Instant Pot White Bean Soup – Vegan Caldo Gallego

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This healthy Instant Pot white bean soup is packed with fresh spinach, white cannellini (kidney) beans and tons of flavour.

It comes together in 50 minutes in an Instant Pot, which makes it the perfect quick meal when you’re craving hearty comfort food in a hurry. 

Don’t have an Instant Pot? No worries, we’ve also included instructions so you can easily make this satisfying winter soup on the stovetop.  

Top Reasons We Love This White Bean Soup

• this plant-based version of the classic Spanish soup is low in fat and high in protein,
• so quick and filling, it’s a satisfying meal in a bowl when you’re in a hurry,
• it’s made with pantry staples you likely already have in your cupboard, 
• uses potato as a thickener vs the extenders and fillers often found in commercial soups. 
• it’s vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and low in sodium, 
• freezes beautifully, 

Caldo Gallego is one of the Famous Soups of Northern Spain  

The inspiration for this dish comes from Galicia in northern Spain where the hearty soups are meant to fill you up. When we were hiking the Camino de Santiago (just a short stretch not the entire 700km route!), almost every lunch featured a steaming bowl of soup served in an earthenware bowl.

Unlike the chilled gazpacho soups of southern Spain intended to cool you down, hearty Galician bean soups were designed to warm you up during cool, damp weather.  

This Galician soup along with many other Spanish culinary influences extend to Latin America. This is why you can also find versions of  Caldo Gallego in Cuba and Puerto Rico!  

While traditional Caldo Gallgo and Asturian Stew (another famous white bean dish from Spain) normally include multiple varieties of pork such as ham hocks, bacon or pig’s ears, this vegetarian version gets its rich flavour from Spanish pimentón (  smoked paprika).

This means it’s vegan, but just as delicious and warming.

Is White Bean Soup Healthy? 

When cooked properly, kidney and other beans offer loads of prospective nutritional benefits. They’re high in plant-based protein, fibre, antioxidants plus vitamins and minerals such as folate, potassium, iron and vitamin K. 

Plus, being a slow-release carb, kidney beans can also be very effective at maintaining blood sugars levels. Beans are also associated with a decrease in colon cancer risk factors.  

This white bean soup also contains lots of extra veggies for even more vitamins and minerals. 

Which are Better? Canned Beans or Dried Beans? 

Although you can actually use either canned beans in this recipe, as you might have noticed in my recipes for Guatemalan black bean soup and black beans and rice, I’m a fan of using dried beans whenever possible. 

Not only do they contain less sodium and no additives, the texture is creamier and the flavour better than canned. Making white bean soup in an Instant Pot cuts down the cooking time so you can still put it together quickly for a fast lunch or dinner.

Ingredients for Vegan White Bean Soup  

• White Beans – Dried white kidney beans also known as cannellini beans. You can also use fabada beans from the province of Asturias in Spain. They have a slightly thinner skin than kidney beans and are different than fava beans, popular in southern Puglia, Italy. 
• Vegetable Broth – Use a vegetable stock that is preferably light in colour to help blend the soup, preserve the white colour and add an additional layer of flavour. 
• Red Onion – Provides a savoury kick that pairs well with the other flavours.
• Potato – Thickens the soup without gluten and is a traditional ingredient in this Spanish soup.
• Carrots – Adds a burst of colour and contributes beta carotene, which your body converts into vitamin A.
• Fresh Baby Spinach – Baby spinach cooks quickly and has thinner stems but you can also use regular spinach if you trim it well.  
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil – Make sure you buy an oil that is light tasting. You can also use avocado oil.
• Spanish Pimentón – Smoked paprika adds a delicious smoky flavour that substitutes for the chorizo popular in caldos.  
• Salt and Pepper – Balances all the flavours in the soup. 

Step by Step Instructions for Making Instant Pot White Bean Soup 

Scroll down to the recipe card for the exact quantities of ingredients and full method. 

1. Rinse the white beans, discarding any broken or discoloured ones.

2. When cooking beans on the stovetop, I recommend soaking beans overnight and discarding the water. This helps reduce the gas-causing substances in beans. But with the Instant Pot it’s not necessary. 

3. Begin by removing the trivet from the Instant Pot. Place the raw, dried beans in the Instant Pot and cover with water. Allow at least 2 inches of water overtop of beans.

4. Cook on high pressure for 35 minutes.

5. Allow to naturally release steam (takes 5 additional minutes or longer).

6. Drain the cooked beans from the water and discard the cooking liquid.

Note: If you’re using canned white beans, drain and rinse before using. 

7. Peel and chop the potato and carrots into bite-sized pieces. Wash spinach and remove any tough stems.

8. Mince garlic and dice onion finely.

9. Place the oil, red onion, garlic, potato, carrots and vegetable stock into the Instant Pot.

10. Close the lid and valve and set on high pressure for 6 minutes.

11. Open the valve and lid and set on the sauté setting. Add the cooked white kidney beans, baby spinach and smoked paprika to the Instant Pot.  

12. Stir and cook for 4 minutes or until the spinach begins to wilt. 

13. Season with salt and freshly-ground pepper and serve hot.

How to Serve This Soup

• Serve with thick slices of bread and a Spanish cheese such as Manchego, or a crumbled vegan cheese. 
• This soup can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. Reheat and adjust seasoning just before serving.
• Freeze it in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to three months. Thaw in the refrigerator, heat and adjust seasoning before serving.  
• If you have leftover fresh spinach, use it up in our recipe for Arroz Verde – Mexican Spinach Rice Pilaf. 

Other Easy Soup Recipes to Make 

• Slow Cooker Chipotle Chicken Tortilla Soup
• Meatball Soup – Sopa de Albondigas 
• Authentic Guatemalan Black Bean Soup 

Print

4.89 from 17 votes

Instant Pot White Bean Soup - Vegan Caldo Gallego

This hearty and delicious white bean soup is healthy, vegan, gluten-free and super easy to make in your Instant Pot.

Cook Time44 minutes mins

Total Time8 hours hrs 50 minutes mins

Course: Soup

Cuisine: Spanish

Servings: 4

Calories: 310kcal

Author: Michele Peterson

Cost: $10

Equipment

• ▢
  Instant Pot
• ▢
  chef's knife
• ▢
  cutting board

Ingredients

• ▢ 2 tablespoon olive oil
• ▢ ½ red onion chopped
• ▢ 2 garlic cloves minced
• ▢ 1 potato peeled and diced
• ▢ 2 carrots sliced
• ▢ 3 ½ cups vegetable broth
• ▢ 1 cup white beans dried
• ▢ 2 cups baby spinach fresh
• ▢ 1/8 teaspoon smoked paprika
• ▢ salt and pepper to taste

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

• Rinse the white beans, discarding any broken or discoloured ones.
• Begin by removing the trivet from the Instant Pot. Place the beans in the Instant Pot and cover with water. Allow at least 2 inches of water above the beans.
• Cook on high pressure for 35 minutes if not pre-soaked.
• Allow to naturally release steam (takes 5 or more additional minutes).
• Drain the cooked beans from the water and discard the water.
• Peel and chop the potato and carrots into bite-sized pieces.
• Wash the spinach and remove any tough stems.
• Mince the garlic and dice onion finely.
• Open the valve and lid of the Instant Pot. Place the olive oil, red onion, garlic, potato, carrots and vegetable stock into the Instant Pot.
• Close the lid and valve and set on high pressure for 6 minutes.
• Add the cooked white beans, baby spinach and smoked paprika to the Instant Pot. Set on the sauté setting.
• Stir and cook for 4 minutes or until the spinach begins to wilt. 
• Season with salt and freshly-ground pepper and serve.

Notes

• To make this soup even quicker, you can use canned white beans. Just rinse and drain before using and add AFTER the vegetables. 
• This soup can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. Reheat and adjust seasoning just before serving.
• Freeze it in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to three months. Thaw in the refrigerator, heat and adjust seasoning before serving.  

Non-Instant Pot Method  

If you'd like to make this soup but don't have an Instant Pot. Pre-soak the beans in water overnight. Drain, add fresh water, bring to a boil and simmer for 45 minutes or until tender. Saute the vegetables in olive oil, add the chopped onion, garlic and vegetables and once softened, add the vegetable stock, cooked beans and spinach. Bring to a boil and simmer until the spinach is wilted. Enjoy!  

Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is not guaranteed to be accurate. It's created by online calculators and although we attempt to provide accurate nutritional information, the figures are only estimates.

Nutrition

Calories: 310kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 45mg | Potassium: 1332mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 6533IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 158mg | Iron: 6mg

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Michele Peterson

Dividing her time between Canada, Guatemala and Mexico (or the nearest tropical beach), Michele Peterson is the founder of A Taste for Travel. Her award-winning travel and food writing has appeared in Lonely Planet’s cookbook Mexico: From the Source, National Geographic Traveler, Fodor’s and 100+ other publications.

Read more about Michele Peterson.