Pressure Cooker Black Bean Soup

Dry black beans go from pantry to thick, velvety soup in about an hour thanks to the pressure cooker. No soaking overnight. The beans cook under pressure with smoked ham hock, beef stock (veal stock if you can get it), onion, leeks, and celery until everything is completely tender.

After cooking, the solids get pureed in a food processor and stirred back into the stock. This gives you a smooth, creamy base with real body from the beans themselves, no cream needed. The ham hock meat gets cut into small pieces and stirred back in for smoky, meaty bites throughout.

Dry sherry goes in at the end. That nutty, slightly sweet finish is traditional in black bean soup and it rounds out the deep, earthy bean flavor beautifully.

Pro Tips

• Use homemade beef or veal stock if you have it. The gelatin in homemade stock gives the soup a silky richness that boxed broth can’t match.
• Puree in two batches. Overfilling a food processor with hot liquid is a recipe for a mess and a burn.
• Add sherry to taste after pureeing. Start with a tablespoon and work up. You want a hint of it, not a boozy soup.
• Clean and chop the leek carefully. Grit hides between the layers and there’s nothing worse than a sandy spoonful.

Variations

• Skip the ham hock and use vegetable stock for a vegetarian version.
• Top each bowl with a dollop of sour cream, diced red onion, and fresh cilantro.
• Add a pinch of cumin and smoked paprika to the pot for a Latin-inspired flavor.