Leftover ham bone? Use it to make this hearty Instant Pot Ham and Bean Soup! Made with dried beans, a rich stock, and a leftover ham bone, this Ham and Bean Soup is made for pennies, yet filled with incredible flavor.
Whenever you have a leftover ham bone from Baked Glazed Ham or your Instant Pot Ham, this comforting soup is a MUST make!
After every holiday, my mom or grandpa would make a big batch of Ham and Bean soup from our leftover ham bone. It would simmer on the stove for hours, tempting our taste buds all day long.
I use my family's generations-old Ham and Bean Soup recipe, but I have sped up the process significantly by preparing it in the Instant Pot.
Reasons to Love Instant Pot Ham and Bean Soup
- Old-Fashioned Flavor Fast. This recipe used to require soaking dried beans and simmering the soup for hours, but with the Instant Pot there is no need to soak the dried beans, and the cooking process is significantly faster.
- Cheap Recipe. Made with inexpensive dried beans and a leftover ham bone, this ham bean soup turns humble ingredients into a spectacular, hearty soup.
- Rich, Deep Flavor. Tender white beans and chunks of ham swimming in a rich, smoky broth, Instant Pot Ham and Bean soup truly is comfort food.
Ingredients for Ham and Bean Soup
- Dried White Northern Beans: Ham bean soup traditionally uses dried white northern beans, but feel free to use dried cannellini beans if that is what you have on hand. I don't recommend pinto beans or navy beans for this recipe. They will be a bit chewier and heartier than northern beans, but still work well using the cooking times provided.
- Cooking Liquid: I recommend using a combination of water and low-sodium chicken stock OR simply water to make this soup. When cooking unsoaked dried beans, extra salt can interfere with the bean's ability to soften, not to mention the ham bone itself is rather salty and will help to season the soup's broth.
- Ham Bone/Ham Hock: This is the perfect time to use a leftover ham bone, from a baked ham. If you don't have a ham bone on hand, you can opt to purchase a smoked ham hock, which will work well to make Instant Pot Ham and Bean Soup.
- Celery, Onions, Carrots: The combination of celery, yellow onions, and carrots is a classic trinity of vegetables used as a classic base for most soup recipes. Feel free to omit one if you have picky eaters.
- Tomato Sauce: Helps develop a rich flavor to the soup, feel free to omit it if you don't have it on hand.
- Herbs: Bay leaves, fresh thyme, and garlic add the perfect herbal tones to the soup.
- Seasoned Salt: My Papa always added a bit of seasoned salt to his Ham Bean Soup, and I recommend the same. Seasoned salt is a blend of seasonings that adds just the right amount of flavor and salt to this soup.
Recipe Modifications
- No fresh thyme? In place of fresh thyme sprigs, use 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves.
- Note on using a bone from a Honey Baked Ham: Be sure to remove any pieces of ham with glaze-or your soup will end up on the sweeter side.
- Using Soaked Beans: If your dried beans have been previously soaked, decrease the water to 3 cups and cook time to 35 minutes.
- Using Canned Beans: In place of dried beans, feel free to use two 16-ounce cans of Great Northern beans. If you use canned beans, decrease the water to 2 cups, adjust the cooking time to 20 minutes, and decrease the seasoned salt to ¼ teaspoon.
- No seasoned salt? Add ½ teaspoon of salt along with ¼ teaspoon each of onion powder and paprika.
Tips for the Best Instant Pot Ham and Bean Soup
The following tips are provided to help you achieve perfect results. You will find the detailed instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Saute the vegetables. Taking a few extra minutes to saute the carrots, onions, and celery before pressure cooking the ham bean soup, will significantly deepen the flavor of the vegetables, in turn deepening the flavor of the soup.
- Don't forget to deglaze the inner pot. Any time you use the saute function, you want to add a bit of liquid and scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the inner pot afterward. This will prevent a burn notice from occurring.
- Allow pressure to release naturally. Once the cooking time has elapsed, let the pressure release naturally for at least 15 minutes. This will help the beans fully cook and retain their texture and prevent a starchy mess from spewing all over the kitchen.
- Discard the ham bone and spices. Before serving the soup, remove the ham bone, bay leaf, and sprigs of fresh thyme. Discard the dried herbs. If desired, pick off any excess meat left on the bone, and stir into the soup. Discard the ham bone at this point, it will have released all of its flavor.
- Wait to season the soup. It is best to add the salt after pressure cooking ham and bean soup, as the salt can interfere with the dried beans' ability to soften. Ham bones also have varying sodium levels, and you want to ensure your soup is not overly salty.
Serving Suggestions
Instant Pot Ham and Bean Soup is a filling, yet light soup that is perfect for the days after a big holiday meal. It is a meal all on its own, but I love pairing this soup with crusty bread and a big salad, like a Caesar Salad or Kale Salad.
Storage and Reheating Instructions
- Refrigerate: Allow the soup to cool to room temperature. Transfer the soup to an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Freeze: Allow the soup to cool completely. Once cooled, transfer the soup into a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months.
- Reheat: If needed, defrost the soup in the refrigerator overnight. Heat individual servings in a heat-safe bowl in the microwave in 60-second intervals until warmed through, adding more stock or water to thin the soup if needed. Alternatively, heat large portions in a saucepan over medium-low heat until warmed through, adding stock or water to thin if needed.
More Instant Pot Soup Recipes
- Instant Pot Potato Soup
- Instant Pot Beef and Barley Soup
- Instant Pot Zuppa Toscana
- Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup
- Instant Pot Tomato Soup
- Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup
If you enjoyed this Ham and Bean Soup made in the Instant Pot, I would love for you to leave a comment and review below.
Instant Pot Ham and Bean Soup
Made with dried beans, a rich stock, and a leftover ham bone, Instant Pot Ham and Bean Soup is made for pennies, yet filled with incredible flavor.
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Servings: 8
Calories: 183kcal
Ingredients
- ½ tablespoon canola or olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion minced
- 2 stalks celery thinly, sliced
- 2 large peeled carrots diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken stock or additional water
- 2 cups dried white northern beans rinsed and sorted
- 4 cups water
- 1 ham bone or smoked ham hock
- 6 ounces tomato sauce
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 sprig of fresh thyme
- 1-2 teaspoon seasoned salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Turn the Instant Pot to saute, add the oil, and let briefly heat. Once heated, add onions, celery, and carrots and saute for 3-4 minutes, or until onions have become soft and translucent. Once the onion has softened, add in garlic and saute for another 30 seconds. Hit Cancel to turn the Instant Pot OFF.
- Add the chicken stock (or water) into the inner pot and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the inner pot.
- Rinse the dried beans and look through the beans to be sure there are no stray rocks.
- Add water, ham bone, beans, carrots, onions, celery, tomato sauce, bay leaf, thyme, and pepper to Instant Pot.
- Place lid on pressure cooker and turn vent knob to sealed. Set cook time to 45 minutes on HIGH pressure. (Hit manual/pressure cook button and then use +/- keys to adjust time to 45 minutes).
- After the cooking time has elapsed, let the pressure release naturally. This can take 15-20 minutes. Open the lid and remove ham bone, bay leaf, and thyme sprigs.
- Remove ham from the bone and stir it into the soup, along with 1 teaspoon of seasoned salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
Equipment Needed
Notes
No fresh thyme? In place of fresh thyme sprigs, use 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves.
Note on using a bone from a Honey Baked Ham: Be sure to remove any pieces of ham with glaze-or your soup will end up on the sweeter side.
Using Soaked Beans: If your dried beans have been previously soaked, decrease the water to 3 cups and cook time to 35 minutes.
Using Canned Beans: In place of dried beans, feel free to use two 16-ounce cans of Great Northern beans. If you use canned beans, decrease the water to 2 cups, adjust the cooking time to 20 minutes, and decrease the seasoned salt to ¼ teaspoon.
No seasoned salt? Add ½ teaspoon of salt along with ¼ teaspoon each of onion powder and paprika.
Storage: Allow the soup to cool to room temperature. Transfer the soup to an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
To reheat: If needed, defrost the soup in the refrigerator overnight. Heat individual servings in a heat-safe bowl in the microwave in 60-second intervals until warmed through, adding more stock or water to thin the soup if needed. Alternatively, heat large portions in a saucepan over medium-low heat until warmed through, adding stock or water to thin if needed.
Nutrition
Calories: 183kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 1125mg | Potassium: 706mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 380IU | Vitamin C: 6.8mg | Calcium: 62mg | Iron: 3mg
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Frank
Delicious! In our regular dinner rotation. Using smoked ham hock really brings it to the next level. I put two in, as sometimes they don't have much meat on the bone. I use 2 cups of water plus two teaspoons of chicken bouillon powder in place of the stock and it works great. I've also made it before with just regular ham and 1 teaspoon of liquid smoke, which is still great! Thanks for the delicious and flexible recipe!
Kristen Chidsey
And thank YOU, Frank for sharing your review and modifications.
Mary Z.
I'd been hankering for some nice hot soup during our recent cold spell so rummaged in the pantry! Found some big white lima beans and then off to the freezer for a ham hock. I followed the recipe with a few minor changes based on what I had on hand!
For the broth, I used the frozen broth from a corned beef and cabbage dinner we had, and I used a can of Rotel tomatos instead of the sauce. Wow! This soup is a keeper and I like the fact that there is some flexibility!
When I had it for lunch on day 2, I did add some water as it had really thickened up. This is a really easy and really hearty soup! Thanks for the recipe!
Kristen Chidsey
I love hearing that you were able to make this work using what you had!!
A
Excellent recipe and soup! Better canned soup any day.
Add a splash of cream or milk to your bowl, for absolute perfection.