
This Black Bean Soup tastes just like the one from Panera Bread- creamy & flavourful with bits of whole black beans. A easy and healthy recipe made in the instant pot with just 10 ingredients. Vegan, Gluten Free + Oil Free.

Happy Friday, friends! It's officially soup season here in Toronto and I'm kind of (really) excited because I LOVE love love soup. Soup is the ultimate comfort-cozy food and it just makes me feel all warm inside. Plus, the smell of my kitchen when making soup.... all the fall vibes ya'll. To kick off soup season, I'm sharing my all time fav: black bean soup. But not just any ol' black bean soup, but my recreation of Panera Breads Black Bean Soup! They discontinued this soup so I knew I had to try and recreate it and after many attempts, this is the combo and ratios of ingredients I ended up loving the most. You ready to make some yummy black bean soup? Let's get into it.

Ingredients in this Panera Black Bean Soup Recipe
I wanted this soup to taste exactly like the one I used to get at Panera Bread. I looked at the ingredients list they listed and went from there. So stoked to say this recipe is just 9 ingredients that are pretty much pantry staples! Tomato paste was listed on the ingredient list but I didn't notice much of a difference with or without it so I left it out but feel free to add 1-2 tablespoon it if you have some!
- Onion
- Garlic
- Bell Pepper
- Celery
- Carrot
- Black Beans
- Vegetable Broth
- Cumin
- Lemon Juice

How to Make Easy Black Bean Soup in a Instant Pot
I'm pretty busy during the day so I wanted to make a pretty hands/eyes-off black bean soup so of course, I turned over to my instant pot (keep reading for the on the stove version).
- FRY THE VEGETABLES: Set instant pot to SAUTEE on HIGH. Fry the onions and garlic. Then fry the celery, red bell pepper and carrots with the cumin for a couple minutes.
- ADD BEANS: Add in the dry black beans, vegetable broth, salt and mix.
- SET THE INSTANT POT: Set instant pot to MANUAL on HIGH for 30 minutes. Once the time is up, release the pressure manually.
- RESERVE SOME BEANS: Using a ladle with open holes, scoop out 1-1.5 cups of black beans.
- BLEND: Blend the rest of the soup using a immersion blender or in a blender.
- COMBINE: Pour the blended soup back into the instant pot and add in the reserved black beans. Mix together and add more salt/cumin to taste.

How to Make Panera Bread Black Bean Soup on the Stove
To make it on the stove, it's the exact same steps except instead of adding it to an instant pot, add everything to a large pot. Once the beans are added, bring the water to a boil. Then turn the heat down to a medium low and let it simmer for 2 - 2.5 hours or until the black beans are tender. Then follow the same steps from #4 onward.

How to Properly Store Homemade Black Bean Soup
Lentil and bean soups are amazing for meal prep because they last so long without changing in texture or flavour. This black bean soup will keep well in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-6 days. Black bean soup is best kept in the freezer for at least 1 month. The best way to freeze left over soup is to let it cool and then transferring it into a reusable ziplock bag. Lay them on a flat surface (like a baking tray) and stick them into the freezer until fully frozen. To reheat frozen soup, simply let it defrost on the counter and then pour it into a microwave safe bowl. Microwave on high for 1 minute or until warm. Or, pour it into a small sauce pan and heat on medium for 2-3 minutes until warm.

Tips & Tricks to Making the Best Panera Black Bean Soup
- CHOP THE VEGETABLES SMALL: This might just be preference, but it's the most similar to panera breads black bean soup.
- RINSE & PICK THE BLACK BEANS: Be sure to go through your black beans to check for anything other than black beans- you don't want to be eating tiny stones! Also remember to give them a good rinse.
- ADD THE LEMON JUICE LAST: be sure to add the lemon or lime juice in the blender. If you add citrus juices early on in the cooking process it tends to get bitter.
- GARNISH: Panera doesn't garnish their black bean soup but to make it even more epic, add on some cilantro. To take it to the next level, top it with some sour cream, salsa, avocado or vegan cheese!
- SERVE: You gotta serve this black bean soup with some bakery style bread! If you're not a bread person, rice would be delicious too 😉

I really hope you try this black bean soup. If you've ever tried Panera's black bean soup, I promise this version won't disappoint and you'll be saving $$$! Wishing you all a wonderful weekend!

More Cozy Vegan Soups to Try!
- Curried Coconut Tomato Soup (1-Pot)
- Cheesy Roasted Asparagus Soup
- Vegan Minestrone Soup (1-Pot)
- Fire Roasted Red Lentil Soup (High Protein + 7 Ingredients)
- Simple Kabocha Potage
- Mac n' Cheese Broccoli Soup

If you recreate this Panera Bread Black Bean Soup Copy Cat recipe let me know how you liked it by leaving a comment and rating below or by tagging me on Instagram @Okonomikitchen, I love seeing all of your tasty recreations!
Hungry for more? Be sure to subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Instagram, Youtube and Pinterest for more deliciousness!
Panera Black Bean Soup
This Black Bean Soup tastes just like the one from Panera Bread- creamy & flavourful with bits of whole black beans. A easy and healthy recipe made in the instant pot with just 10 ingredients. Vegan, Gluten Free + Oil Free.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Soups & Stews
- Method: Instant Pot
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 onion, chopped (175g)
- 2-3 garlic cloves, minced (12g)
- 2 stalks of celery, chopped small (160g)
- ½ bell pepper, chopped small (75g)
- 1 small carrot, diced small (130g)
- 1.5 tsp cumin
- 1 cup dry black beans, rinsed (200g)
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- 1 tsp salt (+ more to taste)
- ½ lemon juiced (2 tbsp)
Instructions
- Set instant pot to SAUTEE on HIGH. Fry the onions and garlic with a tablespoon of olive oil or water (2-3 minutes). Add in the celery, red bell pepper, carrots and cumin and cook for another 3 minutes.
- Add in the dry black beans, vegetable broth and salt. Give it one good mix.
- Press CANCEL. Then set to MANUAL on HIGH for 30 minutes. Once the time is up, release the pressure manually.
- Using a ladle with open holes, scoop out 1-1.5 cups of black beans. Add in the lemon juice and blend the rest of the soup using a immersion blender or in a blender.
- Pour the blended soup back into the instant pot and add in the reserved black beans. Mix together, taste and add more salt or cumin to taste. Serve immediately. Garnish with cilantro, avocado, salsa and serve on its own or with some bread or rice!
Notes
Nutritional Information Disclaimer: Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated on an online tool (Cronometer).
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 255
- Sugar: 6.5g
- Sodium: 974mg
- Fat: 1g
- Saturated Fat: 0.1g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0.22g
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 42.9g
- Fiber: 10.7g
- Protein: 12.8g
- Cholesterol: 0
Keywords: Black bean soup, instant pot soup
SAVE IT FOR LATER! ↓

Okonomi Kitchen is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. When you purchase something through my amazon affiliate links, I earn a small commission that helps me produce consistent content at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting my plant based kitchen!
Nicole F. says
This sounds delicious. When do I add the lemon juice?
Lisa Kitahara says
Hi Nicole!
So sorry about that, I just updated the instructions. Add it with the soup before blending 🙂
Nicole F. says
Thank you!
Karo says
Must have made this four times already and making it again tonight, what a perfect balanced recipe!
★★★★★
Lisa Kitahara says
Hi Karo!
So happy to hear you have been enjoying this soup 🙂
Vanessa says
Lord have mercy woman! This is some good stuff! The flavor is unbelievable! Will make this again and again.
Karen says
Note to self..."manual release" means the same thing as "quick release" in instant pot lingo. Good soup! Easy, too.
Lisa Kitahara says
Oh good to know too! And I'm glad you enjoyed- thank you for sharing! 🙂
Jasmine says
I usually soak my beans overnight. Would the cooking time be half? So maybe 15 minutes?
Lisa Kitahara says
Hi Jasmine! I would try for 15 minutes but I haven't tested out that method so can't guarantee results. Let me know how it goes if you try!
Kate says
My family loved it! Do you need to adjust the cooking time to double the recipe?
★★★★
Lisa Kitahara says
So happy your family loved it! I've doubled it and added 5 minutes to it 🙂
Brenda says
How would this work with canned black beans?
How would you adjust cooking time in instapot?
Lisa Kitahara says
I haven't tried canned black beans, sorry!! But I would follow the same steps, decrease the amount of liquid and cut the cooking time by half.
Alison says
Can I make this on the stove?
Lisa Kitahara says
Yes! Follow the same steps on a stove (so bring to a boil and drop temp down to a simmer, partially covered with a lid) but let it cook for about 2-2.5 hours until the beans are soft. Watch to make sure there is enough liquid and give it a stir every half hour.
Judi Lynch says
I LOVED this soup! I doubled it and was glad I did! I did not double the salt.
★★★★★
Karyn says
Excellent soup!
I used soaked beans and doubled the recipe.
Doing this, I cut the water down by 1/2 cup and did 10 minutes pressure with 15 NPR.
It turned out perfect.
I will be making this often...thanks for the great recipe.
★★★★★
Lisa Kitahara says
Hi Karyn!
So happy you hear you enjoyed, thank you!
Danni says
Delicious flavor and so easy! Even my picky eater liked it. Will def make again.
★★★★★
Lisa Kitahara says
So happy to hear, thank you so much Danni!
SherryinChicago says
I am a big fan of Panera’s black bean soup and this nailed the taste and texture. Will have this in a regular rotation this fall/winter.
★★★★★
Lisa Kitahara says
Me too, its so good! I'm glad you enjoy this version as well 🙂
Karen C says
Such a tasty, thick soup for this winter weather! I don't have an Instant Pot so I soaked the beans overnight and cooked them on the stove in the broth for 2 hours. Sautéd the vegetables separately and added to pot, then simmered another 1/2 hour adding more liquid as needed. Stuck a Smart Stick emulsion blender right down into the simmering pot and pureed about half of it. Served with cilantro, fresh lime and crusty bread. Yum! Will make again. The family loves it!!!
★★★★★
Lisa Kitahara says
I'm so happy it worked out for you Karen! Thanks for sharing the stove top method, I'll try it soon! 🙂
Kate says
Delicious! I doubled the recipe and soaked the beans overnight. Since I soaked the beans, I reduced the liquid to 5.5 cups and cooked for 25 minutes with a 15 minute npr. It tasted great, but was a little thin. Next time I'm going to include some tomato paste and reduce the liquid to 4.5 cups. I can always add some more broth at the end, but can't take it back out!
★★★★
Cat says
This was so good! Thank you for the recipe!!
★★★★★
MoritaHills says
Very good information thanks so much! You can see me naked https://bit.ly/3sRlKDe
Sharon J says
I want to make this but it is so high in carbs. What ingredient(s) cause this because I have to cut back on carbs?
Anne says
This is by far our family’s favorite black bean soup recipe!! So easy and so delicious!!
★★★★★
FreyaFL says
This was delicious! I can't say how it compares to the Panera soup (I'm celiac and their soup isn't gf), but comparing this to other black bean soups, this is a definite winner. I doubled the recipe so cooked it for 37 minutes, let it sit 5 minutes (missed the timer), then quick released pressure. I also added the salt AFTER it was done so I could adjust the amount (and because I've had issues with beans not cooking really well when salt is added prior to cooking). I only needed 1-1/2 tsps for the double batch. This is definitely a keeper! Oh, I also forgot the lemon juice, but did put sour cream on top when serving, and that seemed to give just the right about of tart. (Not vegan, so I would suggest the lemon for those doing vegan as the tart was perfect for it.) Yum yum!
★★★★★
Steven J says
Fabulous, healthy and quick.
★★★★★