• If you are using dry black beans there are 4 steps to make this delicious and hearty black bean soup. If you are using canned black beans skip the first two steps and start with 3rd step.

1. Soak

• Rinse the dry beans first to remove any dirt and pick through them to remove any stones. Now put the beans in a big enough container to allow for expansion of beans and cover by at least 4 inches of water above the beans. Let them soak overnight or at least 8 hours.

2. Pressure cook black beans in the Instant pot

• Pressure cook black beans in Instant pot: Before cooking, drain the water from the soaked beans, transfer them to the Instant pot steel insert and add 3 cups of low sodium broth. Close the lid of the Instant pot, close the vent and cook on manual mode on high pressure for 25 mins. Let pressure release naturally for at least 10 to 15 mins and then do a quick release.
• For using PIP i.e. pot in pot cooking, place the soaked and drained beans in a stainless steel pot which can be used for pot in pot cooking in the Instant pot, and add 2.5 cups of low sodium broth to the beans. Now put this stainless steel pot in the Instant pot on a trivet with at least 1.5 cups of water in the main Instant pot steel insert to help with the steam. Then follow the directions above to cook the beans.

3. Sauté & Simmer

• Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a big enough pot on the stovetop.
• Once the oil is medium hot, add 1 bay leaf, 5 garlic cloves minced, and sauté for around 5 to 10 seconds watching very closely to make sure garlic won't burn. Next, add diced onions. If you can't work that fast, add garlic after the onions are slightly translucent. I like sautéing garlic in the hot oil for a few seconds to infuse the garlic taste in the oil before I add onions. Add ¼ tsp of salt to the onions to help them cook faster.
• Once the onions are translucent, add the spices i.e. paprika, cumin powder, and oregano, and mix well.
• Now add diced celery, diced red bell pepper, and any other veggies that you want to add and mix well.
• After couple mins, add the chopped baby greens (baby spinach, baby kale & baby arugula ) and mix well. (use any greens you prefer, remember baby kale has a less strong and less bitter taste than kale, so they give much nicer taste here).
• After couple more mins, add a can of ROTEL tomatoes with green chilies and mix well. (You can absolutely use 2 fresh tomatoes and a green chili here if you prefer, instead of the can.)
• Since I am using tomato flavored broth powder for the stock, I am adding 4 tsp broth powder now instead of cooking the beans with the broth(enough for the water in the cooked beans and water that we are going to add in the end ). If you are using liquid vegetable or chicken stock, then you can cook the beans with the broth in the Instant pot and add the rest of the broth after adding the beans.
• Now add the cooked black beans along with the liquid and mix well (or canned black beans, draining the can is your preference, I usually drain the liquid in the can and don't rinse the beans for soups).
• If you are using liquid broth, add it now as per the consistency you want. Add half of the cilantro now and half at the end.
• Let the soup simmer for about 10 mins on low to medium flame. Add required salt only after checking the taste and adjusting the seasonings. Remove and discard the bay leaf now.
• To make the soup a little more creamy and thick, use the immersion blender a few times right in the pot to puree some of the soup. Don't puree all the beans, make sure you puree only part of the soup so you can still get whole beans while eating.
• Simmer until desired consistency and serve. If you are going to eat it over rice, then little thicker consistency tastes better with rice.

4. Garnish

• Serve in soup bowls with preferred toppings like Sour cream ( skip it if you are vegan ), diced Jalapeno rings, chopped green onions, cilantro, diced or sliced Avocado, Tortilla Chips, etc. A squeeze of lemon juice adds wonderful flavor to this soup.