Black Bean and Sausage Soup with Potatoes {Stovetop and Instant Pot}

This boldly flavoured Black Bean and Sausage soup with Potatoes is hearty and filling and the best thing on a cold rainy day. It is a perfect one-pot meal to throw together during the work week with leftovers for the next day’s lunch to boot. You could easily veganize it by skipping the sausage or using a plant-based one.

Happy Friday to you all. Warm sunny days are just around the corner, my friends, and I can barely contain my excitement. We so desperately need something to go our way. In the meantime, for the rainy days that keep creeping in, this hearty and filling soup will bring you loads of comfort. Black beans, sausage, and potatoes come together in a garlick-y broth with onions, tomatoes and a few spices. The flavour is so off the charts you will think some weird magic made it happen (spoiler alert, it’s all in the sausage). Even better, it takes less than 10 minutes to prepare and about 30 minutes to cook. You really should make it soon!

Choosing the sausage and beans

Chorizo sausage (not the dry-cured) is usually my first choice for this soup. It is intensley seasoned with garlic and spices so it flavours the broth beautifully. That said, I have also tried it with chicken sausage and Italian sausage and it is just as delicious. If you feel like your sausage is lacking in flavour (some chicken sausages can be bland) just add a little more of the spices. If you live in my area you can find great chorizo sausage from a butcher here and here. Farm Boy also often has some really nice in-house sausages. If you have access to a Whole Foods Market, all their sausages are the best I have ever had.

As for the beans, my preference for this stew-y soup is black beans but use what you might like or what you have on hand. They will all work wonderfully.

Substitutions

Chorizo sausage can be a little spicy but you will not detect it once cooked in the broth. I like to add a little cayenne for extra spiciness and because I feel this soup really benefits from it, but do leave it out if you wish.

You can of course make this soup completely vegan by using a plant-based sausage and vegetable stock. By the way, if you have a favourite plant-based sausage, do share. I am still searching.

I haven’t tried making the soup with sweet potatoes or butternut squash but I imagine either one would be a fantastic swap for the Yukon golds. If avoiding potatoes altogether, give it a go with carrots.

To finish, the soup is boosted with plenty of swiss chard but you could also use spinach, kale or even chopped up napa cabbage.

Here is the step-by-step:

Brown the sausage, using a wooden spoon to chunck (but not crumble) the sausage.

Add onions and garlic and sauté a few minutes until onion is softened.

Add the tomatoes and spices and cook another few minutes, until tomatoes become soft.

Add the potatoes and black beans and 1 bay leaf (not shown).

Pour in 4 cups chicken broth and cook, uncovered, over medium heat until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.

Add chopped swiss chard and cook for another 2 minutes or until the chard has slightly wilted.

Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary and serve.

How to Make In The Instant Pot

This black bean and sausage soup with potatoes is incredibly easy and quick to make on the stovetop but if you prefer to make it in an Instant Pot, here’s what you do:

1. Select Sauté and add the olive oil to the pot. Once hot, add in the sausage and sauté for about 5-7 minutes, until browned and almost cooked through. Transfer the sausage to a paper towel-lined plate.
2. Add the onion and sauté for 2 minutes. Stir in the garlic and sauté 30 seconds. Add in the chopped tomatoes, salt, pepper, oregano, paprika, cayenne (if using), potatoes, bay leaf and chicken broth. Scrape any browned bits up off the bottom of the pot.
3. Lock the lid in place. Select High Pressure and 3 minutes cook time.
4. When the cook time ends, turn off the pressure cooker. Use a quick pressure release. When the valve drops, carefully remove the lid.
5. Stir in the black beans, vinegar and Swiss chard and stir until leaves are slightly wilted and beans are warmed through, about 3-5 minutes. Taste and season with a bit more salt and pepper, if needed. Remove bay leaf and serve warm. Tip: If you need the soup to get warmer, just press sauté button and allow soup to come to a gentle simmer.

This insanely delicious black bean and sausage soup with potatoes is simple, week-night friendly, and great for leftovers and lunches. I hope you give it a try and if you do, I would love to hear from you in the comments below. Enjoy!

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Black Bean and Sausage Soup with Potatoes

Author: Sandra Valvassori

This boldly flavoured Black Bean and Sausage soup with Potatoes is hearty and filling and the best thing on a cold rainy day. It is a perfect one-pot meal to throw together during the work week with leftovers for the next day’s lunch to boot. You could easily veganize it by skipping the sausage or using a plant-based one. *See notes for Instant Pot instructions.

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Servings 4 to 6

Ingredients  

1x2x3x

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 8-12 ounces fresh chorizo sausage (about 2-3 links) or any sausage of your choice
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 large tomato, roughly chopped or 1 cup canned whole tomatoes (see notes)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, or a little more to taste
• freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper or hot pepper flakes optional
• 1 19-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed or any bean of your choice (about 2-3 cups)
• 4 cups Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• 2 tsp red wine vinegar
• 3 cups swiss chard, chopped

Instructions 

• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat; add the chorizo and cook for 5 to 7 minutes until browned, using a flat end wooden spoon to chop the sausage into chunks (do not crumble).
• Add onions and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened about 2-3 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, 1 teaspoon salt, pepper to taste, dried oregano, paprika, and cayenne, and cook for 3 minutes or until tomatoes have cooked down.
• Add the black beans, potatoes, and bay leaf then pour in broth and vinegar; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; cook uncovered for 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
• Taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary. Stir in the chard and stir gently until leaves are slightly wilted, about 2 minutes. Discard bay leaf and serve warm.

Notes

Don't be tempted to add more than 1 cup of canned tomatoes here -- they would overwhelm the flavours of this soup. 

How to Make In The Instant Pot

This black bean and sausage soup with potatoes is incredibly easy and quick to make on the stovetop but if you prefer to make it in an Instant Pot, here's what you do:

1. Select Sauté and add the olive oil to the pot. Once hot, add in the sausage and sauté for about 5-7 minutes, until browned and almost cooked through. Transfer the sausage to a paper towel-lined plate.
2. Add the onion and sauté for 2 minutes. Stir in the garlic and sauté 30 seconds. Add in the chopped tomatoes, salt, pepper, oregano, paprika, cayenne (if using), potatoes, bay leaf and chicken broth. Scrape any browned bits up off the bottom of the pot.
3. Lock the lid in place. Select High Pressure and 3 minutes cook time.
4. When the cook time ends, turn off the pressure cooker. Use a quick pressure release. When the valve drops, carefully remove the lid.
5. Stir in the black beans, vinegar and Swiss chard and stir until leaves are slightly wilted and beans are warmed through, about 3-5 minutes. Taste and season with a bit more salt and pepper, if needed. Remove bay leaf and serve warm. Tip: If you need the soup to get warmer, just press sauté button and allow soup to come to a gentle simmer.

Keywords: Black Beans, Chorizo, Sausage

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