Instant Pot! Israeli White Bean Soup

Instant Pot Israeli White Bean Soup is another of my old favorites, reworked for my Instant Pot. Although I already halved the recipe from what I made in the Cafe, I had to halve it again to fit my pot. It should make about a gallon. If you’re serving a crowd, have a bigger pot, and want the larger amount, check out the original recipe.

Israeli White Bean Soup for the Instant Pot

Ingredients 

• Olive Oil, 2 TB
• Garlic, 2 large cloves, minced
• Spanish onion, 1/2 lg, petite diced
• Celery, 1 (lg) or 2 regular stalks, bias cut
• Carrots, 1 (lg) or 2 regular, bias cut
• Potatoes, 2, 1″ dice with skin on
• Cumin, 1/2 TB
• Tomato, 4 lg plum tomatoes, petite diced, or one  19 oz. can petite diced tomatoes
• Tomato Paste, 2 level TB or to desired thickness
• Salt, 1/2 TB or to taste
• Szeged hot paprika, 1/4-1/2 tsp
• Cilantro, 1/2 bunch, chopped
• White beans (Navy Pea Beans or Canellini or Small White Beans), 1/2 lb. dried
• Water, 2 quarts to start

Directions

1. Rinse beans well, and put into Instant Pot with 2 quarts water. Close the lid and vent, and Pressure the beans for 15 minutes.
2. At the end of the cooking time, hit Cancel, and do a Quick Release. Remove the beans with their water to a bowl and set aside.
3. While the beans are cooking, mince the garlic, petite dice or chop the onion, slice the celery and carrots on the bias, and cut the potato into 1” chunks. If using fresh tomatoes, petite dice the tomatoes.
4. When the veggies are ready and the beans with their liquid removed from the Instant Pot, add olive oil to the pot.
5. Set Instant Pot to Sauté and add the minced garlic. Stir briefly.
6. Next, add the onions, and saute until soft, then the carrots and celery. Sauté, stirring, for a moment or two longer.
7. Then add the potatoes to the pot along with the petite diced tomatoes and reserved beans and cooking liquid, and 2 TB of the tomato paste. Leave the Instant Pot on Sauté to bring the mixture to a simmer.
8. While waiting for the mixture to come to a simmer, add the seasonings: cumin, salt, hot paprika.
9. Cancel Sauté. Put the lid on the IP and close the vent. Set to Pressure for 15 minutes.
10. At the end of the cooking time, hit Cancel, and do a Quick Release.
11. Check the consistency of the soup. When finished, the soup should be thick with veggies and beans but with enough broth to be soup. Add remaining TB of tomato paste if desired, more water if desired, and adjust the seasoning.
12. Check the consistency of the potatoes and beans, which should be tender (usually Cannellini beans cook fairly quickly).
    • If needed, set the pot to Sauté, cover and select either Sauté to continue cooking at a more rapid rate or…
    • Keep Warm to continue at a slower rate.
    • I like to cover it with my glass Instant Pot lid at this point so I can see what’s happening.
13. When the soup is ready, either Cancel or Keep Warm (if you’re not eating immediately).
14. Add chopped cilantro — and serve and enjoy.

Adjustments

P.S. If you need to thin the soup, then just add water at the end of cooking (or when you reheat after storage) until it reaches the consistency you like. You will probably need to adjust the salt as well. Also, if you’re in a rush, after the initial bean cooking, just put everything else into the pot and pressure. Might be a little less flavor, but it will still be delicious. The soup keeps well, so as soon as it cools, you can pack up some for the freezer.

Hope you enjoy this soup!