Easy Ham and Bean Soup that’s so full of flavor, you can’t stop at just one bowl. This soup is made in an Instant Pot with leftover ham, navy beans, and a simple combination of veggies and spices. The best part about this soup is how ham infuses the whole soup with its delicious flavors.
HAM AND BEAN SOUP
It’s amazing that such a simple soup can have such amazing flavors. Most of the flavors here comes from the best part, the ham. Using leftover ham in this bean soup actually infuses the soup with the flavors of the ham.
So if you glazed a ham for a holiday dinner, make this ham and bean soup with the leftovers. Whatever flavors you baked on the ham will transfer into the soup beautifully.
The main reason for the ham infusing so much flavor into the soup, is because it was cooked in an Instant Pot. Pressure cooking is a great method for infusing a lot of flavor into the dishes.
Besides infusing a lot of flavor into the soup, making it in the Instant Pot will speed up the process. The whole soup will take you less than an hour to make. I’m still amazed that you can get tender, soft beans by pressure cooking it for just about 30 minutes.
If you cooked ham on bone for the holidays, you can throw in the bone as well. Cut the meat off the bone and add the bone into the pot while sauteing the veggies. Then, simply die the meat that has been cut off the bone and add it to the soup as well. This bean soup will be amazing with or without the bone. This will just be a good way to utilize the bone instead of just tossing it away.
HOW TO MAKE HAM AND BEAN SOUP IN INSTANT POT
Start by preparing all your veggies and ham. Dice onions, celery, carrots, and ham. Peel garlic and set it all aside. Rinse the beans to get rid of any debris that might be in the bag and set aside to let it strain.
Set Instant Pot to saute and let it heat up. Add oil, onions, celery, and carrots and saute until veggies soften and start to golden. (If using ham bone, add ham bone to the pot.)
Press garlic and add it to the pot. Saute until fragrant.
Add diced ham, stir, and saute for a few minutes. Pour in beans, chicken broth, thyme, bay leaf, crushed red peppers, and salt. Don’t forget to taste to make sure you have enough salt.
Stir, close the lid and make sure it’s latched. Turn the valve to “SEAL” and set the Instant Pot to pressure cook on high pressure cook mode for 30 minutes.
Let it do a natural release for about 10 minutes and then do a quick release. Be careful opening the lid.
HOW TO MAKE HAM AND BEAN SOUP IN A SLOW COOKER
You can easily convert this recipe to a slow cooker by sauteing vegetables and ham on stovetop first and then transferring it into a slow cooker.
Preheat a medium pot over medium heat and add oil, onions, celery, and carrots and saute until veggies soften and start to golden. Press in garlic and saute until fragrant. Add diced ham, stir, and saute for a couple of minutes.
Transfer it all into a slow cooker. (Add ham bone if using.)
Add beans, chicken broth, thyme, bay leaf, crushed red peppers, and salt. Don’t forget to taste to make sure you have enough salt. Close the lid and set it to cook on LOW for 8-10 hours (until beans are tender).
HOW TO FREEZE HAM AND BEAN SOUP
When freezing any food, it’s important to cool it to room temperature as quickly as possible before freezing. Cooling it quickly and freezing it will extend its shelf life by giving less time for bacteria to grow.
To cool the soup, place the pot with soup into a larger container filled with ice and let it cool, stirring occasionally.
Once soup is cooled to room temperature, portion it into freezer zip-lock bags. Get the air out and seal. Label and date each bag and lay them flat on a cutting board. Place it in the freezer.
It’s easier to freeze soup in freezer bags because flat bags of frozen soup can be stacked easily. This will save you a lot of room.
Defrost ham and bean soup overnight, in the refrigerator.
SOME MORE SOUP RECIPES YOU WILL LOVE
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Ham and Bean Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp canola oil
- 1 medium yellow onion
- 2 long celery ribs
- 2 medium carrots
- 4 cloves of garlic
- 1 1/2 cups diced ham use leftover holiday ham is available
- 1 lb dried navy beans
- 8 cups chicken broth
- 1 large bay leaf
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- salt
- ham bone from leftover whole cooked ham OPTIONAL
Instructions
- Dice onions, celery, carrots, and ham. Peel garlic and set it all aside. Rinse the beans to get rid of any debris that might be in the bag and set aside to let it strain.
- Set Instant Pot to SAUTE and let it heat up. Add oil, onions, celery, and carrots and saute until veggies soften and start to golden. (If using ham bone, add ham bone to the pot.)
- Press garlic and add it to the pot. Saute until fragrant.
- Add diced ham, stir, and saute for a few minutes. Pour in beans, chicken broth, thyme, bay leaf, crushed red peppers, and salt. Don’t forget to taste to make sure you have enough salt.
- Stir, close the lid and make sure it’s latched. Turn the valve to “SEAL” and set the Instant Pot to pressure cook on high pressure cook mode for 30 minutes.
- Let it do a natural release for about 10 minutes and then do a quick release. Be careful opening the lid.
- NOTE: don't forget to discard the bay leaf and ham bone if using.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Alice says
Can you use pinto beans instead of navy beans?
LyubaB says
Hi Alice,
You can absolutely use pinto instead of navy! Enjoy!
Cindy says
I actually made this today, great for a drizzley Virginia. I used a pack of 16 bean soup and it worked beautiful too! Thanks 👍😊
LyubaB says
Glad you liked it, Cindy! Thanks for stopping by!
Nancy Kinder says
Is an “ Instant Pot “ the same as a pressure cooker ? I would love to make this soup. .
LyubaB says
Sorry, for the late response somehow I am just now seeing your message. Yes, it is the same thing.
Sharon says
The 30 minute time was way to short. I did put the ham bone in but I had to go up to about 45 minutes for the beans to be soft.
Amy Zimmerman says
I agree, just put mine on for an additional 20 minutes, the beans were not done:(
Judy says
Soup was very tasty. I would reduce the red pepper flakes next time. I also thought it needed more then 30 minutes to cook. I added 10 minutes. All in all a very easy tasteful soup.
LyubaB says
I am glad you liked it, Judy!
Tina says
Way too hot with the crushed pepper flakes! It took away the flavor from the beans and ham.
LyubaB says
Hi Tina,
I am so sorry to hear that. Are you sure you used a teaspoon and not a tablespoon? It shouldn’t have been spicy.
Sue says
I found it spicy too and I definitely used a teaspoon… would reduce to 1/2 teaspoon next time.
richard s fair says
I quit using the pepper flakes because they are hot or not depending on if you get several in your mouth. I use the asian chili paste as it spreads out all the way through the dish. without hot-spots
Angela Blackburn says
This was fabulous. We had dried adzuki beans that I soaked for about 5 hours prior to cooking, and I did a total of 40 minutes in the pressure cooker. It was absolutely perfect. (this was my second time using the cooker ever, so as a precaution as i am learning how to use it and what to expect, I did 15, then 15, then 10, checking each time. I assume then that 40 straight through would be fine.)
Delicious. It’s added to my cookbook. Thanks!
LyubaB says
I am so glad you liked it, Angela!
Kathy says
This recipe was AWESOME!! It turned out DELISHOUS 🤤🤤I didn’t use the crushed pepper, or bay leaf(BC) I didn’t have any. And I added garlic and onion powder to it as well. Used leftover Christmas ham and smoked pork hock. But OH MY GOSH😁THANK YOU SO MUCH for sharing this recipe!! Will definitely make again!!
LyubaB says
What a sweet compliment! I am so glad you liked it!
Katie says
This soup is DELICIOUS!!!!! Didn’t have any celery. Cooked a couple of diced potatoes separately to add at the very end otherwise they would be mush……also cooked everything for 40 minutes!
LyubaB says
I am glad you liked it, Katie!
Tina says
Yes, I only used a teaspoon.
LyubaB says
I am sorry it was still so spicy, next time I would completely leave it out.
Barb says
I was pleased with how this turned out. I did add liquid smoke. I know others had concern about the red pepper. For those whom I cook for ~ they like a bit of kick! I, too, had to cook a bit longer for more tender beans. I did use a hand blender to “mush” up the beans a bit, too. Great meal to have while in the middle of a snowstorm.
LyubaB says
Yum! Glad you liked it, Barb!
Gayle says
This turned out amazing. I read the comments and cut the red pepper flakes to 1/2 tsp. I also added about 1 1/2 tbspn instant potatoes flakes. They work great as a thickening agent.
LyubaB says
Glad you liked it, Gayle!
sandra gibbons says
Easy and yummy!
LyubaB says
Thanks, Sandra!
Gina says
I have made this a few times now…WOW. We love it. I am actually making it again Friday night per my son in laws request. We like a little kick so the crushed pepper makes it just right.
LyubaB says
I love hearing that your family loves it! Thank you for stopping by and letting me know.
Rayna says
Can I use canned beans? I didn’t have any dried beans on hand.
richard s fair says
Excellent! I like to strain a few of the beans and “mush” them up and add back or use a a stick blender for a couple seconds.. It makes the broth a bit thicker.
Jennifer Fish says
This is a great recipe: made it last night with leftover ham & ham bone. Only 4 changes: 1) I did need to cook the navy beans a longer time in the Instant Pot. They can take 45 minutes easily. 2) I added mashed potato flakes which thickened the soup and 3) I added a little bit of clove. The original US Senate Navy Bean Soup recipe did, and I think just a little clove and 4) if you do use the ham bone, do not add extra salt: it will be plenty salty enough with the ham bone flavor.
Debra Hall says
Hello Laguna I just got a 3 quart instant pot do I cook this recipe in half for A smaller instant pot.