Quick and Easy Instant Pot Ham and Bean Soup Recipe

This quick and easy instant pot ham and bean soup recipe is comforting and delicious! Tender veggies, ham, bacon, and white beans in a flavorful broth. This soup is perfect for a busy weeknight, as a cozy Sunday family dinner, or for when a loved on is feeling under the weather! The broth is light and flavorful while the bacon, ham, and beans add a bit of sustenance and protein. Serve alongside crusty bread or homemade croutons topped with shaved parmesan and fresh herbs.

This soup is perfect during fall or winter, tender beans and smoky ham combined with soft veggies make this a warm and heaty meal. Cozy up with other Instant Pot favorites like Instant Pot Turkey and Bean Chili Recipe or The Best Instant Pot Chicken Gnocchi Soup Recipe! Garnish your bowl of soup with shaved or shredded parmesan, fresh parsley or fresh thyme, and some fresh cracked black pepper.

This yummy soup is so simple with flavor coming from the ham, bacon, and sautéed veggies. Use a ham steak, bone-in ham hock, or leftover ham. This soup is great to make after Thanksgiving of Christmas when you have leftover ham and are in the market for something a little lighter.

Highlights of this recipe:

• Easy Instant Pot recipe: the instant pot does pretty much all the work for this recipe, no standing over the stove. Sauté and pressure cook all in one, even better you only have to wash one pot and you can keep your stove top clear!
• Dump and go: this soup recipe couldn’t be any easier! Simply sauté the bacon in the base of the Instant Pot using the sauté function. Prep the carrots, celery, garlic, and onion, add those to the pot with the bacon, sauté and top with ham, beans, and stock. Secure the lid and pressure cook for 15 minutes and you have a delicious meal in no time.
• Family favorite: kids and adults will love this dish. It’s protein packed from the beans and pork and full of flavor but still mild enough to satisfy everyone. Serve alongside crusty bread for dipping and sprinkle with a little fresh parmesan!
• Budget friendly: ham and beans are very affordable and they can stretch a long way. The flavorful broth takes this dish a long way. This recipe is made with simple ingredients, many you probably already have on hand!
• Customizable: This can be customized as desired, add in different vegetables or beans. Milk or cream can be added to make the broth a bit richer and more creamy.

This is a perfect dish for hectic weekends or weeknights, the whole family will love this one. Serve with these different side dishes for a complete meal – Fall Kale Salad, Easy Strawberry Spinach Salad, Air Fryer New York Frozen Garlic Knots Recipe, Caesar salad, or this Shaved Brussel Sprout Salad with Bacon Vinaigrette! A loaf of sourdough bread or a sliced baguette are also a must pairing!

Tools I used for this easy Instant Pot recipe:

• Instant Pot Pressure Cooker – A versatile counter top appliance perfect for quickly cooking this soup! My favorite electric pressure cooker. I use my Instant Pot for rice, quinoa, soup, stew, meatballs, and more!
• Glasslock Glass Food Storage Containers – the square containers are the perfect size for lunches or leftovers, stain proof, and they are dishwasher safe. I even use these to store leftover soup in the freezer.
• Tongs – a must have kitchen tool! I love the locking tongs as they are space savings and I like to keep a variety of sizes and lengths on hand for different recipes.

How to make this Quick and Easy Instant Pot Ham and Bean Soup Recipe (with step by step instructions):

Let’s talk a little about how to make this ham and bean soup (The printable instructions are in the recipe card below.)

Quick overview:

• Prep and chop all fresh ingredients.
• Sauté bacon and veggies in Instant Pot.
• Add in ham, beans, stock, and bay leaves.
• Pressure cook for 15 minutes and enjoy.

1: Prep garlic, carrots, celery, and onion. Chop bacon and ham. Drain and rinse beans.

2. Turn the Instant pot onto sauté function and sauté bacon in butter until it starts to crisp. Add in the carrots, onion, celery, and garlic. Sauté until veggies start to become tender. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Add in cubed ham, beans, stock, and bay leaves. Cover and pressure cook for 15 minutes. Allow pressure to release naturally.

4. Serve topped with fresh herbs and shaved parmesan cheese.

Ingredients List and Ingredient Substitutions:

Below are notes about each ingredients and substitutions for ingredients that can be swapped or left out of the recipe:

• Bacon: any kind of bacon will work for this recipe, it adds texture and salt to the soup, it also pairs well with the ham.
• Butter: I prefer unsalted butter so I can control the salt better, we also have salt from the bacon and ham. Olive oil or avocado oil can be a substitute.
• Onion: red onion, white onion, or yellow onions will work in the soup. A finely diced shallot will also work, if you do not like onion, omit it.
• Celery: add as much celery as you prefer. This cooks down in the soup so it isn’t crunchy.
• Carrots: add as many carrots as you’d like, slice into thin coins or small cubes.
• Garlic: add as many fresh garlic cloves as desired, I use upwards of around 4 or 5 cloves. Jarred minced garlic can be used as well.
• Ham: ham steaks are the easiest option but ham hocks can also be used.
• Beans: great northern beans or cannellini beans work great for this recipe, drain and rinse beans before adding them to the soup.
• Chicken broth or stock: any stock works for this recipe. Use beef stock, chicken bone broth, beef bone broth, or vegetable broth.
• Bay leaf: I always love to toss in a few dried bay leaves when I get the chance. They add some floral, herby flavor.

If you like this Quick and Easy Instant Pot Ham and Bean Soup Recipe, you love these other drool-worthy soups…

• One-Pot Lasagna Soup – a hearty one pot recipe!
• Easy Roasted Cherry Tomato Soup Recipe – great for fresh cherry tomatoes.
• Panera Bread Chicken Tortilla Soup – a fan favorite copycat recipe.
• Slow Cooker Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup – a soup made to simmer in the slow cooker.
• Roasted Red Pepper & Tomato Soup – a light, fresh soup.
• Simple One-Pot Black Bean Soup – my favorite use for dry or canned black beans!

,If you like this easy instant pot soups, you love my other easy instant pot recipes. Like this Easy Instant Pot Cheeseburger Soup, Easy Instant Pot Teriyaki Meatballs Recipe, 2 Ingredient Instant Pot Pesto Chicken, Delicious Instant Pot Honey Bourbon Chicken Recipe, or Instant Pot Creamy Buffalo Chicken Soup Recipe! Made for busy weekdays or Sunday family dinners, these recipes showcase the versatility of the Instant pot and the simplicity of dump and go recipes.

Recipe FAQs:

Do you vent or seal Instant Pot for soup?

In this recipe you will seal the Instant Pot while cooking and let pressure release naturally once done cooking. This keeps as much moisture inside the pot while cooking instead of releasing it through steam.

How do you store leftover ham and bean soup?

Leftover ham and bean soup can be cooled completely than transferred to an airtight container (I prefer glass)and kept in the fridge. This soup can also be stored in the freezer, store in freezer-safe container and pull out to thaw when needed.

What are the best toppings for this ham and bean soup?

Parmesan cheese, cheddar cheese, fresh herbs like thyme or oregano, croutons, and crispy bacon are all great toppings for this soup.

What type of beans are best for this soup?

This recipe calls for great northern beans but cannellini beans, navy beans, pinto beans, or chickpeas can also be used. Make sure to grab canned beans, this recipe does not use dried beans due to the short cook time. Canned beans should be drained and rinsed well before using.

How long is ham and bean soup good for?

Instant Pot ham and bean soup can be kept for 3-4 days if stored correctly. To reheat microwave or heat in a saucepan.

You do not need a ham bone (or you can use an leftover ham bone) or to soak any dry beans for this easy ham soup, which is what makes this so simple! Some variations are, adding kale or spinach, using a mix of white beans, adding in spicy ground sausage, or mixing in a small pasta like orzo. Either way this is a hearty meal with great flavor!