Spare Spoons Kitchen
Basic Black Beans
The Pantry · Instant Pot · no soaking

Basic Black Beans

A pot of tender black beans from dry, no soaking — just beans, water, and a little aromatics, pressure-cooked into the building block for tacos, bowls, soups, and sides. Vegan and gluten-free.

25 min pressure no soak from dry
Spoon cost
Time ●●○○○ Anytime
Instant PotVeganGluten-Free
Servingsamounts scale to match
6
Units

Ingredients

No soak — dry beans straight in, then a full natural release. A 25-minute cook plus a natural release softens dry beans completely; the spoon of oil keeps the foam down. Don't rush the release or the beans split and the skins toughen.

Method

    Cook's notes

    No pressure cooker? This recipe exists to beat the can on flavor and cost — without pressure, the honest answer is to buy the cans (2 cans ≈ this batch). Want the from-scratch flavor anyway? Soak overnight, then simmer covered, 1–1½ hours, with the same seasonings.

    The building block — these go into tacos, burrito bowls, the Mexican rice and beans, or get blended into refried beans.

    No soaking needed — 25 minutes plus the natural release does it from dry.

    Older beans take longer; if they're still firm, reseal and cook another 5–10 minutes.

    Naturally vegan and gluten-free; freeze the extras in their liquid.

    Easier, if you like

    • Double or triple it and freeze in 1½-cup portions (about a can each).
    • Skip the bouillon for a plainer bean to season however the recipe calls for.
    Vegan and gluten-free as written

    Vegan / gluten-free: it already is — use a GF bouillon.

    Other beans: the same method works for pinto or kidney beans (similar timing).