Vegan Red Beans NOLA Style in the Instant Pot®

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cups frozen bell pepper, celery, and onion blend (such as Pictsweet® Farms Seasoning Blend)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pound dried red beans
• 6 cups water
• 3 large bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon liquid smoke flavoring, or to taste
• salt and ground black pepper to taste

Step 1

Turn on your Instant Pot and setting it to the sauté mode. Pour in some oil, then add the frozen vegetable mix and garlic. Cook everything together until the veggies soften, which should take about 5 minutes. Next, stir in the beans, pour in the water, and toss in the bay leaves. Switch off the sauté function, close the lid, and make sure it’s locked.

Step 2

Set the pressure cooker to high and cook for 40 minutes. It will take around 10 to 15 minutes for the pressure to build before the timer starts counting down. Once the cooking time is up, let the pressure release naturally for at least 20 minutes—this helps the flavors develop.

Step 3

After that, carefully open the lid. Add in some liquid smoke, salt, and pepper to taste. Give everything a good stir, and if you like, mash the beans a bit to get a creamier texture before serving.