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
