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This quick and easy Instant Pot 15 Bean and Ham Soup is a healthy and comforting family favorite. It's loaded with a blend of fiber-rich beans and protein-packed ham to keep you full and satisfied. No soaking required!
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Check out my Instant Pot Ham And Bean Soup With Ham Bone for another Instant Pot favorite!
Is 15 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. It's comforting, filling, and the ham is a bonus! It gives the beans incredible flavor and provides the soup with a protein boost.
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. Before we get into the details, let's talk about those 15 delicious beans.
I use HamBeens 15 bean soup blend, which lists the following beans ... great northern, pinto, large lima, yelloweye, garbanzo, baby lima, green split, kidney, cranberry, small white, pink, small red, yellow split, lentil, navy, white kidney, and black beans.
Not a fan of all 15 beans? No worries. You can customize this soup with as many or as few types of beans as you like. Enjoy!
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
Here's what you'll need to make this low-calorie and delicious bean and ham soup:
- 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: is 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 15 bean and ham soup is a delightful and satisfying meal. It's truly something special when served with freshly grated Parmesan cheese, a light salad, and crusty bread. It's also delicious served with:
- Low-Calorie Cornbread
- Indian Fry Bread
- Tortilla Chips (crumbled on top for some crunch)
- Breadsticks
- Toasted French Bread
Storing & Freezing
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.
Recipe FAQ‘s
Yes! It's not uncommon to find pebbles and twigs in bags of dried beans, so this is a non-negotiable step - but don't worry, it's simple! After rinsing the beans thoroughly under water, spread them out onto a baking sheet and pick out any field debris.
No, soaking the beans first isn't necessary. If you prefer soaking them first, you'll need to use less liquid.
Canned beans are cooked before they're canned, unlike dried beans which are raw. I do not recommend using canned beans in this recipe because they'll overcook and get mushy.
More Instant Pot Soup Recipes
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You can also find my FREE Instant Pot cheat sheets here.
Instant Pot 15 Bean and Ham Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 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 ounce bag 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.
- The Instant Pot needs to come to pressure before the cooking time starts, similar to an oven that needs to preheat. The cooking time doesn't actually start until pressure builds, which can take anywhere from 5-15 minutes, sometimes longer depending on how full the pot is and how much liquid there is inside. Once it reaches pressure the Instant Pot will beep, and the cook time will begin to count down. Please, make sure to consider that extra time when planning your meal.
- 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
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.
Dannii
Bean stew is such a comforting dish. I love that you have made it easy by doing it in the instant pot too.
Sophie
I love 15-bean soups a lot. These are hearty and delicious. Thanks for your recipe.
Amanda Wren-Grimwood
That soup is a complete meal! I can't wait to make this and perfect for the winter too.
Michelle
This is such a great winter soup. I love how easy it is to make too. Definitely a winner!
Haley D Williams
I want to warm up to a bowl of this soup! I love that you make it in the instant pot! Makes making dinner easy and cleanup a breeze for sure!
Jen
My bean mix didn’t come with a seasoning packet like the Hurst beans come with. What can I add in place of the seasoning packet?
simplylowcal
Hi Jen! I actually didn't use the seasoning packet that came with my beans. I just used what I put in the ingredient list and it came out great! 🙂
Victoria
Can you use bacon if you don't have ham?
simplylowcal
Hi Victoria, I don't see why that would be a problem.
Cynthia
What if I have a ham hock full of yummy ham instead of just ham?