Name: Bean and Potato Soup (Instant Pot or Stove)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon vegetable oil; 1 carrot; 1 onion; 1.5 pounds potatoes; 6 cups vegetable or chicken broth ((or water if no broth is available)); 1/4 teaspoon salt; 1/4 teaspoon pepper; 2 teaspoon Vegeta seasoning mix; 2 bay leaves; 2 cans beans, drained and rinsed ((540 ml each, use any kind except black beans))

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Bean and Potato Soup is delicious, hearty, healthy, and easy to prepare. You can make it in Instant Pot or on the stove. It is vegan and gluten-free. It is also very affordable as it is made with simple pantry ingredients.

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Growing up we ate a lot of soups. They were never a full meal on themselves. Soups were usually a first course, similar to how salads are consumed here in North America.

Back in Russia, soups were more common than salads as the ingredients were more affordable. My mom would make a big pot and then we’d have a bowl of the soup every day for a week as the first course for dinner.

Bean and Potato Soup was one of the staples in my family. It is delicious, hearty, healthy, and very affordable since it uses canned beans as well as a few staples.

This soup is also very similar to my Canned Salmon Soup, it has a very similar structure and it can also be made in Instant Pot or on the stove.

Ingredients to make Bean and Potato Soup

Oil
Onion
Carrot
Potatoes
Canned beans
Seasonings (I use just simple salt, pepper, bay leaf and my favourite Vegeta seasoning mix)
Broth (you can use Vegetable broth if you are following Vegetarian/Vegan diet or Chicken broth)

Actual measurements and the specific instructions are at the bottom of the post in the recipe card.

Why make Bean and Potato Soup in Instant Pot?

If canned beans are used in this recipe, then why would you even make this soup in Instant Pot? The answer is simple: convenience!

It is just a much easier to put all the ingredients in Instant Pot or another electric pressure cooker, close the lid, press a few buttons and forget about the soup. You can leave it on natural release and then on keep warm for a long time.

No need to watch the pot so that the water doesn’t over boil. No need to stay in the kitchen and monitor it and turn the heat down or off. However, making this soup in Instant Pot will not make it cook any faster than on the stove.

It is just a lot more convenient to make the soup in Instant Pot. But you can totally make it on the stove and I will provide the instructions as well.

How to make Bean and Potato Soup on the stove?

Dice an onion, grate a carrot and sauté both in a little bit of oil for about 10 minutes until the mixture is soft and lightly golden.
If you are using small mini potatoes, then no need to peel them, just cut in half. Otherwise, peel the potatoes and chop them into 1 or 2-inch pieces. Add the potatoes to the carrot-onion mixture and add water or broth.
If you are using water, then add some Better than Bouillon (or stock powder). Add the bay leaves, salt, pepper, Vegeta seasoning, and drained canned beans. Bring to boil and simmer until potatoes are cooked.

How to make Bean and Potato Soup in Instant Pot

Sauté diced onion and grated carrot for about 10 minutes until soft and golden in Instant Pot. I like using my ceramic insert for this often as it is non-stick.
Add the rest of the ingredients to Instant Pot and cook for 2 minute on High Pressure.
Do a quick release or a natural release and enjoy.

Why grate the carrots?

I use grated carrots in most of my soups. Grated carrots add just as much flavour to the soups as the chopped carrots but they practically melt into the soup and disappear.

I very strongly prefer the texture of grated carrots in the soup over diced carrots. They are practically undetectable.

If you have kids who don’t like carrots in soups, then try grating them!

If you prefer, you can, of course, finely dice the carrots.

Ingredients and variations for Bean and Potato Soup

Potatoes

Feel free to use any firm soup potatoes that aren’t very starchy.
You can use small mini potatoes and just cut them in half without peeling.
You can use regular white or yellow potatoes that are peeled and cut up in 1-2 inch pieces.
I personally prefer peeled potatoes.

Beans

Use any canned beans you like except for the black beans. I find that black beans, even when rinsed, make the broth a bit grey instead of golden.
I like using a can of mixed beans and a can of red or white beans.

Should you drain the beans or not?

Short answer: it’s up to you!
Some canned beans have a lot of salt added, so if you are using undrained and un-rinsed canned beans, then you will need to adjust the seasoning in the soup to account for the sodium content.
Sometimes I use liquid from one can only.
Most of the time I drain and rinse the beans.

Broth

If you are following a vegan or vegetarian diet, then use vegetable broth.
If you don’t follow a vegetarian diet, then feel free to use chicken broth if you’d like.
I use Better Than Bouillon exclusively for soups.

Seasonings

As usual, seasonings are up to you. I go with just simple salt, pepper, bay leaves, and my favourite Vegeta mix.
You can add chili powder, paprika, some garlic powder, cumin, etc.

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