Pinto Bean Soup Recipe (Easy, Hearty)

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This chunky and hearty pinto bean soup is made with loads of veggies and pasta shells making it a nutritious and filling one-pot meal. This soup has tons of flavor, and is vegetarian comfort food at its best!

Beans are nutritional powerhouses.

Not only are they a great, lean source of vegetarian protein, but they provide a myriad of health benefits, and they fit into several different food groups.

• They’re rich in complex carbs like whole grains.
• They’re full of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants like veggies.
• They’re a great source of protein like meat.

This Chunky and Hearty Pinto Bean Soup is the perfect opportunity to sneak some beans into your diet. It’s rich and super flavorful: thick and chunky, with oozing cheese and al dente pasta on top. It requires little effort to make, and is made in one pot for easy cleanup! My whole family couldn’t get enough of it!

Beans come canned, frozen, or dry – so they are a breeze to purchase, prepare and store. They’re also the least expensive source of protein out there (especially when compared to fresh meat!). Lastly, they can be used in just about any dish. They can be incorporated into a main (soups, chili), a side (salads), an appetizer (bean dip), or a snack (roasted chickpeas). And there are so many varieties: kidney beans, pinto beans, black beans, lima beans, black-eyed peas, garbanzo beans, split peas and lentils to name a few. If you don’t have pinto beans, white beans are a great substitute for pinto beans in this recipe!

Why You’ll Love This Easy Recipe …

• Simple to make with inexpensive pantry staples
• Packed with flavor
• Vegetarian friendly
• Easily made vegan and gluten-free
• Kid-friendly
• A one-pot meal!

How To Make The Best Pinto Bean Soup

Ingredients and Notes

Pinto Beans: The humble pinto bean is the star of this recipe! If you don’t have pinto beans, white beans will also work well.

Extra virgin olive oil: For sauteeing and for adding healthy fats.

Herbs and spices: I used Garlic, Parsley, Rosemary, Sea Salt and Black Pepper to give this vegetarian soup its rich flavor. If you don’t have fresh garlic, you can use garlic powder. Feel free to add a touch of cayenne pepper or hot sauce for an additional kick!

Red Onion, Tomatoes, Carrots and Celery: Makes a great base of veggies for this tasty soup! You can also use yellow onion if you don’t have red onion.

Vegetable Broth: Many soup recipes will use chicken broth or beef broth to add flavor, but that makes the entire soup not veggie-friendly! Vegetable broth works well in this recipe to give it great flavor and keep it plant-based.

Pasta: Optional, but adds a nice textural component and additional whole grains and fiber. You could also use a lentil or chickpea pasta for more protein.

Cheese: Optional, but makes a great topping for this flavorful soup!

Tools and Equipment

• Chopping Knife
• Cutting Board
• Large Stock Pot
• Wooden Spoon
• Medium Pot
• Colander
• Immersion Blender

Step by Step Instructions

Step 1: Chop all of your ingredients (onions, carrots, celery, herbs). Warm the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions, carrots, celery, rosemary, and garlic, cook for about 2-3 minutes, then lower the heat to medium and cook the onion mixture for another 7-8 minutes, or until the onion is softened and begins to caramelize.

Step 2: Add the parsley, beans, tomatoes, salt, pepper, and vegetable stock. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer on low heat for about 30 minutes, until the beans soften.

Step 3: While the soup is simmering, cook your pasta until it is al dente. Drain and set aside.

Step 4: Blend the soup partially with an immersion blender until the soup is chunky but not completely pureed. You can also transfer a half of the soup to a regular blender or food processor and blend it that way. If you do use a regular blender, but be sure to let the soup cool slightly before pureeing it – otherwise it will explode out of the blender when you turn it on!

Step 5: Divide the soup into bowls and add 1-2 tbsp of cooked pasta and 1-2 tbsp of parmesan cheese to each. Eat and enjoy!

What Makes This Pinto Bean Stew Healthy?

• High in Fiber and Protein: Each serving of this soup has 12 grams of heart healthy fiber and 14 grams of filling protein! Beans are a great source of plant protein — they have only 2-3% fat (lower than meat), but 7g protein for every 1/2 cup serving (the same amount as 1oz of meat).
• Balance Blood Sugar: Thanks to their low glycemic index (because of their complex carbs + protein), beans are digested slowly which helps keep blood glucose stable. They also help you feel fuller longer without being super high in calories!
• High in Vitamins and Minerals: The carrots, tomatoes and celery added to this soup add a healthy dose of vitamins, fiber, and antioxidants!

Recipe FAQs

How Do You Cook Dry Pinto Beans?

You can cook pinto beans on the stove top, in the instant pot, or in a slow cooker. I recommend an instant pot because it’s the easiest way to cook pinto beans with the fastest cooking time!

To cook on the stove top

• Step 1: Rinse beans. Remove any beans that don’t look good.
• Step 2: Soak the beans overnight in a large bowl covered with 2 inches of water.
• Step 3: Drain and rinse the beans.
• Step 4: In a saucepan cover the pinto beans with 2 inches of water or stock. Simmer over medium heat for 2-3 hour or until tender.

To cook in the Instant Pot

• Step 1: Rinse your beans and remove any debris. Soaking your beans is optional – if you soak your beans this just reduces the cook time. These instructions are for unsoaked beans.
• Step 2: Put 5 cups of water with 1 pound of dry unsoaked beans into your Instant Pot.
• Step 3: Close the Instant Pot lid and turn the steam release valve to the sealing position.
• Step 4: Pressure cook on high pressure for 30 minutes. Natural release for 15 minutes, then quick release any remaining pressure. Open the Instant Pot and enjoy!

How to Store and Keep

To Store in the Fridge: Let the soup cool completely. Then transfer to an airtight container and place in the fridge. It will keep for up to 4 days. And honestly this soup just tastes even better the next day because it allows the flavors to blend together even more!

To Store in the Freezer: Let the soup cool, transfer to an airtight freezer safe container and place in the freezer for up to 3 months. To reheat, thaw in the fridge overnight, then heat on the stovetop or in the microwave until warmed through.

Recipe Variations

Make a Mexican Pinto Bean Soup: To make this a Mexican-inspired pinto bean soup, switch out the rosemary and parsley for mild chili powder, taco seasoning, and dried oregano to taste. You can also add in some diced green chiles and diced bell peppers instead of the celery!

Make a Vegan Pinto Bean Soup: Just omit the cheese, or use a vegan shredded cheese!

Switch out the beans: Make a white bean or black bean soup!

Expert Tips

• To save time use canned pinto beans. Look for BPA free packaging. If you can’t find pinto beans or want to switch things up, white beans or navy beans also work great in this recipe.
• Use whole grain pasta. For even more protein, or to make this gluten-free, you can use lentil or chickpea based pasta.
• Use an immersion blender to partially blend the beans. This will give it a natural creaminess without the need to add cream.
• Don’t blend completely as the whole pinto beans give it a nice texture.
• Use fresh rosemary for a richer and fresher flavor. If you don’t have fresh herbs use dried herbs but reduce the amount to 1/3 of the amount of the fresh herbs, as dried herbs have a stronger flavor.
• To make this vegan, just omit the cheese!

More Soup Recipes To Try!

• Carrot Potato Soup
• Chickpea Soup
• Vegan Baked Potato Soup
• Vegan Minestrone Soup
• Spicy Indian Lentil Soup with Swiss Chard
• Vegetarian Stew Recipes

If you have tried this Chunky and Hearty Pinto Bean Soup Recipe, or any other recipe on my blog, then please rate it and let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST to see more delicious, healthy, family friendly food!