Classic Ham and Bean Soup is quick and easy in your Instant Pot! This soup is hearty and delicious, made from an assortment of dry beans....plus that meaty left-over ham bone you saved from your holiday dinner.
Prep Time: 10 minutesminutes
Cook Time: 1 hourhour5 minutesminutes
Approx. Time Needed for Instant Pot to Pressurize:: 15 minutesminutes
8cupsnice strong ham broth (I use water combined with Better Than Bouillon Ham Base to make my own hearty broth)
20oz.pkg. 15-Bean Soup Mixed Dry Beans, rinsed (I made up my own assortment of beans from what I had on hand and it worked just great)
3bay leaves
1leftover ham bone with meat, may substitute ham shanks, if that’s easier!
15ozcan diced tomatoes, with juice
3-4cupscubed cooked ham
Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
How to Make Ham and Bean Soup in an Instant Pot
Using the sauté setting on the Instant Pot, add the oil. When the oil is nicely hot, add the onions, carrots and celery; sauté for 5 minutes.
Stir in the beans and bay leaves, then add the ham bone; pour in the broth.
Lock the Instant Pot lid into place, turning the valve to the sealing position. Choose the High Pressure setting for 35 minutes, bringing the Instant Pot up to full pressure. When the timer sounds, make sure to use a 30 minute Natural Pressure Release to let the pressure gradually release itself from the Instant Pot.
Carefully unlock and remove the Instant Pot lid; test a few of the beans to make sure they are tender. (If the beans aren’t as tender as you’d prefer, lock the Instant Pot lid back into place, bringing the pot back to full pressure for an additional 5 minutes. Use a Natural Pressure Release for 15-20 minutes. It will not take long at all to being the Instant Pot back up to pressure, FYI.)
Use two large slotted spoons to lift the ham bone from the Instant Pot to a large bowl. Remove the bay leaves from the soup, discarding them.
Once the ham bone has cooled enough to handle, pull away any pieces of ham that are still attached, adding them to the soup.
Stir in the tomatoes and chopped ham, then season the soup to taste with salt and pepper. Serve at once.
How to Make Ham and Bean Soup on the Stove Top
In a bit of hot oil in a large pot of Dutch oven over medium high heat, saute the vegetables until softened.
Add the broth, the beans, some bay leaves, and the ham bone to the pot with your veggies. Partially cover the pot with the lid and bring to a simmer; cook the beans for 1-3 hours (if using unsoaked beans when you start) or 1-2 hours (if using beans you did soak).
Remove the ham bone from the pot, then stir in the diced tomatoes and the cooked ham. Season the ham and beans with salt and pepper (if needed) and serve.
Notes
**Please note: the cooking time stated for this recipe does not include the time required to bring the Instant Pot up to pressure since this can vary. This recipe was made using a 6-quart Instant Pot.