Easy Instant Pot Bean Soup with Ham
This Easy Instant Pot 15 bean soup makes a hearty and filling lunch or dinner in a hurry. This pressure cooker bean soup is ready in just over an hour.
This Instant Pot bean soup doesn’t require any soaking, and the beans don’t take all day to cook. Use a leftover ham hock for even more flavor.
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During the holidays, I always cook a ham. When the feast is done, I squirrel away the leftover ham bone and freeze it for later use.
Well, the holidays are long gone, and it’s time to make good use of that ham bone!
As we trudge through the final days of winter and spring is on the brink, there is nothing like a hearty bowl of pressure cooker ham and beans to lift your spirits. Let this delicious soup power you through to the days when the grass truly is greener.
It doesn’t get easier than this Instant Pot bean soup–with no soaking required.
Serve it up with tasty Jiffy cornbread or cast iron skillet cornbread for a complete meal. Or if you’re short on time or need smaller servings, try my microwave cornbread in a mug.
I recommend making a double batch of cornbread so you can enjoy it with your Instant Pot ham and bean soup leftovers. (Note: It tastes even better the next day!)
More Instant Pot Bean Soup Recipes:
- Vegetarian Instant Pot White Bean Soup
- Instant Pot Appalachian Pinto Beans and Cornbread Dinner
- Easy Instant Pot Bean with Bacon Soup
- Instant Pot Italian Sausage and Bean Soup
Tips for Making Instant Pot Bean Soup With No Soaking
Yes! You truly can make pressure cooker ham and beans without soaking the beans. Here are some tips to make sure your soup comes out perfectly every time you make this recipe.
- Look for the 15 bean soup mix like the HamBeens brand. I always get the one with the seasoning packet (there is also a Cajun-flavored one) and I love the mix of different beans.
- Use the Saute function to cook the celery and onions, but then press Cancel to turn off the Instant Pot just after adding the carrots and garlic. You don’t want to burn the garlic, and if you precook the carrots they will turn to mush. I like to see small bits of soft carrots throughout the soup.
- Check the beans for any stones or stems that are sometimes missed in the mechanical sorting process.
- Rinse the beans before using, but you do not need to soak them.
- Check the beans for doneness when the cooking time is complete. If they are not quite as soft as you would like, add a little bit of water (if needed) and cook for an additional 8 minutes at high pressure followed by a 5 minute natural release of pressure.
- This recipe makes a large amount of soup so be prepared to enjoy the leftovers. In my opinion the soup tastes even better the second day!
How to Make Instant Pot Ham and Bean Soup
It’s really easy to make HamBeens in the Instant Pot.
Ingredients You’ll Need:
- Olive Oil
- Onion
- Celery
- Carrots
- Garlic
- 15 Bean Soup Mix (with seasoning packet), such as HamBeens
- Ham Bone
- Water
- Tomato Paste
- Chili Powder
- Paprika
- Bay Leaf
- Apple Cider Cinegar (optional)
- Salt and Pepper
How to Make It:
(Full printable recipe is available below)
Saute the vegetables and aromatics. First, you’ll heat the oil using the Saute function of the Instant Pot. Add the celery and onions and saute until the onions become translucent.
Next, you’ll add the carrots and garlic, then stir and cancel the saute function.
Add the beans. Next, you’ll rinse and sort the beans and add them to the pot. No soaking is necessary. Then, you’ll add the water, tomato paste, contents of the seasoning packet, chili powder, paprika, and bay leaf.
Stir to combine. Add the ham bone, submerging as much of it as possible, and seal the Instant Pot.
Cook the beans. Last, you’ll cook at high pressure for 60 minutes, followed by a 15 minutes natural pressure release.
Remove the bay leaf and the ham bone. Pull the meat off the bones (it will pretty much fall off!) and return to the soup. Stir in the apple cider vinegar (it helps to “brighten” the flavors) and season with salt and pepper, if needed.
You’ll love the smoky flavor of this hearty and delicious soup!
Notes and Adaptations:
- I use a leftover ham bone from my Christmas or Easter holiday ham (I always save them in the freezer until I want a pot of bean soup!). If you don’t have a ham bone, you could also purchase a ham shank or ham hock to use. Alternatively, you can add about 2 cups of chopped ham to the soup instead of the ham bone.
- I don’t add salt prior to cooking, as there is salt in the seasoning packet and ham. Taste and add afterward if needed.
- This produces a fairly thick soup, sort of like a stew or chili. You can add more water after pressure cooking if you want to thin it a bit.
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in your refrigerator for 3-5 days. You can also freeze leftovers for later.
Recommended Equipment:
- Instant Pot or other electric pressure cooker, such as a Ninja Foodi
Instant Pot Bean Soup with Ham
This Instant Pot 15 bean soup with ham is a hearty and frugal meal that's full of flavor.
Ingredients
- 2 TBSP olive oil
- 1 large onion, diced
- 3 ribs celery, sliced
- 3 large carrots, diced
- 1 TBSP minced garlic
- 20-oz package 15 bean soup mix (with seasoning packet), such as HamBeens
- Ham bone*
- 8 cups water
- 2 TBSP tomato paste
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 TBSP apple cider vinegar (optional)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add olive oil to the insert pot of the Instant Pot. Use the Saute setting to heat the oil.
- Add onions and celery, sauteing for about 3-5 minutes, or until onions begin to turn translucent.
- Add carrots and garlic, stirring to combine. Press Cancel to turn off the Saute function.
- Rinse and sort the beans, discarding any small stones or badly broken beans. Add beans to the insert pot (no pre-soaking required!).
- Add water, tomato paste, contents of the seasoning packet, chili powder, paprika, and bay leaf. Stir to combine.
- Add ham bone.
- Close the lid and set vent to the sealed position. Select a cook time of 60 minutes at high pressure.
- When the cook time is complete, allow at least a 15 minute natural release before performing a quick release of remaining pressure (you can also allow a full natural release if preferred).
- After the pressure has released and the valve has dropped, carefully remove the lid. Remove the bay leaf and discard. Remove ham bone to a plate and pull off the meat, then return the meat to the soup.
- If using, add apple cider vinegar to the soup, along with salt and pepper to taste. If soup is too thick for your preference, add more water to thin as needed.
Notes
- I use a leftover ham bone from my holiday ham (I always save them in the freezer until I want a pot of bean soup!). If you don't have a ham bone, you could also purchase a ham shank or ham hock to use. Alternatively, you can add about 2 cups of chopped ham to the soup instead of the ham bone.
- I don't add salt prior to cooking, as there is salt in the seasoning packet and ham. Taste and add afterward if needed.
- This produces a pretty thick soup, more like a stew or chili. You can add more water after pressure cooking if you want to thin it a bit.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 289Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 11mgSodium: 2501mgCarbohydrates: 41gFiber: 17gSugar: 8gProtein: 16g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and is not guaranteed for accuracy.
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