Best Pinto Bean Soup
This pinto bean soup recipe transforms your kitchen with the delicious aromas of a simmering, easy, tasty soup. It’s simple to make and full of all the smoky, savory flavors you’ve grown to love. Serve this homemade vegetarian soup with vegan cornbread or dinner rolls and with a dollop of creamy cashew cream and hot sauce.
I’m celebrating national soup month, so be sure to scroll to the bottom of this post (past the recipe) for links to some more awesome soup recipes.
Serve all your favorite soups with this amazing vegan cornbread.
Making Pinto Bean Soup Vegan
I made this pinto bean soup vegan with a Southern flair, by adding smoke sauce to the recipe and, of course, leaving out the meat. It was an easy recipe to veganize.
If you’re looking for nutritious dinner ideas, pinto beans boast a lot of protein (and fiber), meaning this healthy recipe is easily converted to vegetarian. My mom grew up in the Missouri Ozarks and she tells me that they ate a lot of beans when she was young. It was all they could afford! And, in fact, they very seldom had meat like ham and bacon, because they couldn’t afford that either.
What Makes This Recipe Shine?
- Using canned pinto beans makes this recipe so easy to make and still creates a delicious, hearty soup
- Adding smoke sauce creates a flavor as if it was cooked with bacon
- Adding sliced carrots, celery, and potatoes add a variety of flavors and textures to every bite
Key Ingredients
You can find the full printable recipe, including ingredient quantities, below. But first, here are some explanations of ingredients and steps to help you make this recipe perfect every time.
Here are the ingredients you’ll need for this recipe, including substitution ideas:
- Onion – I used a yellow onion, but you can substitute white or red onion.
- Potatoes — I find russet potatoes or gold potatoes work best.
- Pinto beans — You’ll need 3 15-ounce cans of pinto beans.
- Spices — You’ll need garlic powder, dried marjoram, and dried thyme.
- Liquid Smoke — You can buy this next to the BBQ sauce in most grocery stores.
- Broth — I recommend a high-quality vegetable broth, which is why I use Better than Bouillon Vegetarian base combined with water.
Crock Pot Tip — Alternatively, you can cook this recipe in a crockpot by following the first step above, and then transferring everything to a crockpot and cooking on low for about 4 hours.
Serving Suggestions
- Complete Protein — serving this soup over brown rice for an entirely plant-based wholesome protein option.
- Bread — have some vegan biscuits or sweet potato rolls on the side.
- Cream — a dollop of cashew cream on top is a nice touch.
- Cheese — A sprinkle or two of vegan parmesan is pretty tasty and adds some crunch too.
Storage Tips
Transfer cooled soup to an airtight container. It will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days. It can be frozen in freezer-safe containers for up to 2 months.
Marly’s Tips
- To make this soup fast, cook the carrots and potatoes in a microwave for one to two minutes until just tender. Then transfer them (including the liquid) to the pot with the onions and celery
- Transform this into a Mexican dish, by adding a tablespoon of taco seasoning
- Try adding half black and pinto beans for a more colorful soup
- Make this even heartier by adding sliced vegan sausage (I buy vegan sausages from Sprouts, Natural Grocers, or the health food section of my local grocery store)
- Alternatively, you can add vegan chicken pieces to add a meatier texture.
Reader Reviews
★★★★★
Lillian
So glad I made this soup. I followed the recipe and it was so delicious and satisfying.
More Vegan Soups
If you love this pinto bean soup, you will want to try your hand at some more vegan soups! Here are some more recipes you’ll love:
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Vegan Pinto Bean Soup
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- ½ cup chopped onion
- ½ cup chopped celery
- 2 large carrots , chopped
- 2 medium potatoes , chopped
- 45 oz canned pinto beans (~3 cans) , canned (with liquid)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 tablespoon smoke sauce (Liquid Smoke)
- 1 tablespoon Better than Bouillon Vegetarian
- 4 cups water (see notes)
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Place a skillet over medium heat. Add a teaspoon of olive oil and then the chopped onions, chopped celery, carrots, and potatoes. Cook until tender, about 10 minutes.
- When the onions and potatoes are tender, add the beans (plus liquid), spices, and smoke sauce. Stir to combine.
- Add the bouillon and water. Stir to combine. Place the bay leaf on top of the broth and then cover and cook for 30 to 40 minutes.
- When the soup is ready to serve, remove the bay leaf, and then spoon roughly half into a blender or food processor and pulse. Return this back to the rest of the soup to make a thick soup. Add salt and pepper to taste before serving.
- Serve with cornbread or bread. This soup will last in the fridge in a sealed container for 4 to 5 days. It can be frozen for up to 2 to 3 months.
Recommended Equipment
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Notes
Vegetable Broth
I prefer using Better than Bouillon combined with water for a guaranteed high-quality vegetable broth. You can substitute your favorite vegetable broth.The nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator and should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Enjoy!
National Soup Month
It’s national soup month so I’m celebrating with some of my favorite food blogging friends! What does that mean for you? Here are more soup recipes to choose from. Not all of these recipes are vegan, but I can create a vegan version for you.
- Vegan Cheeseburger Soup
- White Chicken Chili by Ashlee Marie
- Easy Vegan Chicken Noodle Soup
- Creamy Tortellini Soup thanks to Creations by Kara
- One-pot Vegan Taco Soup
- Chicken Fajita Soup by the Baker Upstairs
- Vegan Cheesy Broccoli Soup by Love and Lemons
- Red Beans and Rice
- Slow Cooker Enchilada Chili by Real Mom Kitchen
- Minestrone and Quinoa Soup
- Instant Pot Tomato Basil Parmesan Soup by 365 Days of Slow Cooking
- Flu Buster Vegetable Soup by Cupcakes and Kale Chips
- Vegan Beef Stew
- Red Lentil Soup by Supergolden Bakes
- Vegan Hot and Sour Soup by Citron and Citronella
So glad I made this soup. I followed the recipe and it was so delicious and satisfying.
What do you mean by “smoke sauce”? 2 Tbsp seems like a lot for liquid smoke but then again I’ve never used it. I thought it was the sort of thing one used in drops, not tablespoons.
Hi Amy. The small town girl comes out in me in the weirdest of times. I also call pasta sauce “red sauce,” and cardinals “red birds.” I blame it on my mom who is from the Ozarks! So, you are correct. Smoke sauce should be liquid smoke. I will change that in this recipe. If you think 2 tablespoons is too much, start with one and add the second if you think you need it. I made this recipe to taste like the kind my mom used to make and she always cooked it with a ham bone. That just sounds so gross to me now! Anyway, this pinto bean soup is so good with that smoky flavor. We love it!
Cant understands the steps…their’s something not right. Please restate the steps.
Hi Robert. Well, basically it breaks down like this:
1) Cook the celery, onions, carrots, and potatoes in the oil until tender
2) Add the beans (plus the liquid from the beans), spices, and smoke sauce. Stir this.
3) Add the bouillon and water. Stir to combine. (Or you can use vegetable broth)
4) Place a bay leaf on top.
5) Simmer for 30 minutes. Remove the bay leaf.
6) Transfer about half of the bean mixture to a food processor and pulse until smooth. Add this back with the beans to create a thick, creamy soup.
7) Serve with cornbread.
I hope this was helpful!
iIsaw that with the canned beans you are using the liquid. What should I do when making this from dry beans?
HI Amanda! I would just add a cup of vegetable broth to replace the liquid from the can of beans. Hope you love this as much as we do!
This page gives you a lot of information. Thank you!
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This looks so hearty and delicious! I have tons of dried beans that I need to use up; can’t wait to give this a try.
this soup sounds so good, filling and full of flavor. I love using smoke sauce and love starting with the dried beans – seriously I have as much pinto bean food storage as I do flour and sugar! can’t wait to give it a try
This looks amazing! I love that it’s healthy and comfort food.
what is the “smoke sauce”?? Is it liquid smoke? Also, the cornbread in the photo looks delicious…any recommendations for a good cornbread recipe? thanks