Looking for a comforting and flavorful soup to warm you up? This vegan red kidney bean soup combines tender kidney beans with aromatic spices for a hearty dish. Follow my simple steps to make it effortlessly!
You can make this soup at home with a few simple ingredients, even on busy days.
Soups that use beans, lentils, and veggies are convenient at home on busy days yet nourishing. They are ideal for dinner as they require less effort after a busy day.
I make this soup very often for dinners using seasonal veggies. However, to make quick dinners, always cook and store a batch of beans in the freezer or refrigerator.
If you love hearty soups like me, try my potato lentil soup recipe and black-eyed peas soup recipe. They are simple to make and make a delicious meatless dinner.
I cooked soaked kidney beans in the Instant Pot and used them to make this red bean soup recipe. You can use canned kidney beans instead.
Detailed Steps
Please check the recipe card for stovetop instructions.
Step 1: Start Instant pot in saute mode. Once it is hot enough, add oil and finely chopped onions to it.
Step 2: Let them fry for a couple of minutes.
Step 3: Now add the veggies of your choice. I used bottle gourd (calabash), carrots, and potatoes. You can use any squash, sweet potato, pumpkin, or veggies of your choice. Mix them well.
Step 4: To this veggie mixture, add tomato puree. Chopped or pureed tomatoes will also work for this recipe.
Step 5: Give it a good stir and add spice powders and herbs - dried thyme, dried oregano, red chili powder, cumin powder, and salt.
Step 6: Add cooked kidney beans and water to this. If you are using canned beans, drain, rinse and add them.
Step 7: Mix everything well and deglaze the pan if required.
Step 8: Switch off the saute mode and close the Instant pot with its lid. Start the Instant pot again with manual or pressure cook mode and cook it for 5 minutes on high pressure.
Step 9: Once the Instant pot beeps, switch it off and wait till pressure is released naturally. Enjoy the hot vegetable soup with kidney beans and a slice of toasted bread or crackers!
Recipe Notes and variations
- This recipe is very flexible. Instead of red kidney beans, you can use other beans like pinto beans, black beans, black-eyed peas, or chickpeas to make this soup.
- I have used gourd, potatoes, and carrots to make this recipe, but you can use any veggies of your choice. Adjust the cooking time according to the veggies used.
- Do you love creamy kidney bean soup? Then blend this soup till you reach desired consistency. Add a dash of cashew cream or coconut cream for additional flavor. As we like chunky soup, I have served the soup as it is.
- This recipe yields a thick soup that looks like a stew. To adjust the consistency, you can increase the water or broth content.
- I used plain water while making this soup. You can also use vegetable broth or chicken broth to make this bean vegetable soup.
- This recipe is mildly spiced. You can top it with red pepper flakes or freshly ground black pepper to make it spicier.
- Garnish the bean soup with finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves, parsley, or mint to flavor it.
Storage
- This soup stores well for a day or two in the refrigerator.
- You can store this in the freezer if you plan to use it later. I usually keep cooked kidney beans in the freezer and make this vegetable bean soup as and when required.
Looking for more kidney beans recipes? Check these out!
Have you tried this recipe? Provide your feedback by giving a star rating and/or leaving comments. And don't forget to share the recipe with others on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, or Twitter.
Recipe
Red Kidney Bean Soup with Veggies
Rate this recipe by clicking the stars!
Equipment
- Instant Pot
- Dutch oven
Ingredients
- 3.5 cups kidney beans Cooked, Around two 15 oz cans
- 3.5 cups mixed veggies chopped into cubes
- 1 cup tomato puree
- ½ cup onion chopped finely
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon red chili powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin powder
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 2.5 cups water or vegetable stock
Instructions
Instant pot kidney bean soup
- Start Instant pot in saute mode. Once it is hot enough, add oil and finely chopped onions to it. Let them fry for a couple of minutes.
- Now add veggies of your choice. I used bottle gourd (calabash), carrots, and potatoes. You can use any squash or sweet potato or pumpkin or any veggies of your choice. Mix them well.
- To these veggies mixture, add tomato puree. Chopped or pureed tomatoes will also work for this recipe.
- Give it a good stir and add spice powders and herbs - dried thyme, dried oregano, red chili powder, cumin powder, and salt.
- Add cooked kidney beans and water to this. If you are using canned beans, drain, rinse and add them.
- Mix everything well and deglaze the pan if required.
- Please switch off the saute mode and close the Instant pot with its lid. Start the Instant pot with manual or pressure cook mode and cook it for 5 minutes on high pressure.
- Once the Instant pot beeps, switch it off and wait till pressure is released naturally. Enjoy the hot vegetable soup with kidney beans and a slice of toasted bread or crackers!
Stovetop instructions
- Heat a thick bottomed pan or dutch oven. Once it is hot, add oil and fry chopped onions in it.
- Add veggies of your choice once onions turn translucent. Mix it well.
- Now add tomato puree. Then add herbs and spice powders - dried thyme, dried oregano, red chili powder, cumin powder, and salt.
- Mix everything well and add cooked kidney beans and water to the pot.
- Cook this on a medium flame for about 10 minutes to 15 minutes till the veggies are cooked thoroughly. Cooking time depends on the veggies used. Stir in between to avoid sticking to the pan.
- Switch off the flame once the soup is done. And serve the veggie bean soup hot with a dash of olive oil.
Sanya says
I had a can of cooked red beans so I made this today and it came out so good. I added carrots and bottle gourd too but replaced the potatoes with French beans. I did increase the quantity of the spices a little and added some chopped cilantro at the end. Was a hit with my family!
Sravanthi says
Thank you so much, Sanya for the feedback. And I am so glad that you and your family enjoyed this recipe!
Angela says
I really loved how easy & versatile this recipe was. I didn't intend to cook this (!) tonight, but couldn't cook what I had planned. I pulled this recipe up from my bookmarks & VOILA, made a satisfying dinner. All the ingredients.. I had on hand and used red onion, sweet potato and green beans.
Also good for those on a budget.
Sravanthi says
Thank you so much, Angela, for your rating and feedback. I am happy you loved the recipe and enjoyed it as much as we do 🙂