Instant Pot Ham and Bean Soup

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Old-fashioned Instant Pot Ham and Bean Soup combines the hearty flavors of a ham bone with the richness of dried white northern beans, onion, and simple seasonings.

Instant Pot Ham and Beans

For whatever reason, we didn’t grow up eating Ham and Beans.

For that matter, I don’t remember eating any beans during my childhood, except the canned chili beans that my Mom added to her chili.

And, I sure didn’t know that beans cooked from dry could be so delicious when cooked under pressure. 

The best part?  As long as you use a Natural Release (instead of a Quick Release) after you’ve cooked the beans in your Instant Pot, you don’t even need to SOAK them….woot! woot!

I’ve been pleased to learn how easy dry beans made in the Instant Pot are to prepare and how delicious they can be. No more slimy beans out of a can for me. 🙂

Ingredients

• Leftover ham bone with meat: May substitute ham shanks if a ham bone with meat isn’t available.
• Dry white beans: I used Great Northern, no need to soak the beans first.
• Strong ham broth: I like to use a concentrated ham broth base, such as Better Than Bouillon to make my broth (you will find this product in the soup aisle at your grocer)
• Carrots: diced
• Yellow onion: diced
• Celery: diced
• Heavy cream: For creaminess
• Olive oil: divided use
• Bay leaf
• Dried tarragon: May ubstitute 1 tsp. dried Italian seasoning instead
• Salt and Pepper to taste: Be sure to taste the soup before you salt it; sometimes ham broth and ham can be very salty.

How to make Instant Pot Ham and Beans

Using the saute setting on your Instant Pot, add 1 Tbs. of oil.

When the oil is hot add the carrots, onions, and celery, cooking until the veggies are softened.

Add a bit of ham broth to the mixture, if needed, to keep them from sticking.

Place the ham bone (or ham shanks), with the broth, bay leaf, tarragon, oil and dry beans into the Instant Pot with the vegetables.

Make sure the Instant Pot isn’t filled more two-thirds full. 

Lock the lid into place then making sure the valve is set to the sealing position.

Choose 35 minutes on high pressure, bringing the Instant Pot to full pressure.

When the timer sounds, use a 30 minute natural pressure release, followed by a quick release to remove any remaining pressure from the Instant Pot.

This long natural release allows your beans to finish cooking from residual heat and to relax, making them the perfect tenderness.

Remove the ham bone and bay leaf from the prepared soup in the Instant Pot.

Pull away any ham still attached to the ham bone, adding it back into the soup. Adjust the seasonings to taste.

For added creaminess, stir in a bit of cream, as desired. Serve at once!

No Leftover ham bone

If you don’t have a leftover ham bone, it’s no big deal.

You can always purchase ham shanks (or even ham hocks) to make a delicious batch of ham and beans anytime.

Ham shanks or ham hocks

Ham hocks and ham shanks both come from the legs of the pig.

The ham hocks are more bone-y so that makes them really flavorful but also harder to work with.

I always opt for ham shanks instead because they offer more meat for about the same price.

You’ll find both the ham hocks and the ham shanks near the other pork products in the meat case at your favorite grocery store.

Can I mix dry beans

Yes, once I made ham and beans with an assortment of dry beans, I discovered how much I like the flavors and textures the variety gives.

And, doing it this way helps me use up different dry beans I already have on hand, too.

My dry bean mixture included black beans, pinto beans, small red beans, red and green lentils, split peas, Lima beans, kidney beans, and white kidney beans.

What can I serve with Instant Pot Ham and Bean Soup?

We love our ham and bean soup served with Cheddar and Green Chili Sausage Cornbread! Plain cornbread or corn muffins to dip or crumble into ham and beans are good, too.

You could serve Buttered Rosemary Rolls (baked in a cast iron skillet) with ham and beans, too.

Sometimes we also like a dense and crusty bread for dipping in our ham and bean soup. We make Peasant Bread all the time and even bread made in a cast iron Dutch oven.

More Comfort Food Favorites Your Family Will Enjoy  

Comforting, filling, and so good for us, this Instant Pot Ham and Cabbage Soup is teeming with mild flavors, perfectly complimented by the chunks of ham and tender cabbage. 

You are just 12 minutes away from a juicy Instant Pot Holiday Ham for your dinner table. And all you need is a spiral-cut ham and 3 ingredients.

Deli ham and shredded cheese nestled into a creamy spread on canned pizza dough then rolled up and baked into a buttery favorite, make these Farm House Ham and Cheese Rolls.