Low Calorie Instant Pot Bean Soup

This quick and easy Low Calorie Instant Pot Bean Soup is a healthy and comforting favorite. It's loaded with a blend of fiber rich beans and protein packed ham to keep you full. No soaking required! Stovetop instructions included!

Check out my Low Calorie Ham and Bean Soup for another Instant Pot favorite!

Is low calorie Instant Pot bean soup good for you? Absolutely! With this Instant Pot adaptation, you can make this classic bean soup in less time, and it's just as healthy, hearty, and delicious as the stovetop version.

Not to mention, the Instant Pot makes it easier than ever to make soup from scratch. This recipe calls for 15 different types of dry beans, which would usually be time-consuming to make. However, this entire recipe comes together in about an hour.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• It's made in the Instant Pot pressure cooker! In about an hour, you'll achieve a simmered all day flavor.
• There's no need to soak the beans first, saving you time and effort.
• There's so much flavor in this soup. Not to mention, it's packed with hearty fiber and filling protein.
• It's perfect for any meal of the day!

Ingredients You’ll Need

• Dry 15 Bean Bag of Beans: My go to is Hurst's HamBeens, but any assortment of dry beans will work. Beans are a fantastic source of protein, fiber and iron.
• Olive Oil or Butter: To coat the bottom of the pot and prevent the food from sticking. You could also use avocado oil or ghee here.
• Yellow Onion, Carrots & Celery: This trio of aromatic vegetables adds a layer of sweet and savory flavor to the soup. These veggies are a great source of fiber and potassium.
• Salt & Pepper: To enhance and balance the flavors.
• Garlic: Adds another layer of intense, savory flavor. Once the garlic gets going, your house is going to smell amazing!
• Chicken Broth: The liquid base of this soup. Use low-sodium chicken broth or homemade broth to cut back on the salt. You can also use turkey or vegetable broth.
• Water: To expand the volume of the broth.
• Ham: This recipe is a great way to repurpose leftover ham and ham bone.

Step-By-Step Instructions

Step 1: Rinse beans. Before anything goes into the Instant Pot, you need to rinse your beans by placing them in a colander and rinsing them under running water. Continue rinsing until you've removed all of the debris. Set aside.

Step 2: Sort beans. After rinsing, spread the beans out on a baking sheet and sort through them. Sometimes pebbles and other debris end up in the bag, so keep an eye out. Now it's time for your Instant Pot to do the rest of the work!

Step 3: Saute vegetables. Turn the Instant Pot on the SAUTE function. Add butter, onion, carrots, celery, salt, and pepper and sauté for 4 minutes, or until the onions are translucent. Then, add the garlic and saute for another minute.

Step 4: Add remaining ingredients. Add beans, broth, water, and ham to the pot and stir.

Step 5: Pressure cook. Close the lid, seal the pressure valve and program your pressure cooker to cook on high pressure for 60 minutes.

Step 6: Release pressure and serve. When the 60 minutes is up, manually release the pressure. When the valve drops, carefully remove the lid and stir. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper, and enjoy!

NOTE: You can print the FULL recipe with all ingredients & detailed instructions below!

Expert Tips

• If you have bay leaf around, feel free to add a couple of leaves to the pot.
• You can also use a ham hock for this recipe if you don't have ham or a ham bone.
• Something to consider when meal planning: Similar to preheating an oven, your Instant pot needs to reach pressure before it begins cooking. The 60-minute timer will not start until the pressure builds, taking anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes, sometimes longer. Once it reaches pressure, it will begin pressure cooking for 60 minutes.

Toppings & Serving Suggestions

To make this soup next level delicious, get creative with your toppings. You can use:

• Sour Cream
• Cilantro
• Cheddar Cheese
• Crispy Chopped Bacon
• Chopped Chives
• Greek Yogurt

As is, Instant Pot Bean Soup is a delightful meal. It's truly something special when served with freshly grated parmesan cheese, a light salad, and crusty bread.

Stovetop Bean Soup

1. Start by rinsing the 15-bean dry mix thoroughly in a colander under cold running water. Remove any debris or stones, if present. Set aside.
2. In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil (or butter) over medium heat. Add the diced onion, chopped carrots, chopped celery, salt, and black pepper. Sauté the vegetables until the onions become translucent, which should take about 4-5 minutes. Stir occasionally.
3. Add the minced garlic to the sautéed vegetables and continue to cook for another minute, stirring constantly to prevent the garlic from burning.
4. Add the rinsed 15-bean mixture to the pot along with the diced ham. Stir everything together.
5. Pour in 8-10 cups of chicken broth. The exact amount of broth you'll need may vary based on your preference for soup thickness. If you like a thicker soup, use less broth; for a thinner soup, use more.
6. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover the pot with a lid and let the soup simmer for about 1 to 1.5 hours, or until the beans are tender. Stir occasionally and check the liquid level to be sure it doesn't get too low. If needed, you can add more chicken broth during cooking.
7. After about an hour, start checking the beans for doneness. They should be tender but not mushy. If they're not quite done, continue simmering and checking every 10-15 minutes.
8. Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning with additional salt and pepper if needed.

Storing & Freezing

Storing: Once your soup has cooled completely, store it in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.

Freezing: This soup freezes exceptionally well. Let it cool completely and then transfer it into gallon size freezer bags or freezer safe containers and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge before heating on the stove or in the microwave.

Recipe FAQ‘s

More Instant Pot Soup Recipes

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Low Calorie Instant Pot Bean Soup

4.72 from 28 votes

By Kate

This quick and easy low calorie Instant Pot bean soup is a healthy and comforting favorite. It's loaded with a blend of fiber rich beans and protein packed ham to keep you full. No soaking required!

Pin Recipe Print Recipe Save RecipeSaved!

Prep 10 minutes mins

Cook 1 hour hr

Total 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Servings 8 Servings

Calories 335kcal

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Special Equipment

• ▢
  Instant Pot Pressure Cooker
• ▢
  Nylon Ladle
• ▢
  Cutting Boards

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 tablespoon olive oil or butter
• ▢ 1 yellow onion diced
• ▢ 3 small carrots peeled and chopped
• ▢ 3 small celery stalk chopped
• ▢ 1 teaspoon salt
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ▢ 6 cloves garlic minced
• ▢ 20 ounces 15-bean dry mix
• ▢ 4-6 cups chicken broth
• ▢ 1 cup water
• ▢ 2 cups diced ham

Instructions

 

• Rinse beans, removing any debris. Set aside.
• Set Instant Pot to sauté. Add butter, onion, carrots, celery, salt and pepper. Sauté until onions become translucent, about for 4 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for another minute.
• Add beans, chicken broth, water, flavoring packet and ham to pot. Stir well.
• Secure lid on Instant Pot, making sure valve is turned to sealing. Cook on high pressure for 60 minutes. Quick release pressure.
• Remove lid and stir. Add additional salt and pepper, if desired or needed. Enjoy!

Notes

• I use Hurst's HamBeen brand for the dry beans, but any assortment of dry beans will work.
• You can also use a ham hock for this recipe if you don’t have ham or a ham bone.
• Storing: Once your soup has cooled completely, store it in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
• Freezing: Homemade bean and ham soup freezes exceptionally well. Let it cool completely and then transfer it into gallon size freezer bags or freezer safe containers and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge before heating on the stove or in the microwave.

Nutrition

Calories: 335kcalCarbohydrates: 49gProtein: 25gFat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 13mgSodium: 625mgFiber: 15gSugar: 4g

All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.

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