Instant Pot Ham and Bean Soup

Instant Pot Ham and Bean Soup is the best way to use up leftover ham! This savory soup is packed with flavor and can be made easily in your Instant Pot, on the stove top or in your crockpot!

Instant Pot Ham and Bean Soup

I love a good hearty soup especially in Fall and Winter…. and Spring. Ok so I just love a good hearty soup year round! This soup is great because it allows you to use every bit of what you have on hand. After enjoying a bone-in roast of any kind I save the bone to make homemade bone broth. It’s a delicious and cost effective way to add more nutrition into your diet using what you already have. This recipe calls for a leftover ham bone which works to make the soup and broth during the same cooking process. It’s genius! (Keep reading for more options on how to make this soup without a bone, using soaked dried beans or using canned beans.)

Looking for more soup ideas you can make with a ham bone? Instant Pot Split Pea and Ham Soup is a definite winner!

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Instant Pot Ham and Bean Soup with Dry Beans

This recipe calls for the use of dry beans which work beautifully in the Instant Pot. What I love about dried beans are how cost effective they are and how long they last. They are a great pantry staple to invest in and can be used to make so many different meals. Dried beans easily last for a year or more with proper storage. I hope you enjoy with recipe for Instant Pot Ham and Bean Soup with Dry Beans! If you’d like to use soaked dried beans in this recipe refer to the notes section at the bottom of the recipe card for decreased cooking time instructions.

Instant Pot Ham and Bean Soup with Ham Bone

I love using the ham bone in this recipe. It’s the perfect way to utilize the bone and leftover ham from a holiday roast. When using a ham bone to make your soup you are making the soup and the broth at the same time using just the bone, leftover meat and water. That being said if you want to make this soup when you don’t already have a leftover bone or can’t find a ham hock just substitute the water with a pre-made bone broth and use 1-2 cups of cooked ham, cubed or shredded. The ham and bean soup will still be delicious and you can use what you have on hand.

How to make Ham and Bean Soup in Instant Pot

I absolutely love my Instant Pot, it’s 100% my most used and loved kitchen appliance! I love that it basically makes meals for me and by using pressure it not only tenderizes meats, cooks food faster than the alternative but also infuses more flavor into the food and throughout a dish. I’m I die hard Instant Pot user for life!

Making this Ham and Bean Soup in the Instant Pot couldn’t be easier. Simple set your machine to Sauté, add the oil and onion, carrots and celery. Sauté those ingredients for a few minutes then add in the garlic. After another minute add in the water and deglaze the bottom of the pan by using a spoon to scrape the bottom and get any of the stuck on bits up (which adds so much flavor!) Add in your ham bone, beans, tomatoes, all spices except salt and stir. Set the bay leaves on top and then set your Instant Pot to cook on high pressure according to the full recipe listed below. It’s an incredibly easy soup to make full of flavor and high in protein.

How to make Crockpot Ham and Bean Soup

Making Crockpot Ham and Bean Soup is incredibly easy. First make sure you have at least a 6 quart slow cooker or larger. Sauté the onions, carrots and celery in a skillet on the stove top, add in the garlic for another minute. Then deglaze the plan using 1 cup of water. Scrap up any bits that were stuck to the bottom of the pan and then pour the contents of the skillet into your slow cooker. Add the remaining water, ham bone, beans, tomatoes, all spices (except salt) and give everything a stir. Lay the 2 bay leaves on top of the soup mixture and cover with the lid. Set to cook on low according to the full recipe listed below.

Tips for making and storing Ham and Bean Soup

• To make this soup without a ham bone or ham hock, simply replace the water called for with pre-made bone broth or stock and use 1-2 cups of cooked cubed or shredded ham.
• If you want to use soaked dried beans in place of dried in the Instant Pot, decrease the water to 3 cups and cook time to 35 minutes.
• If you use canned beans in place of dried in the Instant Pot, decrease the water to 2 cups and adjust cook time to 35 minutes. Cook the soup without the canned beans and stir them in at the end, make sure to beans are warmed through before serving.
• This soup can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or frozen.

Can you freeze Ham and Bean Soup?

Yes you can! To Freeze Ham and Bean Soup: Portion into freezer-friendly containers and cool completely in the fridge preferably overnight. I like using these wide-mouth quart sized glass mason jars with these lids. Label with recipe name and date made. I simply use masking tape and a sharpie marker to label the lid. Once cooled in the fridge, transfer the jars to the freezer. This soup can be frozen for up to 3 months.

More Instant Pot Soup Recipes:

• Instant Pot Split Pea and Ham Soup
• Healthy Chicken Pot Pie Soup
• Healthy Zuppa Toscana Soup
• Instant Pot Taco Soup
• Easy Clam Chowder

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Instant Pot Ham and Bean Soup

★★★★★ 5 from 2 reviews

• Author: Nicole
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
• Yield: 10 servings 1x
• Category: Lunch & Dinner
• Method: Instant Pot
• Cuisine: American

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Description

Instant Pot Ham and Bean Soup is the best way to use up leftover ham! This savory soup is packed with flavor and can be made easily in your Instant Pot, on the stove top or in your crockpot!

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 Tablespoon avocado oil
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 3 large carrots, cut into 1/2 inch thick pieces
• 2 stalks celery, cut into 1/2 inch thick pieces
• 6 large garlic cloves, minced
• 6 cups water
• 1 ham bone or smoked ham hock (with meat left on the bone)
• 2 cups dried White Great Northern beans
• 14 ounce can diced tomatoes or jar diced tomatoes (optional: with green chilies – this adds flavor but not much detectable spice)
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon unrefined sea salt (then salt to taste – I personally use around 2 tsp for this dish)

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Instructions

Instant Pot Instructions:

1. Turn the Instant Pot to Sauté mode and add the avocado oil.
2. Allow the oil to heat up in the pot for 1-2 minutes and then add the onions, carrots and celery and sauté for 3-5 minutes until the onions soften and become translucent.
3. Add in the garlic and sauté 1 minute. Turn the Instant Pot off.
4. Add in the water and deglaze the pot by scraping the bottom of the pot with a wooden or stainless steel spoon to remove any stuck on bits. (Do not skip this step, it both adds flavor and prevents getting the burn notice during cooking.)
5. Rinse the dried beans and look through them and pick out any rocks.
6. Add the ham bone / hock to the Instant Pot along with the dried beans, diced tomatoes and all spices except salt. Stir and then lay 2 bay leaves on top of the water.
7. Place the lid on and lock the Instant Pot. Turn the steam valve to sealing and select high pressure / manual for 50 minutes with keep warm selected.
8. After the cooking time has finished allow the pressure to naturally release. This will take about 30 minutes.
9. Once the pressure has fully naturally released, remove the lid, discard the bay leaves and carefully transfer the ham bone to a plate or cutting board. (The bone will be very hot.)
10. Wait for the ham bone to cool down if you will be using your hands to remove the meat (I find this works best) otherwise you can use tongs or a fork. Remove all meat from the bone and add the ham back into the soup. You can discard the ham bone or once cooled store it in the fridge or freezer to make broth with an additional time.
11. Stir in 1 teaspoon of salt and taste. Add more to taste as desired. Serve and enjoy.

Crockpot Instructions:

1. Heat a medium-large skillet over medium heat and add the avocado oil.
2. Allow the oil to heat up in the skillet for 1-2 minutes and then add the onions, carrots and celery and sauté for 3-5 minutes until the onions soften and become translucent.
3. Add in the garlic and sauté 1 minute then remove the skillet from the heat.
4. Add 1 cup of the water to the skillet to deglaze the pan and scrape the bottom of the skillet using a wooden or stainless steel spoon to remove any stuck on bits. (Do not skip this step, as it adds so much flavor.)
5. Transfer the veggies and liquid from the skillet to a crockpot 6 quarts in size or larger. Then add in the remaining water.
6. Rinse the dried beans and look through them and pick out any rocks.
7. To the crockpot, add the ham bone / hock, the dried beans, diced tomatoes and all spices except salt. Stir and then lay 2 bay leaves on top of the water.
8. Place the lid on the crockpot and set to low for 8 hours or until the beans are tender. *If using canned beans, add them during the last 30 minutes of cooking.
9. Once the cooking has finished, remove the lid, discard the bay leaves and carefully transfer the ham bone to a plate or cutting board. (The bone will be very hot.)
10. Wait for the ham bone to cool down if you will be using your hands to remove the meat (I find this works best) otherwise you can use tongs or a fork. Remove all meat from the bone and add the ham back into the soup. You can discard the ham bone or once cooled store it in the fridge or freezer to make broth with an additional time.
11. Stir in 1 teaspoon of salt and taste. Add more to taste as desired. Serve and enjoy.

Stove Top Instructions:

1. Heat a 6 quart or larger dutch oven over medium heat and add the avocado oil.
2. Allow the oil to heat up for 1-2 minutes and then add the onions, carrots and celery and sauté for 3-5 minutes until the onions soften and become translucent.
3. Add in the garlic and sauté 1 minute.
4. Then add the water to the dutch oven to deglaze the bottom by scraping up the any stuck on bits using a wooden or stainless steel spoon. (Do not skip this step, as it adds so much flavor.)
5. Rinse the dried beans and look through them and pick out any rocks.
6. To the dutch oven, add the ham bone / hock, the dried beans, diced tomatoes and all spices except salt. Stir and then lay 2 bay leaves on top of the water.
7. Place the lid on the dutch oven and bring the soup to a boil. Then reduce the heat to a simmer (about medium-low) and simmer covered for about 60 minutes or until the beans are tender. Check the beans to ensure they are done before removing them from the heat, add more cooking time as needed. Stir occasionally. *If using canned beans, stir them in during the last few minutes of cooking.
8. Once the cooking has finished, remove the lid, discard the bay leaves and carefully transfer the ham bone to a plate or cutting board. (The bone will be very hot.)
9. Wait for the ham bone to cool down if you will be using your hands to remove the meat (I find this works best) otherwise you can use tongs or a fork. Remove all meat from the bone and add the ham back into the soup. You can discard the ham bone or once cooled store it in the fridge or freezer to make broth with an additional time.
10. Stir in 1 teaspoon of salt and taste. Add more to taste as desired. Serve and enjoy.

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Notes

•  If you use soaked dried beans in the Instant Pot, decrease the water to 3 cups and cook time to 35 minutes.
• If you use canned beans in the Instant Pot, decrease the water to 2 cups and adjust cook time to 35 minutes. Cook the soup without the canned beans and stir them in at the end, warm through before serving.
• This soup can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or frozen.
• To Freeze Ham and Bean Soup: Portion into freezer-friendly containers and cool completely in the fridge preferably overnight. I like using these wide-mouth quart sized glass mason jars with these lids. Label with recipe name and date made. Once cooled in the fridge, transfer the jars to the freezer. This soup can be frozen for up to 3 months.

Keywords: instant pot ham and bean soup, instant pot ham and bean soup with dry beans, instant pot ham and bean soup with ham bone,

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