FEWER THAN 10 INGREDIENTS / FAST/SLOW / NATURAL RELEASE / CAN BE VEGAN / GLUTEN-FREE / FREEZES WELL
Road Map: Bean Soup
6 to 8 servings
There are a few things a pressure cooker seems to be made for. Steel-cut oatmeal? Sure thing. Beef short ribs? You bet. And bean soup. There’s nothing like it: The tender beans release enough starch to enrich the broth, making pure comfort food.
Although this road map lets you concoct your own version, we find the best herb/spice combinations involve more dried, leafy herbs and less dried spices—for example, 1 tablespoon dried sage, 2 teaspoons dried thyme, and 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon; or 2 teaspoons dried oregano, 2 teaspoons dried rosemary, 1 teaspoon ground allspice, and 1 teaspoon coriander seeds. Really, the only way to tell which blend you like is to do exactly what we do when we’re recipe-testing: Hold the bottles together under your nose and gently inhale.
1 pound dried medium-sized beans
Choose one or two from Anazasi, appaloosa, azuki, bolita, calypso, cannellini, cranberry, great northern, lima, mortgage runner, pink, pinto, rattlesnake, red, red kidney, scarlet runner, Steuben yellow, Tolosana, and/or trout beans.
2 tablespoons fat
Choose from vegetable oil, corn oil, canola oil, safflower oil, olive oil, grape-seed oil, walnut oil, pecan oil, butter, coconut oil, rendered bacon fat, schmaltz, or lard.
3 cups chopped aromatic vegetables
Choose two to make up the total volume from onions (of any sort), shallots, leeks (white and pale green parts only, well washed), scallions, stemmed and cored bell peppers of any variety, celery, carrots, and/or trimmed fennel.
Up to 2 tablespoons dried herbs or spices
Choose two or three to make up the total volume from ground allspice, ground cinnamon, ground cumin, coriander seeds, dried basil, dried marjoram, dried oregano, dried rosemary, dried sage, dried savory, and/or dried thyme.
8 cups (2 quarts) broth
Use any sort.
2 tablespoons acid
Choose from lemon juice, lime juice, or vinegar of any sort.
½ teaspoon table salt
1. Place the dried beans in a large bowl, fill it with cool tap water, and soak overnight, for at least 8 hours or up to 12 hours.
2.
Press the button for: SAUTÉ
Set it for: MEDIUM, NORMAL, or CUSTOM 300°F
Set the time for: 10 minutes
If necessary, press: START
3. Warm the oil or melt the solid fat in a 6- or 8-quart cooker. Add the aromatic vegetables and cook, stirring often, until they begin to soften, about 4 minutes. Add the dried herbs or spices; cook until aromatic, stirring all the while, just a few seconds.
4. Pour in the broth and scrape up any browned bits on the pot’s bottom. Turn off the SAUTÉ function. Drain the beans in a colander set in the sink, then stir them into the pot. Lock the lid onto the cooker.
5.
Set the machine for: PRESSURE COOK
Set the level for: MAX
The valve must be: 
Set the time for: 15 minutes with the KEEP WARM setting off
If necessary, press: START
Set the machine for: SOUP / BROTH, PRESSURE COOK, or MANUAL
Set the level for: HIGH
The valve must be: Closed
Set the time for: 20 minutes with the KEEP WARM setting off
If necessary, press: START
Set the machine for: SLOW COOK
Set the level for: HIGH
The valve must be: Opened
Set the time for: 4 hours with the KEEP WARM setting off (or on for no more than 2 hours)
If necessary, press: START
6. If you’ve used a pressure setting, when the machine has finished cooking, turn it off and let its pressure return to normal naturally, about 40 minutes. Unlatch the lid and open the cooker. Stir in the acid and salt before serving.