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Instant Pot Ham and Bean Soup is the quick and easy soup to pull out when you’ve got a leftover ham hock or ham bone to use up! You’ll want to cozy up to a bowl of this rich flavorful broth packed with ham, white northern beans, and fresh herbs.
Winter is the ultimate soup season, isn’t it?
It has finally been snowing here in Colorado (and we’ve experienced it from the Western Slope all the way back to Denver in the past week!) and all that makes me want to do is cozy up to a big bowl of soup every single night.
In addition to being under the weather for over a week, haha.
Soup makes those icky feelings a little less icky! And I could use as much help as I can get because Babycakes is turning one year old this week! AHHHH HOW?! Just HOW?!
While I try to wrap my mind around the fact that it’s been a whole year of having this cute little chubby cheek baby in my life, let’s get back to the soup.
This savory instant pot ham and bean soup is pure deliciousness. It uses up a leftover ham hock or ham bone, as well as any leftover ham you might have. I find myself reaching for this recipe so often, especially when I freeze ham bones from spiral hams that we serve over the holidays!
Now, I HIGHLY recommend getting a big loaf of crusty bread to go along with this soup. I personally like to butter a toasted slice and dip it into the broth for the ultimate indulgence. Like, it’s unreal how good the combination is with the tenderness of the beans and the meaty ham bites.
Other yummy instant pot soup recipes: Instant Pot Carne Asada Chili | Instant Pot Creole Chicken Sausage Soup | Instant Pot Tortilla Soup | Instant Pot Irish Beef Stew
this recipe’s must-haves
For prep, grab your chef’s knife and cutting board since you have a little bit of chopping to do.
All you need to cook the recipe is an Instant Pot Duo or Instant Pot Pro, or really any Instant Pot that will fit this soup (a 6 QT or 8 QT, the minis don’t always fit the ham hock/bone).
I also like to make sure I have a good wooden spoon to scrape off the browned bits at the bottom after sautéing the vegetables.
here’s how to make instant pot ham and bean soup!
Saute Vegetables
Set your Instant Pot (or electric pressure cooker) to Sauté and heat up the olive oil. Once hot, add in onion, carrots, celery, and garlic, stirring occasionally until the vegetables have softened. This will take about 5 minutes.
Add in thyme, rosemary, bay leaves, white great northern beans, and ham bone/hock. Pour in chicken broth (or chicken stock) and season with salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
Pressure Cook
Close the lid and cook on High pressure for 1 hour 15 minutes. Let pressure naturally release for 10 minutes (this means don’t touch it!) before manually releasing the remaining pressure. Remove the bay leaves and leftover ham bone/hock.
Add Ham
Stir in ham until combined. Taste and season with salt and black pepper to taste. You can even add a pinch of red pepper flakes for spice. Serve with slices of toasted crusty bread.
Need some more inspiration for cozy soups and stews? Check out my soup recipes page!
can you use a frozen ham hock for soup?
A ham hock or ham bone will keep in the fridge for about 3 to 4 days, but if you’ve already frozen it, there’s no need to thaw it! Just throw it in frozen and it will still impart a lot of flavor in the soup without the hours needed to thaw it.
If you are looking for an incredible way to make ham, this double smoked ham is the ultimate way to make the best ham for a soup like this! The leftovers are ideal to make this recipe. You can even use a smoked ham hock if that’s what you have on hand.
can I make this in a slow cooker?
You sure can! Simply sauté the vegetables and garlic in a skillet on the stove before adding them to the crockpot insert. Add thyme, rosemary, beans, and ham bone/hock, then cook on High for 4 to 6 hours. Remove the bay leaves and ham hock/bone. Stir in the diced ham and serve.
can I use a different type of bean?
If you prefer a different kind of bean for this soup, you can use cannellini beans instead. You could also use pinto beans. We do not recommend using navy beans or black beans.
what to serve with this ham and bean soup
I love to serve this ham and bean soup with… bread! Any kind of bread will do, but my preference is for a toasted slice of crusty bread. Here’s some recipes to try:
Honey butter biscuits are buttery, flaky, and are ready in a hurry.
If you want to take a little more time and make homemade bread, nothing beats this overnight no knead bread.
Finally, if you make this instant pot ham and beans recipe, please be sure to give this recipe a star recipe rating on the recipe card and/or leave a comment! I love to hear when you all make recipes, and I do take the time to respond to every single comment.
Feel free to drop questions below too, if you have them!
Oh and be sure to tag me on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest if you make the recipe! I love being able to see these recipes come to life in your homes – it’s my favorite thing to look through those photos. It really means the world to me!
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instant pot ham and bean soup
ingredients
- 1/2 Tbsp canola oil
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 2 to 3 carrots peeled and diced (approx. 1/2 cup)
- 2 stalks celery thinly sliced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tsp freshly chopped thyme leaves
- 1 tsp freshly chopped rosemary leaves
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 cups dried white northern beans
- 1 ham bone or smoked ham hock
- 8 cups chicken broth
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1 1/2 cups diced leftover ham
instructions
- Set Instant Pot to Saute and add canola oil. Once hot, add onion, carrots, celery, and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes. Turn off Instant Pot.
- Add thyme, rosemary, bay leaves, dried beans, and ham bone/hock. Pour in chicken broth and season with salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
- Cover and seal. Cook on High pressure for 1 hour 15 minutes. Let pressure release naturally (don't touch it!) for 10 minutes, then manually release any remaining pressure.
- Remove the cover and remove bay leaves and ham bone/hock from the insert.
- Stir in diced ham until warmed through. Serve.
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