Creamy chickpeas. Glistening black beans. Buttery limas, nutty black-eyed peas, earthy lentils, and plenty more. They all swirl together into one big pot of delicious, hearty 16 bean soup. And it\u2019s easy and lightning-fast in your pressure cooker or Instant Pot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Just start with a bag of colorful 16 bean soup mix from the dried bean aisle at the supermarket. And what a bargain\u2014it costs little more than any bag of dried beans. Then dress it up with a few extras to make a spectacular multibean soup. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yes, a bag of 16 bean soup mix contains at least 16 different varieties of dried beans. The bean types can vary from brand to brand, bag to bag. Goya even slips in barley, which we love but you may want to avoid if you don\u2019t want gluten. Bob\u2019s Red Mill sells a 13 bean soup mix. But most brands\u2014including lots of store brands\u2014have standardized on 16.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But why the magic number 16? <\/strong> Every brand of 16 bean soup mix comes with its own special recipe printed on the bag, often with a Southern, Mexican or Spanish flavor. Some bags include seasoning packets. Many recipes suggest ham, which is fine if you\u2019re in the mood for a meaty soup.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Our favorite<\/strong> Beans are rich in protein, fiber, and all sorts of nutrients. But most of all, they make a tasty, cozy meal. All 16 of them.<\/p>\n\n\n * Tip: Use frozen ginger. To prepare fresh ginger for the freezer, scrape off the peel using the back of a teaspoon or a wad of crushed-up aluminum foil. Then freeze it in a zipper bag and carefully slice and mince it as needed. Frozen ginger tastes fresh and melts away in the soup.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Creamy chickpeas. Glistening black beans. Buttery limas, nutty black-eyed peas, earthy lentils, and plenty more. They all swirl together into one big pot of delicious, hearty 16 bean soup. And it\u2019s easy and lightning-fast in your pressure cooker or Instant Pot. Just start with a bag of colorful 16 bean soup mix from the dried bean aisle at the supermarket. And what a bargain\u2014it costs little more than any bag of dried beans. Then dress it up with a few extras to make a spectacular multibean soup. Yes, a bag of 16 bean soup mix contains at least 16 different varieties of dried beans. The bean types can vary from brand to brand, bag to bag. Goya even slips in barley, which we love but you may want to avoid if you don\u2019t want gluten. Bob\u2019s Red Mill sells a 13 bean soup mix. But most brands\u2014including lots of store brands\u2014have standardized on 16. But why the magic number 16? In the 1980s, the N.K. Hurst Company created demand for multibean soup mixes when they introduced the HamBeens brand \u201c15 Bean Soup\u201d and trademarked the name. Sales went crazy, and the mix put the company on the map. So we suspect that by one-upping the popular Hurst\u2019s mix, other brands can own a piece of the market without landing in a, well, legal soup. Every brand of 16 bean soup mix comes with its own special recipe printed on the bag, often with a Southern, Mexican or Spanish flavor. Some bags include seasoning packets. Many recipes suggest ham, which is fine if you\u2019re in the mood for a meaty soup. Our favorite Of the many recipes we\u2019ve tried, our hands-down favorite comes from the bag of the obscure Health & Harvest brand. It calls for standard soup veggies, diced tomatoes and lively spices\u2014including the secret ingredient, smoked paprika. Beans are rich in protein, fiber, and all sorts of nutrients. But most of all, they make a tasty, cozy meal. All 16 of them. 16 Bean Soup in the Pressure Cooker or Instant Pot * Tip: Use frozen ginger. To prepare fresh ginger for the freezer, scrape off the peel using the back of a teaspoon or a wad of crushed-up aluminum foil. Then freeze it in a zipper bag and carefully slice and mince it as needed. Frozen ginger tastes fresh and melts away in the soup.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7887,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[712,669,77,31,270,757],"tags":[858,857],"class_list":["post-7884","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-beans","category-gluten-free","category-soups","category-vegan","category-vegetables","category-vegetarian","tag-15-bean-soup-mix","tag-16-bean-soup-mix"],"yoast_head":"\n
In the 1980s, the N.K. Hurst Company created demand for multibean soup mixes when they introduced the HamBeens brand \u201c15 Bean Soup\u201d and trademarked the name. Sales went crazy, and the mix put the company on the map. So we suspect that by one-upping the popular Hurst\u2019s mix, other brands can own a piece of the market without landing in a, well, legal soup.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Of the many recipes we\u2019ve tried, our hands-down favorite comes from the bag of the obscure Health & Harvest brand. It calls for standard soup veggies, diced tomatoes and lively spices\u2014including the secret ingredient, smoked paprika.<\/p>\n\n\n\n16 Bean Soup in the Pressure Cooker or Instant Pot<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n
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Quick-prep method. <\/em>For same-day cooking, rinse beans and put in a pressure cooker or Instant Pot. Add 4 cups water and 2 tablespoons vegetable oil. Cover, bring to high heat, then turn off heat and let pressure reduce naturally. Drain. These parcooked beans are now ready to use.
Quick-prep plus some soaking\/brining. <\/em>Rinse and soak dry beans in 2 quarts of water mixed with 1 \u00bd tablespoon salt for 4 hours. Drain. Then follow quick-prep method above.
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