a super simple recipe but very tasty.
This looks like a hearty soup!
Thanks Anne! It is super hearty, and filling, and perfect for cold nights. 😛
Is there anyway to make a spicy version of this? My husband and I loooove spicy bean soup 🙂
I am sure there is but I haven’t tried it yet! This is more like a cuban inspired frijoles colorados type of dish that we usually eat with rice. Butttt I’ll add your suggestion to my list and try it soon!!! I’ll let you know.
Great recipe, Is it possible to get the nutritional breakdown
Thanks
Hi Patti!
I don’t provide nutritional information but you can use an online calculator such as this one – https://happyforks.com/analyzer .. just copy the ingredients, paste, and it will give you a breakdown. 🙂 Hope that helps.
The tomato powder does not come up when you click on the link.
Hey Tammy! Are you referring to the link on the bottom of the recipe card? I just tried it on my end and it works. Anyway, it’s called – Frontier Co-op Tomato Powder and it can be found at Amazon.com 🙂 Hope that helps.
If I don’t have tomato powder, is there something you’d recommend to sub it? I’d like to make this soup for tonight’s dinner 🙂
Hi Rosie! So sorry that I didn’t get back to you on time for dinner. I’d say you can also use tomato paste or red tomato pasta sauce if you have that on hand.. maybe around 1/4 to 1/2 cup? I’ve never tried it but I’m sure it would give it that lovely tomato paste that the powder adds.