Instant Pot Ham and Bean Soup
Instant Pot Ham and Bean Soup is flavorful as can be, so hearty and filling, and incredibly easy to make thanks to the pressure cooker! It’s the perfect recipe to use when you have leftover holiday ham.
Cozy up with more pressure cooker soup recipes like Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup and Instant Pot Vegetable Beef Soup!
Table of Contents
Ham and bean soup is simple but when made just right, it can have such amazing flavors! Most of the flavors here comes from the best part, the ham. Using leftover ham in this bean soup actually infuses the soup with the flavors of the ham. If you glazed a ham for a holiday dinner, make this ham and bean soup with the leftovers. Whatever flavors you baked on the ham will transfer into the soup beautifully.
The main reason that the ham infuses so much flavor into the soup is because it’s cooked in an Instant Pot. Pressure cooking is a great method for infusing a lot of flavor into the dishes.
Besides infusing a lot of flavor into the soup, making it in the Instant Pot will speed up the process. The whole soup will take you less than an hour to make. I’m still amazed that you can get tender, soft beans by pressure cooking it for just about 30 minutes!
PRO TIP: If you cooked ham on the bone for the holidays, you can throw in the bone as well. Cut the meat off the bone and add the bone into the pot while sautéing the veggies. Then, simply dice the meat that has been cut off the bone and add it to the soup as well. This bean soup will be amazing with or without the bone. This will just be a good way to utilize the bone instead of just tossing it away.
Ingredient Notes
Ham – This is an excellent way to use up that leftover holiday ham in your fridge! One of my favorite recipes to make every Christmas is Baked Ham with Cherry Glaze.
Chicken Stock – I love keeping Homemade Chicken Stock on hand for recipes like this but you can always use your favorite store-bought.
Vegetables – This recipe uses a simple medley of carrots, celery, and yellow onions.
Navy Beans – These are my favorite beans to use in ham and bean soup because they’re small and cook perfectly every time.
Garlic – Freshly smashed and minced garlic cloves yield the very best flavor.
Crushed Red Pepper Flakes – I like to add just enough to enhance the savory flavor and add a little spicy touch. Add more or less as you see fit.
See the recipe card below for the full list of ingredients and instructions.
How to Make Instant Pot Ham and Bean Soup
Prepare. Start by preparing all your veggies and ham. Dice onions, celery, carrots, and ham. Peel garlic and set it all aside. Rinse the beans to get rid of any debris that might be in the bag and set aside to let it strain.
Sauté. Set Instant Pot to sauté and let it heat up. Add oil, onions, celery, and carrots and saute until veggies soften and start to golden (1). If using ham bone, add ham bone to the pot.
Add garlic. Press garlic and add it to the pot (2). Sauté until fragrant.
Ham and beans. Stir in diced ham (3), stir, and sauté for a few minutes, then stir in the beans (4).
Add broth and seasonings. Pour in the chicken broth (5), thyme, bay leaf, crushed red peppers, and salt (6). Don’t forget to taste to make sure you have enough salt.
Cook the soup. Stir, close the lid and make sure it’s latched. Turn the valve to “SEAL” and set the Instant Pot to pressure cook on high pressure cook mode for 30 minutes.
Release the pressure. Let it do a natural release for about 10 minutes and then do a quick release (7). Be careful opening the lid.
Recipe FAQs
You can easily convert this recipe to a slow cooker recipe instead! All you’ll need to do is sauté the vegetables and ham on the stove top first, then transfer it into a slow cooker.
Preheat a medium pot over medium heat and add oil, onions, celery, and carrots and sauté until veggies soften and start to turn golden. Press in the garlic and sauté until fragrant. Add diced ham, stir, and sauté for a couple of minutes.
Transfer it all into a slow cooker. Add ham bone if using.
Add beans, chicken broth, thyme, bay leaf, crushed red peppers, and salt. Don’t forget to taste to make sure you have enough salt. Close the lid and set it to cook on LOW for 8-10 hours (until beans are tender).
Add as many of your favorite vegetables as you’d like, or just some extra carrots, onions, and celery. Some good veggies to add include diced tomatoes, bell peppers, corn, and root vegetables.
No, not necessarily. Navy beans are small and cook nicely but you can use any beans you’d like. You can even use a mix of beans, like a 7-bean mix. Just remember to discard any seasoning packets that come with it because you will be using your own seasoning.
30 minutes is a nice average cook time for beans that are about the same size as a navy bean or smaller. If you want to use larger beans, your cooking time will increase. So for beans like cannellini or white kidney beans, you will want to add another 5-10 minutes. Note that some beans may be larger in size but thinner in thickness, they will have a slightly different cook time. You can always consult your pressure cooker manual for exact cook times.
Freezing Instructions
When freezing any food, it’s important to cool it to room temperature as quickly as possible before freezing. Cooling it quickly and freezing it will extend its shelf life by giving less time for bacteria to grow.
To cool the soup, place the pot with soup into a larger container filled with ice and let it cool, stirring occasionally.
Once ham and bean soup is cooled to room temperature, portion it into freezer zip-lock bags. Get the air out and seal. Label and date each bag and lay them flat on a cutting board. Place it in the freezer for up to 3 months.
It’s easier to freeze soup in freezer bags because you can easily stack flat bags of frozen soup. This will save you a lot of room.
Thaw the Instant Pot Ham and Bean soup slowly, overnight in the refrigerator (or for up to 24 hours depending on the amount).
Storing and Reheating
Store cooled cooked soup in an airtight food storage container, in the refrigerator. Properly stored, it should last for up to 5-7 days. Make sure you always use a clean ladle when getting a serving out of the container. This will help ensure longer shelf life.
Reheating this soup is simple: you can reheat individual portions in the microwave or in a small sauce pot over medium heat.
More of Our Favorite Ham Recipes
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Ham and Bean Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp canola oil
- 1 medium yellow onion
- 2 long celery ribs
- 2 medium carrots
- 4 cloves of garlic
- 1 1/2 cups diced ham use leftover holiday ham is available
- 1 lb dried navy beans
- 8 cups chicken broth
- 1 large bay leaf
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- salt
- ham bone from leftover whole cooked ham OPTIONAL
Instructions
- Dice onions, celery, carrots, and ham. Peel garlic and set it all aside. Rinse the beans to get rid of any debris that might be in the bag and set aside to let it strain.
- Set Instant Pot to SAUTE and let it heat up. Add oil, onions, celery, and carrots and saute until veggies soften and start to golden. (If using ham bone, add ham bone to the pot.)
- Press garlic and add it to the pot. Saute until fragrant.
- Add diced ham, stir, and saute for a few minutes. Pour in beans, chicken broth, thyme, bay leaf, crushed red peppers, and salt. Don’t forget to taste to make sure you have enough salt.
- Stir, close the lid and make sure it’s latched. Turn the valve to “SEAL” and set the Instant Pot to pressure cook on high pressure cook mode for 30 minutes.
- Let it do a natural release for about 10 minutes and then do a quick release. Be careful opening the lid.
- NOTE: don’t forget to discard the bay leaf and ham bone if using.
Video
Notes
- Ham Bone: If you cooked ham on the bone for the holidays, you can throw in the bone as well. Cut the meat off the bone and add the bone into the pot while sautéing the veggies. Then, simply dice the meat that has been cut off the bone and add it to the soup as well. This bean soup will be amazing with or without the bone. This will just be a good way to utilize the bone instead of just tossing it away.
- Using other beans? 30 minutes is a nice average cook time for beans that are about the same size as a navy bean or smaller. If you want to use larger beans, your cooking time will increase. So for beans like cannellini or white kidney beans, you will want to add another 5-10 minutes. Note that some beans may be larger in size but thinner in thickness, they will have a slightly different cook time. You an even use black-eyed peas and check my black eyed pea soup recipe for tips. You can always consult your pressure cooker manual for exact cook times.
Nutrition
Originally published on Will Cook For Smiles in April 2019.
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Categories:
Gluten Free Recipes, Holiday Leftover Recipes, Instant Pot Recipes, Instant Pot Soups, Most Popular Recipes, Pork Recipes, Soup Recipes,All images and text ©Lyubov Brooke for ©Will Cook For Smiles. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If using my posts in collections and features, please link back to this post for the recipe.
Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate as most ingredients and brands have variations.
It’s great we love it
Great recipe! We loved it.
I’m so happy you loved the recipe, and I really appreciate you taking the time to leave a comment!
It’s great we love it
Thanks! I am so glad you love it!
Love giving my Instant pot a workout for something so tasty! I also added bacon when sauteeing and the soup was so good!
I love that you liked it so much! 🙂
Cooked as directed but beans weren’t down. Next time I will give a short hot soak. But very good!!! I did use great northern beans maybe that’s why.
Thanks so much for sharing your experience! 😊 And yes, Northern beans are larger and thicker than black-eyed peas, so they take longer to soften.
I make this all the time but not sure I have ever commented to say so. It’s one of our favorite soups and the first thing I ever made in my instant pot years ago so it’s special to us.
Aww, thank you so much for sharing that 🥰 That really means a lot to me. I love knowing it’s one of your favorite soups — and how special that it was the very first thing you made in your Instant Pot! So glad it’s become a go-to recipe for you.
Do you have to soak the beans?
You can, but it’s not necessary. Personally, with small beans like navy beans or great northern beans, I haven’t noticed any real texture difference between soaking and not soaking them.
Everyone loved it! As a cook without much smell left, this made it great and easy!
I am so glad everyone loved it!
Best bean soup I’ve ever made. I make it frequently, exactly as posted.
I am so happy to hear you like the recipe and make it all the time! 🙂
Could i use diced garlic instead of pressed
Yes, that will be totally fine. I hope you like the recipe! 🙂
This soup turns out sooo good! The first time I made it I felt it was too salty. So I omit the salt and use low sodium broth and low sodium canned beans. I even put in a bit of water. Worked like a champ! You can always add salt to taste. I also like making the diced carrots in larger chunks than the onions and celery. I didn’t have a ham bone but did use leftover honey baked ham co ham. I’ve also made it with pre-packaged ham chunks before too. Still turns out yummy.
I am glad you liked the recipe, Lori!
This was excellent! I had a large container of ham broth that I thawed out, I also had a big ham bone that I added to it and let simmer for a couple of hours, too big for the instant pot. After I strained it,I put the broth in the fridge a couple of days ago and used that broth for the soup. I already had ham from the bone frozen separately and trimmed the fat off and used it in the soup.
I still have 8 more cups of broth and all the trimmings that I didn’t use in the soup and will make more this weekend. It always takes me a couple of days to make soups if I have to boil the bones. I do use the instant pot for that.
Thank you for sharing your process—it sounds like you’ve perfected the art of making ham and bean soup! Using homemade ham broth adds so much depth of flavor, and it’s great that you made the most of the ham bone and trimmings. 🙂
The seasoning really stands out: bay leaf sand crushed red pepper especially. All the quickness of a pressure cooker while still tasting like it took hours to prepare.
Thanks, Joe! SO glad you liked the recipe!
Love your recipe! It is spiced just right for me, but my wife likes a little less red pepper flakes. So guess what I did? Just a pinch! I used the 20oz,’16 beans’ pack from Aldi along with a handful of pinto beans, another of small Navy. I had left about 2 lb,
(0.91 kg) ham on the bone, so I just tossed it in and made sure it was covered with liquid. Best Ham and beans ever!
Thank you!
Same as Mom’s! I use canned navy beans, and add sliced smoke sausage w ham(buy a ham steak) and some tubetti or ditalini about 1/2c. Also use 2-3 whole allspice and tbs paste. Came out perfect!
Glad you enjoyed it, Debbie!
Very good! I added a can of fire roasted diced tomatoes. This was delicious & I’ll definitely make again. Thanks.
Are the beans soft or firm? I like softer beans
Thanks
They are soft but not mushy. If you liked them a little mushy you can had a few more minutes to the cook time.
My husband & I loved this ham & bean recipe! He said it was the best he has ever had!😋 Said it had just the right amount of heat. 😊. This will be my go to recipe from now on. Thanks Luba!
You’re so welcome, Sunny! So glad you guys like it!
Great recipe! I omitted salt , thyme, bay leaf and used low sodium chicken broth. Ham bone left after the holiday is my go to. Love that I can do this in an instant pot.
SO happy you liked it, Debra!
Great recipe! I made with pinto beans & 35 mins, 20 mins npr. I didn’t add any salt since I know the ham & chicken broth (low sodium) has so much already. I love salty foods but this was too salty for my significant other. What is the size of the serving for the calories?
Hi Lucinda,
I am so glad you liked it! unfortunately with the calorie creator it just takes the splits the calories with the amount of servings, so a serving is 8 equal portions.
This is my go to recipe for the best bean soup I’ve ever had. My husband says it’s better than canned store bought brands. Just has the best flavor and on a chilly day warms you up.
It is one of my favs for a cold day, am so glad you liked it!
I made it the way you wrote. The recipe turned out very good! Thank you very much. Added it to my much loved recipes book.
Very tasty. But… beans did NOT cook throughly. I used Great Northern beans. I added an additional 20 minutes cook time and they were perfect. Thank you!
This was so easy and delicious!!
I am so glad you liked it, Melinda!
This soup is amazing! Based on comments, I pressure cooked for 1 hour and natural pressure release for 30 minutes. I did not soak the beans. Delicious!
.
So happy you liked it, Christine!
Love it, so yummy! Made it tonight, thankyou for sharing!
I am so glad you liked it, Crystal!
I made this tonite and it was beyond delicious! My house guest said it was even better than his Mother’s ham and bean soup. I followed the recipe fairly closely with just minor exceptions. I used Great Northern beans and instead of red pepper flakes I used some red bell pepper. I am unable to do spicy. Because the beans I used are larger than navy beans I soaked them for about 5 hours. I cooked this for 45 minutes and did a 15 minute natural release before opening the Instant Pot. I did include the ham bone and all the meat on it fell off into the soup. Thanks for sharing such a wonderful and tasty recipe.
P.S. Readers should be aware that because the Pot will be so full that it will take longer than usual to come up to pressure. Mine took 30 minutes instead of the customary 15 minutes or so.
So glad you liked it, Jimmy!
Just made this and it’s marvelous! I did go the 45 mins and the beans were perfect. This recipe is a keeper.
This was delicious! I did cook it longer (50 minutes + 10 natural release) and the beans were almost perfect (I like them pretty soft in soup). I think I’ll do 1 hour next time then immediately release. As good as this was last night, it was even better today! I’m so making this again. Thank you!
I am glad you liked it!
I really messed up this recipe. I doubled the beans accidentally. I also mixed navy beans and great northern beans. The result: an almost-solid block of beans that didn’t cook through. Ugh. I added water and put my Instant Pot on slow cook overnight, and now it’s edible. The flavor is delicious, and I’ll definitely make this again.
I am glad you were able to save it and it taste good!
Can I use pinto beans? Soak or not?
Sure, I don’t soak them but you can if you like.
I used a pound of great northern beans in my 6 quart instant pot. I upped the time to 55 minutes with 25 minutes npr. A few of the beans were oh-so-slightly crunchy so I will adjust the cook time to 60 minutes next time. The seasoning is perfect.
This recipe is delicious and will certainly be making it again!
I am so glad you liked it, Sue!
After reading other people’s response about adding more time for cooking I soaked the dried beans over night then cooked the soup for 90 minutes and did natural release for 10 minutes. It turned out perfect and delicious. I didn’t add salt because the ham was already salty.
GLad it worked out for you!
I love this kind of healthy food
I love this kind of healthy food
Thanks for sharing! If I used the Randall Mixed beans in a jar instead of raw beans, how much do I cook it for to soften the raw veggies, making ham & bean soup? Just found your recipes…I’ll be back for more! Thanking you in advance!
Great recipe.
Glad you liked it, Lynn!
Thanks. I learned a new word
I cooked beans for 50 min with 20 min NR beans were perfect! Recipe was awesome! Will def make again and again!
So glad you liked it, Trudy!
Beans either need to be soaked overnight or cooked double what was stated, because following directions, they are WAY too hard.
I gave this a 5 star because I really enjoyed it except for the dried thyme. That’s just a personal taste preference. Next time I will just skip that . But it worked good in my instant pot . However I did bring the beans to a boil and left them covered for an hour before I added the rest of the ingredients. It was perfect .
Glad you liked it!
Wonderful soup!!! I did 33 minutes pressure and 25 minutes slow release. The beans were absolutely perfect! I’m new to the instant pot and this recipe will definitely be made again! Thank you ❤️
You are so welcome, Rita! I am so glad you liked the soup!
I want to try this tonight with our easter ham I am confused however as if I need to soak the dry 1 lb of navy beans for 8 hrs or overnight before ? or if you buy canned? I have also had issues making pork and beans in large portions for a work event in the past and the beans never softened that were dried from a pressure cooker recipe. Please advise!
I don’t presoak with the pressure cooker because I don’t notice a difference. You can still soak them overnight though if you want.
So easy and absolutely delicious 😋 I only had a ham steak, but it worked perfect in this recipe. I’m definitely going to make this again
Glad you liked it, Kat!
Absolutely delicious! Mine was cooked to perfection with 30 min cook time and 30 min slow release. Paired with a great pan of cornbread! My husband loved it! Will definitely make it again!
I never leave a review so you know I really liked this dish!
Thank you for taking the time to let me know, Wanda! I am so happy you liked the recipe! 🙂
I had to cook it for 50 minutes and let it NPR for about 12 minutes which cut it a little close for me. I was making this before I went to work but I had just enough time. It’s delicious though! I cant wait to come home later to a nice comforting bowl of soup! I didn’t have any ham but had pancetta that I cooked on the stove while the soup was pressure cooking.
I hope you like it, Amanda!
Perfect soup on a cold night.
Very good!
The best ham & bean soup we’ve ever enjoyed!
Saving this recipe!
Wow! I am so happy you liked the soup so much! Thank you for stopping by to let me know! 🙂
Can this be cooked in a slow cooker? Would love to try it. Don’t have an instant pot!
Hi Nacy,
Yes, you can make this in the slow cooker I go over how in the post and I will copy and paste it in this comment as well.
HOW TO MAKE HAM AND BEAN SOUP IN A SLOW COOKER
You can easily convert this recipe to a slow cooker by sauteing vegetables and ham on stovetop first and then transferring it into a slow cooker.
Preheat a medium pot over medium heat and add oil, onions, celery, and carrots and saute until veggies soften and start to golden. Press in garlic and saute until fragrant. Add diced ham, stir, and saute for a couple of minutes.
Transfer it all into a slow cooker. (Add ham bone if using.)
Add beans, chicken broth, thyme, bay leaf, crushed red peppers, and salt. Don’t forget to taste to make sure you have enough salt. Close the lid and set it to cook on LOW for 8-10 hours (until beans are tender).
Flavor was good but the beans were still crunchy after 33 minutes and 10 minutes slow release. Had to repressurize and add more time.
I added Italian sausage to the recipe, because I had some the needed to be used or….anyway it was Delicious!!! I made enough for a couple days and am excited to see how the flavors meld and make for an even more flavorful soup? I will definitely be making this again!!
I bet that was tasty! I’m glad you liked it!
Just made it today. Fantastic!!
I am so glad you liked it, William!
We love eating Ham and bean soup. This year I used your recipe and my family all said this was hands down the best ham and bean soup I’ve ever made and I make it 2 or 3 times a year. Thank you!
Wow! What a compliment! I am so glad you and your family liked it!
My beans were perfect after 50 minutes cook time with about 20 minutes natural release. Checked them at 30 but still not done. I like the beans super soft so that their starch help to thicken the broth slightly. Didn’t have the ham bone so rendered down 2 slices of bacon first and sautéed the rest in the bacon fat. Really delicious
Does this freeze ok?
After 50 minutes, beans were not done. The broth is amazing, but the cook time definitely needs to be more. Set again for another 20 minutes, but I think 90 minutes would be better. I mean, the beans were still almost hard after 45 minutes.
Do you soak the beans overnight.
Hi Bob, I didn’t soak the beans at all for this recipe.
Great flavorful soup. Family enjoyed it. I substituted and used a whole ham hock and an alternate seasoning. Turned out amazing thank you for sharing!
So glad you liked it!
I only needed the recipe for 2 so I cut it in half. As I’m not fond of soup being frozen I didn’t want leftovers. Hubby loved it (and he is very hard to please) I loved it and found the recipe quite easy. Thank you!
Best ham and bean soup ever! I didn’t have carrots or celery but that didn’t matter. Also, didn’t add crushed red pepper as I have young children. I did use a large onion and seasoned salt. It was my first meal in my instant pot duo. This soup was a delicious burst of flavor and did not disappoint! Will be added unto our family favorites!
Awesome! I am so glad you liked it, Stephanie!
Hello Laguna I just got a 3 quart instant pot do I cook this recipe in half for A smaller instant pot.
This is a great recipe: made it last night with leftover ham & ham bone. Only 4 changes: 1) I did need to cook the navy beans a longer time in the Instant Pot. They can take 45 minutes easily. 2) I added mashed potato flakes which thickened the soup and 3) I added a little bit of clove. The original US Senate Navy Bean Soup recipe did, and I think just a little clove and 4) if you do use the ham bone, do not add extra salt: it will be plenty salty enough with the ham bone flavor.
Excellent! I like to strain a few of the beans and “mush” them up and add back or use a a stick blender for a couple seconds.. It makes the broth a bit thicker.
Can I use canned beans? I didn’t have any dried beans on hand.
I have made this a few times now…WOW. We love it. I am actually making it again Friday night per my son in laws request. We like a little kick so the crushed pepper makes it just right.
I love hearing that your family loves it! Thank you for stopping by and letting me know.
Easy and yummy!
Thanks, Sandra!
This turned out amazing. I read the comments and cut the red pepper flakes to 1/2 tsp. I also added about 1 1/2 tbspn instant potatoes flakes. They work great as a thickening agent.
Glad you liked it, Gayle!
I was pleased with how this turned out. I did add liquid smoke. I know others had concern about the red pepper. For those whom I cook for ~ they like a bit of kick! I, too, had to cook a bit longer for more tender beans. I did use a hand blender to “mush” up the beans a bit, too. Great meal to have while in the middle of a snowstorm.
Yum! Glad you liked it, Barb!
Yes, I only used a teaspoon.
I am sorry it was still so spicy, next time I would completely leave it out.
This soup is DELICIOUS!!!!! Didn’t have any celery. Cooked a couple of diced potatoes separately to add at the very end otherwise they would be mush……also cooked everything for 40 minutes!
I am glad you liked it, Katie!
This recipe was AWESOME!! It turned out DELISHOUS 🤤🤤I didn’t use the crushed pepper, or bay leaf(BC) I didn’t have any. And I added garlic and onion powder to it as well. Used leftover Christmas ham and smoked pork hock. But OH MY GOSH😁THANK YOU SO MUCH for sharing this recipe!! Will definitely make again!!
What a sweet compliment! I am so glad you liked it!
This was fabulous. We had dried adzuki beans that I soaked for about 5 hours prior to cooking, and I did a total of 40 minutes in the pressure cooker. It was absolutely perfect. (this was my second time using the cooker ever, so as a precaution as i am learning how to use it and what to expect, I did 15, then 15, then 10, checking each time. I assume then that 40 straight through would be fine.)
Delicious. It’s added to my cookbook. Thanks!
I am so glad you liked it, Angela!
Soup was very tasty. I would reduce the red pepper flakes next time. I also thought it needed more then 30 minutes to cook. I added 10 minutes. All in all a very easy tasteful soup.
I am glad you liked it, Judy!
Way too hot with the crushed pepper flakes! It took away the flavor from the beans and ham.
Hi Tina,
I am so sorry to hear that. Are you sure you used a teaspoon and not a tablespoon? It shouldn’t have been spicy.
I found it spicy too and I definitely used a teaspoon… would reduce to 1/2 teaspoon next time.
I quit using the pepper flakes because they are hot or not depending on if you get several in your mouth. I use the asian chili paste as it spreads out all the way through the dish. without hot-spots
The 30 minute time was way to short. I did put the ham bone in but I had to go up to about 45 minutes for the beans to be soft.
I agree, just put mine on for an additional 20 minutes, the beans were not done:(
Is an “ Instant Pot “ the same as a pressure cooker ? I would love to make this soup. .
Sorry, for the late response somehow I am just now seeing your message. Yes, it is the same thing.
Can you use pinto beans instead of navy beans?
Hi Alice,
You can absolutely use pinto instead of navy! Enjoy!
I actually made this today, great for a drizzley Virginia. I used a pack of 16 bean soup and it worked beautiful too! Thanks 👍😊
Glad you liked it, Cindy! Thanks for stopping by!
This soup is delicious – great flavor! I did sub a 15.5 oz can of diced tomatoes for 1 cup of the chicken broth. I will definitely be making this again. Thank you.
Thanks, Debbie! So glad you liked it!
Very yummy. Will make again.
Thank you for rating my recipe! I am so glad you liked it!
Do you leave the ham bone in during the pressure cooking?
Hi Sharon,
Yes, you leave it in till it’s finished cooking.
I would like to make this but only have canned beans. Can I use them? Would that affect timing?
Hi Charlotte,
I would not make this in the instant pot with canned beans because I think it would turn to mush, but you could make it on the stove top. Start by sauteing the vegetables then add the drained beans and broth, you wont need as much broth probably half of what is in the recipe. Bring that to a boil then lower heat to a simmer and cook 20-30 minutes stirring occasionally. Hope this helps!
I just made with canned beans. I left them out until the end. I did all the other ingredients and cooked for 20 min on high pressure (10 min natural release – I had a ham bone otherwise I would omit this step) and then added 2 cans of rinsed beans and did 8 more minutes high pressure with quick release and it was fantastic. If you just had ham and canned beans, you could probably do 10 min and I think it would work.
And I only used 5- 6 cups of broth
Thanks, Julia! I am glad you were still able to make it in the instant pot!
The best soup! Hearty and healthy and was simple to make.
Thank you, Willy!
this is my all-time favorite soup with some crusty bread and it is a meal, careful it can have some after-effects LOL,
It does work well in an instant pot, your a good cook. I am having it tonight Great time all of us to cook at home and be safe.
Thank You
Chef Ernie
Haha, that made me laugh! I am so glad you like the recipe, and thanks for taking the time to tell me! Stay safe! 🙂
This soup is delicious. I made a few changes as I had some ham bullion granules that I wanted to use so I used one packet, 1 chicken bouillon cube, 4 cups water and one 32 ounce carton of chicken broth. I used a ham steak and cubed it up. Soaked the beans while I was prepping vegetables. I used my Instant Pot and cooked high pressure for 35 minutes with a natural release. This recipe is a keeper.
Sounds good 🙂
This is my go to ham and bean instant pot soup recipe. Delicious!
I am so glad you like it!
Made this tonight, beans at 30 minutes weren’t done. Next time I’ll use soup button, which is 45 minimum. Thyme I feel could be less too. But other than that, really delicious.
Made per the recipe, except used 1 T fresh Thyme, and it turned out so great! It was my first Instant Pot recipe. My dried navy beans turned out soft and perfect in the 30 mins, despite my concern after reading others’ reviews. This is a keeper for me – thank you!
So glad you liked it, Lori!
I made this twice now and this time I didn’t have carrots, I added bacon and ham, and only did 1/2 tsp of Thyme and cooked on high pressure for 70 minutes. Perfect!
Glad you liked it 🙂
I added a bit of bacon as I did not have as much ham as I thought. I also recommend one can of diced tomatoes for flavor and color. Also cooked for 60 minutes under pressure because I like a very tender bean. Thank you for this base recipe, tasted just like mom in Indiana used to make!
So glad you liked it! 🙂
My family really loved this. I made it twice the week after Christmas (with my shiny new Instant Pot of course!), and its been on regular rotation since then. My bean-hating husband especially liked this.
I am so glad you liked it, Elizabeth!
Had beans and ham for supper tonight. First time I’ve ever tried my IP and they were delicious! I had to substitute a couple of things but they were great. Thanks for easy instructions.
So glad you liked it! 🙂
I’ve done quite a bit of searching on Pinterest to find the right recipe for a flavorful navy bean and ham soup in the Instant Pot. I’ll be making this tomorrow for New Years Eve. Thank you for sharing this recipe, and for answering my questions about possibly freezing the finished soup to take to an elderly cousin for a few meals. I appreciate your post.
Hi, Carol! I am glad you liked it!
If dried beans are used without soaking , 60 minutes is required to get beans totally cooked .
Also ; beans should be soaked overnight for slow cooker .
I make a version of this soup often (yesterday!) and 50 minutes was just shy of what was needed to get tender beans.
I leave celery stalks in 4 inch pieces to pull out later. We do not enjoy mushy celery.
Last thing: Add a large can of diced tomatoes!!! It adds a brightness to flavor. Delicious!
Just finished the 30 minutes of instapot cooking as per the recipe. Colleen, you are so right. dried beans NOT cooked – it would be helpful if the recipe would be corrected. This is my first time to try to cook beans NOT soaked overnight.. I decided to read comments to see what I might have done wrong. No brainer – beans not cooked.
How much celery? Have you ever added potatoes?
Catina, It’s two stalks of celery. And I haven’t but I think it would be good!
You don’t say how much celery to use.
I halved this recipe, thinking it would be too much for my small family of 3. Plus my husband is an anti soup kind of guy, but willing to eat whatever I put in front of him. I had a frozen ham bone from Christmas and some frozen left over ham, as well. I also had pork stock, which is basically the juice left over from making pork chops in the instant pot. I can’t get over how delicious this is! I used small white beans (I guess they were navy? or cannelloni?? and cooked for 30 minutes. I could see cooking longer but loved that the beans had just a little firmness still to them. I served it with rice, a staple in our house, and I mixed the left over with the left over rice and put in fridge. The next day it was more like a rice casserole and IT ROCKS!!! Seriously good. Oh, and my husband loved it, too. Had seconds, even though it was soup! Thank you so much!!
Laura, thank you for taking the time to let me know how much you liked it!
How much celery?
She said 2 ribs
Thanks, Rodi! You are correct it’s 2 celery ribs!
Hi there! I’m Carole from Carole’s Chatter. I think you do really super things with food. I wondered if you would like to join the group of bloggers who share their posts on a monthly basis via Food on Friday. I host this link up on the second Friday of each month. Every month there are a few different themes. This month they are Breakfast, Soups and Easter Food. If you would like to check it out just hop on over to Carole’s Chatter. We would all love to see you there. Cheers
delish! I made this soup for dinner tonight. I set the timer for 60 minutes, like suggested, and used dry beans. I definitely make this again. Even my mom loved it!
I am so happy to hear you liked it!