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Instant Pot Red Bean and Quinoa Soup With Taco Fixins

3.6

(23)

Instant Pot Red Bean and Quinoa Soup with Taco Fixins
Photo by Chelsie Craig, food styling by Michelle Gatton

When 5:15 p.m. hits and there’s still no dinner plan, Deb Perelman makes this delicious Instant Pot recipe inspired by hearty Mexican bean soups. While the beans cook you can prepare the taco fixins, manage life’s last-minute chaos, and take a load off.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    4–6 servings

Ingredients

Soup

2

Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

1

large red onion, finely chopped

4

garlic cloves, finely grated

1

Tbsp. ground cumin

1

16-oz. package dried Central American red beans, such as Goya or Rancho Gordo Domingo Rojo

½

cup red quinoa, rinsed

1

Tbsp. sauce from a can of chipotles in adobo

2

tsp. kosher salt, plus more

½

lime

Assembly

½

small red onion, thinly sliced

2

Tbsp. red wine vinegar

½

tsp. kosher salt

¼

tsp. sugar

Lime wedges, sliced avocado, sour cream, chopped cilantro, crumbled queso fresco or shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack, hot sauce, and/or tortilla strips (for serving)

Preparation

  1. Soup

    Step 1

    Heat oil in an Instant Pot or other electric pressure cooker on the Sauté setting. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to turn golden brown around the edges, 6–8 minutes. Add garlic and cumin and cook, stirring constantly, 2 minutes. Add beans, quinoa, adobo sauce, 2 tsp. salt, and 7 cups water. Lock lid and cook soup on high pressure 45 minutes, then release pressure manually. Squeeze in juice from lime half; mix well. Taste and season soup with more salt if needed.

    Step 2

    Do Ahead: Soup can be made 2 days ahead. Let cool, then cover and chill. Soup will thicken; add up to 1 cup water before reheating over medium-low.

  2. Assembly

    Step 3

    While the soup is cooking, toss onion, vinegar, salt, sugar, and 4 tsp. water in a small bowl to combine. Chill until ready to use.

    Step 4

    To serve, ladle soup into bowls and top with pickled onions and other toppings of your choice.

    Step 5

    Do Ahead: Onion can be pickled 5 days ahead. Cover and keep chilled.

Explore Bon AppétitSoupSoups and StewsMexicanLatin AmericanBeanVegetableQuinoaRice & GrainsMainVegetarianNut-FreeHealthyishInstant PotDinner
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Reviews (23)

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  • So many comments about the beans not being fully cooked after the specified time... I made this many times following the time indicated in the recipe and they have always been perfect. I do think that after manually releasing the pressure, the beans can use a few minutes to sort of "rest", for lack of a better word. Also be sure you're using relatively fresh dried beans as older beans can definitely throw things off. I sub chicken stock for the water and double both the adobo sauce and garlic.

    • Israel

    • Houston, TX

    • 2/27/2023

  • A very frustrating recipe! 45 minutes in the instant pot is not enough time for the beans to cook through. Add an additional 20 minutes.

    • David

    • San Antonio, TX

    • 5/21/2022

  • My family LOVES this meal for an easy weeknight dinner. It is hearty, filling and makes great leftovers. Nice to find a high-protein, meatless dish! The toppings are key to jazz it up a bit. I make it exactly as written- don't worry about brand of red beans- seems to be fine with store brand. I haven't had any trouble with hard beans and never soak them first.

    • Carrie

    • Bellevue, WA

    • 12/30/2020

  • This recipe is lackluster ... It is okay, and certainly edible, but I'm not sure the flavor is interesting enough to merit the inclusion of this recipe in your magazine.

    • Karen C.

    • 12/28/2020

  • This is a Caldo de Frijol soup, it is a traditional Mexican dish that is eaten in several regions of Mexico. Give credit to the culture where it is from, it is not the Chef's creation. Stop cultural appropriation.

    • Krizzia Mariles

    • Mexico City

    • 12/3/2020

  • The soup was good. But the beans need to be soaked before cooking. Otherwise the 45 minute cook time is about half too short.

    • Anonymous

    • Kansas

    • 1/27/2020

  • I liked the flavor and texture, but definitely soak the beans or add cooking time! 45 minutes wasn’t enough to fully cook the beans.

    • ameliabadel

    • California

    • 1/22/2020