Best Instant Pot Ham and Bean Soup (No Soaking Required!)
There’s something especially satisfying about turning leftover ham into a big pot of homemade soup. This Instant Pot ham and bean soup recipe is hearty, comforting, and packed with tender Great Northern beans, smoky ham, vegetables, and flavorful broth, easily making it one of my favorite soups, especially on cold days.
Best of all, there’s no need to soak the dried beans overnight. Just add everything to your Instant Pot, set the pressure cooker, and let it do the work in a fraction of the time it takes to make traditional ham and bean soup
I made this soup using leftover ham from a whole bone-in ham, but you can just as easily use a ham steak or packaged diced ham from the grocery store. It’s an easy way to enjoy homemade ham and bean soup without having to plan ahead.
Why You’ll Love This Instant Pot Ham and Bean Soup
- No soaking required. Dried Great Northern beans cook right in the Instant Pot pressure cooker.
- Great for leftover ham. Use what you have, whether that’s ham from a holiday dinner or a store-bought ham steak.
- Hearty and filling. The tender beans provide plenty of fiber, while ham adds protein and savory flavor.
- Makes delicious leftovers. This recipe makes approximately eight servings, so you can enjoy some now and freeze the rest.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Dried Great Northern beans: These mild, creamy white beans are perfect for ham and bean soup. There’s no need to soak them, but rinse and sort them before cooking.
Ham: You’ll need about 3 cups of diced ham. Leftover bone-in ham is wonderful, but ham steaks and packaged ham chunks are convenient alternatives.
Chicken stock and water: Together, they create the flavorful broth. You can use reduced-sodium stock if your ham is particularly salty.
Onion, carrots, celery, and garlic: These vegetables add familiar homemade soup flavor.
RO*TEL diced tomatoes: A little unexpected in traditional ham and bean soup, but they add flavor and a gentle kick.
Black pepper and one bay leaf: A few simple additions round out the soup and add great flavor. Remove the bay leaf before serving.
Chicken stock or chicken broth: Either works well in this recipe. The ham adds plenty of flavor, so you can use low-sodium chicken broth to control the saltiness. Homemade chicken stock is another great option if you have some on hand.
How to Make Ham and Bean Soup in the Instant Pot
- Rinse the dried Great Northern beans and sort through them to remove any debris. There’s no need to soak them.
- Select the Sauté setting on your Instant Pot. Add the olive oil and diced onion, and cook until the onion begins to soften, stirring occasionally, for 3-4 minutes.
- Cancel the Sauté function. Add the remaining ingredients, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pot to loosen any browned bits. Make sure the ingredients stay below the maximum fill line for beans.
- Secure the lid and set the Instant Pot to High Pressure for 60 minutes.
- When the cooking cycle finishes, allow the pressure to release naturally. Follow your Instant Pot’s instructions for releasing any remaining pressure, taking extra care with starchy soups.
- Once the float valve has dropped, open the lid and stir. Check that the beans are tender before serving.
Keep in mind that the 60-minute cooking time doesn’t include the time your Instant Pot needs to come to pressure or release pressure afterward.
What Size Instant Pot Do I Need?
I made this ham and bean soup recipe in my 6-quart Instant Pot, and it worked beautifully. Because dried beans expand as they cook, be sure to leave plenty of room in your pressure cooker and never fill it more than halfway when cooking beans.
An 8-quart Instant Pot should also have enough capacity for this recipe, but I wouldn’t recommend making the full batch in a 3-quart model.
Natural Release vs. Quick Release: Which Is Better for Bean Soup?
Once the 60-minute cooking time is finished, you have two options for releasing the pressure from your Instant Pot.
Natural pressure release means allowing the pressure to decrease on its own without opening the steam-release valve. This takes longer, but it’s a gentle way to finish cooking a hearty soup with dried beans.
Quick release means using your Instant Pot’s steam-release control to let the remaining pressure escape.
For this ham and bean soup recipe, I let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes before carefully using the quick-release function to release the remaining pressure.
You can also allow the pressure to release naturally until the float valve drops on its own. It takes longer, but there’s no need to manually release the remaining pressure. I don’t have the patience to wait.
Because bean soup contains starch and plenty of liquid, watch for sputtering or liquid escaping through the steam-release valve. If that happens, return the control to the sealing position and allow more time for natural release.
Always wait until the float valve has dropped before opening the lid.
How to Thicken Ham and Bean Soup
If you prefer a thicker, creamier soup, there’s no need to add flour or cornstarch.
Simply mash some of the cooked beans against the side of the pot with a spoon or potato masher, then stir them back into the broth.
The mashed beans naturally thicken the soup while keeping all that wonderful bean flavor.
Can You Use a Ham Bone?
Absolutely! A leftover ham bone can add wonderful smoky flavor to homemade bean soup.
If you’re using one, make sure it fits comfortably inside your pressure cooker and that the ingredients remain below the appropriate fill line. Remove the bone after cooking, separate any remaining meat, and return the meat to the soup.
You can also make this recipe without a ham bone. Diced leftover ham, ham steaks, or packaged ham chunks are all good options.
Do You Have to Soak Great Northern Beans First?
No! That’s one of my favorite things about making ham and bean soup in the Instant Pot.
Traditional dried bean recipes often call for soaking the beans overnight. With pressure cooking, you can start with dry beans and still end up with tender, creamy beans.
For this recipe, simply rinse and sort the beans before adding them to the pot.
Can I Use Different Beans for Ham and Bean Soup?
Absolutely! I use Great Northern beans because they become tender and creamy in the Instant Pot, but navy beans are an excellent substitute. They’re smaller than Great Northern beans and have a similarly mild flavor.
You can also use a 7-bean soup mix if you prefer a variety of beans. These mixes often include different types of white beans, pinto beans, and other dried beans that add interesting textures and flavors to a hearty soup.
Keep in mind that different types of beans may require different cooking times, so check that all the beans are tender before serving. If your bean mix includes a seasoning packet, taste the soup before adding it, since the ham and chicken broth already contribute plenty of flavor.
This recipe is designed for dried beans rather than canned beans, which would become too soft during 60 minutes of pressure cooking.
How to Store and Freeze Leftover Soup
Ham and bean soup tastes just as good the next day, making it a great recipe for leftovers.
Store cooled soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3–4 days.
My favorite way to freeze soup is in zip-top freezer bags. Once the soup has cooled, I portion it into freezer bags, squeeze out the excess air, and seal them tightly. Then I lay the bags flat in the freezer so they take up less space.
I always write the date on each bag before freezing it. That way, I know exactly how long it’s been in there.
For the best quality, use frozen soup within 2–3 months. Thaw it in the refrigerator before reheating.
The beans may absorb some of the broth during storage, so add a splash of water or chicken stock if the soup is thicker than you’d like.
What to Serve With Ham and Bean Soup
This soup is hearty enough to be a meal on its own, but a slice of homemade bread makes it even better.
Try serving it with warm crusty bread, cornbread, or a simple side salad.
A Comforting Way to Use Leftover Ham
Whether you’re using leftover holiday ham or picking up a ham steak specifically for this recipe, Instant Pot ham and bean soup is an easy, satisfying meal that doesn’t require much hands-on work.
And with eight servings, there’s plenty to enjoy for dinner and save for another day.
Instant Pot Ham and Bean Soup (No Soaking Required!)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb dried Great Northern beans
- 3 cups diced ham
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 3 cups water
- 1 onion diced
- 2 carrot diced
- 2 celery stalk diced
- 2 garlic clove minced
- 1.5 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 10 ounce can RO*TEL diced tomatoes any variety
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 bay leaf optional, and remove before serving
Instructions
- Set the Instant Pot to Sauté. Add the olive oil and diced onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion begins to soften, about 3–5 minutes.
- Add the dried Great Northern beans, diced ham, chicken stock, water, carrots, celery, garlic, black pepper, bay leaf, and RO*TEL tomatoes. Stir to combine.
- Secure the lid and set the Instant Pot to Pressure Cook (High) for 60 minutes.
- When cooking is complete, allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes. Then carefully release any remaining pressure using the manufacturer’s instructions, or let the pressure release naturally completely.
- Once the pressure has fully released and the float valve has dropped, carefully open the lid. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Stir the soup. For a thicker broth, mash some of the beans against the side of the pot and stir them back in. Serve warm.
