The night before or at least 8 hours before you plan to make this soup, add the beans to a large bowl and cover completely with at least one inch of water. See recipes notes for an unsoaked bean option.
On the Instant Pot, press the "saute" function and adjust to "normal". Once it reads hot, drizzle in the olive oil. Add the onion, celery, and carrots and sprinkle with ½ teaspoon salt. Saute until softened, about 5 minutes.
Add the garlic and saute for 1 more minute.
Add the rosemary and oregano, cooking for another 30 seconds to bloom. Deglaze the pot with 1-2 tablespoons vegetable broth.
Add the soaked beans (without their soaking liquid), remaining vegetable broth, optional cayenne pepper, and nutritional yeast.
Lock the lid into place and set the pressure valve to "sealing". Press the "pressure cook" button; adjust to "high pressure". Set the pressure cook time for 17 minutes. It will take about 15 minutes to come to pressure.
Allow the pressure to release naturally. This will take about 20 minutes; the pressure is fully released when the silver float valve floats down.
Remove the lid carefully and give the soup a stir. Add the zest from ½ lemon. Taste for salt and pepper. For a thinner soup, add 1 cup unsweetend soy milk or other non-dairy milk. Add ½ cup cashew cream for a thicker soup. You can also immersion blend or blend ⅓ of the soup to thicken if desired. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
Vegetable broth: I love using Better than Bouillon but any kind of vegetable broth works. Water works in a pinch but will decrease the flavor of the soup significantly.
Herbs: One teaspoon dry herbs can be replaced with one tablespoon fresh herbs.
Bean cook time: If the beans aren't as tender as you'd like you can reseal the lid and cook on high pressure for 5 more minutes (it will come to pressure quickly since it's already hot). Make sure to set the pressure valve back to sealing.
For a thicker soup, blend ⅓ of the soup in a blender or with an immersion blender. This makes it extra creamy!
Freezing: This meal can be portioned into large or individual containers and frozen for up to 3 months. These are the containers I use. It will need to thaw in the fridge for up to 24 hours before enjoying.
If using unsoaked beans, cook on high pressure for 35 minutes. Allow pressure to release naturally. Test 3 beans for doneness. Cook on pressure another 5 minutes if needed.
Author's note on recipe changes: This recipe was originally shared in 2018. I updated the recipe in January 2022 for improved quality and consistency. I now recommend soaking the beans before cooking them. The original recipe included 3 cups soy milk and 3 cups vegetable broth. I now recommend cooking the soaked or unsoaked beans with just 5 cups of vegetable broth and adding non-dairy milk or cashew cream after, if desired.