Pressure-Cooker Black Bean Soup

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup coarsely chopped onion
1 tablespoon mild or hot chile powder
1 ½ teaspoons whole cumin seeds
1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano leaves
7 cups water
1 pound (2 1/2 cups) black beans, picked over and rinsed
4 ounces diced Spanish chorizo
4 to 6 cloves garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
Salt to taste


In a 6-quart pressure cooker, heat the oil over medium-high heat or using the sauté function. Stir in the onions, chile powder, cumin and oregano and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions begin to soften, about 1 minute. Add the water, beans, chorizo, garlic and bay leaves.

Lock the lid in place. Over high heat, bring to high pressure for 30 minutes. Allow the pressure to come down naturally, about 15 minutes.

Stir well. Discard the bay leaves and add salt to taste. The soup will thicken on standing.

(Source: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1015847-pressure-cooker-black-bean-soup)