Instant Pot Ham and Bean Soup is a quick and easy way to enjoy a classic comfort food (with no soaking required)!

Tender ham chunks are mixed with our favorite 15 bean mixture, celery, carrots, and onions to create the perfect cozy soup! This easy ham and bean soup recipe is a favorite way to use up leftover baked ham, and all you need to add is some cornbread!

instant pot ham and bean soup in a bowl

I am so excited to partner with Hurst Beans and to share how easy it is to cook beans in an Instant Pot!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

  • No soaking required, a pressure cooker gets this meal is on the table in about 90 minutes (most of which is hands off)!
  • It’s hearty and flavorful, great made with a leftover ham bone, smoked sausage, or even leftover smoked turkey.
  • It’s an inexpensive way to feed a crowd.
  • This soup is delicious leftover and freezes perfectly.

Ingredients in Instant Pot Bean Soup

BEANS Of course this recipe starts with beans. Hurst’s HamBeens® 15 BEAN SOUP® is a holiday staple and can be cooked on the stove top or as a  slow cooker ham and bean soup recipe. A cozy bowl of bean soup is a favorite way to use up our holiday ham and start off our New Year!

You can find these beans in the dry bean section of almost any grocery store (or you can order them online) and they include an assortment including black beans, kidney, garbanzo, split peas, navy beans, pinto beans, baby limas, and more.

A seasoning packet is included in each package of 15 Bean Soup making it simple and perfectly seasoned every time!

Onions, celery and carrots are the perfect start to this soup and add a great base of flavor. This soup is great for add ins, stir in green beans, leftover veggies, or even squash!

A leftover ham bone adds additional smoky salty flavor to this soup and, once cooked, you can pick the meat off the bone and add it to the soup. If you don’t have a ham bone, you can add any leftover meat (along with the tomatoes) or even smoked sausage.

Variations

  • Add some chopped garlic, or your own favorite seasonings. If adding fresh herbs they should be added just before serving (except rosemary, it needs a bit of time to cook).
  • Kale or fresh spinach can be added (along with almost any veggie).
  • We use chicken broth and a bit of water but you can use beef or vegetable broth if you’d like.

ingredients for instant pot beans soup

How To Make Instant Pot Ham and Bean Soup

To make this Instant Pot ham and bean soup recipe:

  1. Rinse the beans.
  2. Add olive oil and onion to the Instant Pot and sauté about 5 minutes.

rinsed beans in a colander

  1. Add all remaining ingredients except the tomatoes (per the recipe below), including the seasoning packet from the HamBeens beans, and stir to combine.

ham and bean soup in an instant pot

  1. Place the lid on the Instant Pot, and cook on HIGH pressure for 60 minutes.
  2. Quick-release, then remove the ham bone. Add tomatoes and tomato juice and the meat from the ham bone. Turn the Instant Pot onto simmer and let simmer for about 10 minutes.
  3. Season with salt & black pepper to taste.

adding ingredients to instant pot beans soup

Tips For Making Ham And Bean Soup

  • Ham If you don’t have a leftover ham bone, a ham hock from the grocery store or your local butcher will work perfectly. Look for one with a bit of meat on it, so you can add it to the soup once it’s cooked.
  • Stock or Broth Chicken stock or turkey stock adds great flavor. If you prefer more liquid in your soup, add a couple of extra cups of broth to the Instant Pot.
  • Cooking Beans When cooking with beans, always add acidic ingredients such as tomatoes or lemon juice after the beans are cooked through. The acid binds to the outside of the bean and makes it harder for water to permeate them to cook them.
  • To thicken bean soup let it simmer uncovered on “saute” or give it a couple of quick pulses with an immersion blender.

instant pot ham and bean soup with cornbread

What To Serve With Ham And Bean Soup

If you want to add some toppings, we love adding a dollop of sour cream, cilantro, cheddar cheese, or crispy bacon!

This Instant Pot Ham and bean soup is a stick-to-your-ribs kinda meal. We enjoy a nice fresh tossed salad next to it, and of course, cornbread is a MUST to sop up the leftover soup in the bowl.

Can You Freeze Bean Soup

Beans hold up well to freezing making this the perfect freezer meal for the cold winter months. Once cooled, transfer the soup into individual freezer bags or containers and freeze for up to 6 months.

To defrost, just add the soup to a saucepan over medium-low heat until heated through.

More Easy Instant Pot Recipes

No Instant Pot? No problem!

You can purchase an Instant Pot here, learn more about Instant Pot here or use your slow cooker to make a Crock Pot Ham and Bean Soup!

image of Everyday Comfort cookbook by Holly Nilsson of Spend With Pennies plus text
instant pot ham and bean soup in a bowl
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Instant Pot Ham & Bean Soup

Instant Pot ham and bean soup is a quick and delicious way to enjoy a classic, comfort food staple without waiting for the slow cooker.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings 6 servings
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Ingredients  

  • 20 ounces Hambeens® 15 BEAN SOUP®
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 large onion diced
  • 2 ribs celery diced
  • 3 medium carrots diced
  • 1 meaty ham bone ham hock or 2 cups leftover ham
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 4 cups chicken broth
  • 4 cups water
  • 14 ounces canned diced tomatoes 1 can, with juice, *see note

Instructions 

  • Rinse beans and drain. Sort any unwanted debris and set seasoning packet aside.
  • Turn the Instant Pot on to saute. Add olive oil and onion and saute until tender, about 3-4 minutes.
  • Add remaining ingredients including the seasoning packet except for tomatoes.
  • Place the lid on, and cook on high pressure for 60 minutes. Quick release pressure.
  • Open the lid and remove ham bone or ham hock. Add tomatoes with juice turn onto saute and allow to simmer while picking the ham off of the bone.
  • Return the meat to the Instant Pot and stir and serve.

Video

Notes

*Acidic ingredients like diced tomatoes, vinegar, lemon juice etc should not be added until the beans are softened. The can interfere with the rehydration process.
  • Ham If you don't have a leftover ham bone, a ham hock from the grocery store or your local butcher will work perfectly. Look for one with a bit of meat on it, so you can add it to the soup once it's cooked.
  • Stock or Broth Chicken stock or turkey stock adds great flavor. If you prefer more liquid in your soup, add a couple of extra cups of broth to the Instant Pot.
  • To thicken bean soup let it simmer uncovered on "saute" or give it a couple of quick pulses with an immersion blender before adding the meat back in.
4.99 from 88 votes

Nutrition Information

Calories: 416 | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 29mg | Sodium: 1266mg | Potassium: 551mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 5248IU | Vitamin C: 21mg | Calcium: 59mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.

Course Main Course, Soup
Cuisine American
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Instant pot ham and bean soup with writing

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About the author

Holly Nilsson is the creator of Spend With Pennies, where she creates easy, comforting recipes made for real life. With a passion for nostalgic flavors and simplified techniques, Holly helps busy home cooks create delicious meals that always work. She is also the author of “Everyday Comfort,” which promises to inspire even more hearty, home-cooked meals.
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Comments

  1. The great northern beans were still tough after 60 minutes of high preassure with quick release. i had to preassure cook another 20 minites ir so. Also i used hambone and meat from a smoked spiral sliced ham. it was a little on the sweet side. most hams i see are spiral sliced. Should i be looking for a different ham to use next time??

    1. I used Hambeens 15 BEAN SOUP which is mixture of beans—if using a different type of bean, it may require a little extra cooking time. The sweetness likely comes from the glaze that is added to the outside of a spiral ham. You could trim the outside edges (where the glaze would be) if you don’t want the sweetness.

  2. Made this recipe this afternoon with a ham bone from Easter. It is delicious! I read through the comments and added a teaspoon of liquid smoke, 2-3 cloves of garlic and a small spoonful of roasted garlic better than bouillon. The meat just fell off the bone! Will definitely make again!

  3. easy and good. didn’t have a spice packet. Just put in a few sprigs of fresh thyme and parsley. I had a ham with no bone. Would recommend a tsp of liquid smoke before cooking. Went really nice with toasted sourdough and onion cream cheese. Also pairs well with ketchup and or Sriracha.5 stars

  4. Delicious and so easy. I ended up using a can each of cannellini and pinto beans and added garlic powder, pepper, salt and a roasted garlic herb mixture to enhance the flavor since I didn’t have the bean seasoning packet. It’s a do again comfort recipe and a great way to use a ham bone.5 stars