Instant Pot Ham And Bean Soup: Quick Comfort Food With Leftover Ham
There's something truly special about a warm, hearty bowl of soup, particularly as the weather turns cool, or, you know, just whenever you crave something deeply satisfying. This is that kind of meal, a true classic that brings a feeling of home and warmth. For many, a good ham and bean soup has been a go-to for generations, a simple yet profoundly flavorful dish that really hits the spot.
Making this beloved soup used to mean hours of simmering on the stovetop, waiting for dried beans to soften and flavors to meld. But, with the rise in popularity of Instant Pot cooking, making this delicious dish has never been easier. This recipe, in a way, takes all the goodness of a slow-cooked meal and speeds it up, giving you that same comforting taste without the long wait.
You are going to love this. It's truly a marvel how quickly you can create something so rich and filling. Tender ham, flavorful white beans, and savory broth come together effortlessly in the Instant Pot, offering a protein-packed meal that makes excellent use of leftover ham. This delicious Instant Pot bean soup recipe is quick, easy, and oh so filling, too it's almost a miracle.
Table of Contents
- Why Instant Pot Ham and Bean Soup?
- The Heart of the Soup: Ham Bone, Ham Hock, or Just Ham?
- Getting Started: Ingredients for Your Instant Pot Ham and Bean Soup
- Crafting Your Instant Pot Ham and Bean Soup: Step-by-Step
- Serving Suggestions and Variations
- Frequently Asked Questions About Instant Pot Ham and Bean Soup
Why Instant Pot Ham and Bean Soup?
Making Instant Pot ham and bean soup is a truly smart choice for many reasons, as a matter of fact. This is a dish that delivers on taste, convenience, and also, you know, economy. It brings together simple items to create something quite extraordinary, something that feels both new and, like, very familiar at the same time.
A Time-Saving Wonder
One of the biggest advantages of using your Instant Pot for this recipe is the time it saves, obviously. Traditionally, dried beans require a long soak, often overnight, before they can be cooked. Then, the simmering process itself can take hours and hours on the stovetop. This Instant Pot method changes all that, truly.
No soaking required, just add the ingredients and pressure cook for a delicious meal, which is a game-changer for weeknight dinners. Everything gets tossed in the pot, set on high pressure for an hour and fifteen minutes, and bam, you have a hearty meal ready to enjoy. Seriously, we never thought making ham and bean soup would be this easy, but it really is.
Uses Up Leftover Ham
This recipe is easy, fast, and uses up leftover ham from the holidays, or, you know, any time you have some ham on hand. After a big holiday meal, like Christmas or Easter, there's often a good bit of ham remaining. Instead of letting it go to waste, or just making endless ham sandwiches, this soup offers a wonderful way to give that ham a new life, actually.
Instant Pot ham and bean soup is a quick and easy way to enjoy a classic comfort food, and it makes excellent use of leftover ham. Tender ham chunks are mixed with flavorful beans, creating a meal that feels both fresh and familiar. Dried beans and leftover ham make this soup incredibly economical, feeding a crowd for less than an average meal, which is pretty great, in a way.
Comfort in a Bowl
This soup is flavorful and pure comfort food in a bowl, truly. There's something about the combination of tender ham, soft beans, and a rich, savory broth that just makes you feel good from the inside out. It's the kind of meal that wraps you in a warm hug, perfect for a chilly evening or when you just need a little pick-me-up, if that makes sense.
It's a filling soup, too, packed with protein from the ham and fiber from the beans, which means it keeps you feeling satisfied for a long time. Learn how to make a hearty and filling soup with ham and beans in the Instant Pot in less than two hours, and you'll see what we mean about that comfort. It's a simple pleasure, really.
The Heart of the Soup: Ham Bone, Ham Hock, or Just Ham?
The ham part of this soup is, you know, pretty important for its deep flavor. You have choices when it comes to what kind of ham you put in your pot, and each choice brings something a little different to the final dish. Understanding these differences can help you get the exact taste you're looking for, which is something to consider, really.
Understanding Your Ham Choices
You can use a ham bone or a ham hock, or even just some leftover cooked ham pieces. Learn how to make a hearty and comforting ham and bean soup with ham bone or ham hock in the Instant Pot, and you'll find out the difference between ham bone, ham hock, and ham. A ham bone, for instance, comes from a larger cut of ham, like a spiral-sliced ham, and it often has some meat still clinging to it, which is nice.
A ham hock, on the other hand, is from the lower part of the hog's leg, and it's full of collagen and connective tissue. This means it adds a wonderful richness and body to your soup as it cooks down. If you don't have a bone or hock, you can just use cubed leftover ham, which is fine, too, and still makes a great soup. The point is, you have options, naturally.
Flavor Building Blocks
Using a ham bone or hock is a way to get a lot of flavor into your broth without much effort, you know. As it cooks under pressure, the bone releases all its savory goodness into the liquid, creating a rich base for your beans. This is why many people prefer to use one of these, as it truly builds a deep, satisfying taste.
If you're using just leftover ham pieces, you might want to consider adding a little extra seasoning to the broth to make up for the lack of bone flavor. But even without a bone, the soup will still be delicious, especially with the right mix of veggies and spices, which is something we will get into. It's all about building those layers of taste, basically.
Getting Started: Ingredients for Your Instant Pot Ham and Bean Soup
One of the best things about this Instant Pot ham and bean soup recipe is how simple the ingredients are, honestly. You don't need a long list of fancy items; just a few basic things from your pantry and fridge will do the trick. Learn how to make a simple and delicious ham and bean soup with only eight ingredients in your Instant Pot, and you'll see what I mean.
Use dried beans, ham bone or hock, and some common vegetables, and you are more or less ready to go. The beauty of this dish is its humble nature, taking everyday items and transforming them into something truly comforting and satisfying. It's a testament to simple cooking, really.
Dried Beans: No Soaking Needed!
This is where the Instant Pot truly shines, you know. For this recipe, you use dried beans, and the best part is that no soaking is required. This cuts down on prep time significantly, meaning you can decide to make soup and have it ready much faster than with traditional methods. It's quite a convenience, actually.
I used a mix of navy and great northern beans because that’s what I had, but you can use other types of white beans too, like cannellini, or even a 15-bean mixture for a varied texture and flavor. The pressure cooker handles them beautifully, making them tender and creamy without hours of boiling. This makes it a very flexible recipe, too.
Simple Veggies and Spices
Beyond the ham and beans, the soup gets its depth from a few simple vegetables and spices, typically. These are the aromatics that build the foundation of flavor for your broth. Think of them as the unsung heroes of the soup, really, adding subtle layers of taste.
You'll want to have celery, carrot, onion, and garlic on hand. These are common soup vegetables, and they provide a sweet, savory base. For spices, a bay leaf is often used, and perhaps a little black pepper. Some people like to add a pinch of thyme or a dash of smoked paprika for extra depth, but that’s up to you, of course. Learn how to make a flavorful and hearty ham and bean soup in an Instant Pot with leftover ham, navy beans, and simple veggies and spices, and you'll find it's not complicated at all.
Crafting Your Instant Pot Ham and Bean Soup: Step-by-Step
Making this soup in the Instant Pot is incredibly straightforward, honestly. You just follow a few easy steps, and the machine does most of the heavy lifting. This makes it a perfect recipe for those new to pressure cooking, or for anyone who wants a delicious meal without a lot of fuss, which is pretty much everyone, right?
The process is designed for simplicity, meaning you don't need to be a seasoned cook to get great results. Just gather your items, and you're ready to begin this cooking adventure, as a matter of fact.
Sautéing Aromatics
The first step often involves a quick sauté, which helps to deepen the flavors of your vegetables. Heat olive oil in the pot, then add celery, carrot, onion, and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. This step, while simple, is very important for building a rich flavor base, you know.
It brings out the natural sweetness of the onions and carrots and makes the garlic more fragrant. This brief cooking time really sets the stage for the rest of the soup, and it's a step you don't want to skip, really. It adds a layer of depth that raw vegetables just can't provide, basically.
Adding the Good Stuff
After your aromatics have softened, it's time to add the main components of your soup. This includes your dried beans, your ham bone or hock, or your leftover ham pieces, and the liquid, which is typically water or broth. You'll also add any other seasonings you plan to use, like a bay leaf, for instance.
It's important to make sure everything is properly submerged in the liquid so that the beans cook evenly under pressure. Give it a good stir to combine all the items. This is where the magic really starts to happen, as all these simple items will soon transform into a truly wonderful meal, in a way.
Pressure Cooking Magic
Once everything is in the pot and the lid is sealed, you set your Instant Pot to high pressure. As mentioned earlier, for dried beans and ham, an hour and fifteen minutes is a common time. This extended cooking time under pressure ensures the beans become wonderfully tender and creamy, and the ham releases all its savory goodness into the broth, too.
After the cooking time, allow for a natural pressure release, or a partial natural release followed by a quick release, depending on the specific recipe instructions you're following. This step is important for safety and for the texture of the soup. The result is tender ham, flavorful white beans, and savory broth, all coming together effortlessly, and it’s truly amazing how it works.
Serving Suggestions and Variations
Once your Instant Pot ham and bean soup is ready, you'll find it's a very versatile dish, capable of standing alone or being paired with other simple items. It's a meal that truly fits many occasions, from a casual family dinner to a comforting lunch on a chilly day. You can also adjust it to your taste, which is pretty nice, actually.
What to Pair It With
This delicious creamy comfort food goes great with some sweet cornbread, for instance. The slight sweetness of the cornbread offers a nice contrast to the savory soup. Crusty bread or rolls are also a popular choice, perfect for soaking up every last drop of that flavorful broth, you know.
A simple side salad can add a bit of freshness and a touch of green to your meal. For a complete and satisfying spread, you might also consider serving it with a sprinkle of fresh parsley on top for color and a little extra flavor. It's all about making the meal feel complete, basically.
Customizing Your Soup
While the basic recipe is fantastic on its own, you can certainly make some changes to fit your preferences, which is part of the fun of cooking, right? For instance, if you like a little heat, a pinch of red pepper flakes can be added to the pot with the other spices. Some people enjoy a touch of acidity, so a squeeze of lemon juice at the end can brighten up the flavors, as a matter of fact.
If you want to make it even heartier, you could add some diced potatoes or greens like spinach or kale during the last few minutes of cooking. Learn how to make easy and hearty ham and bean soup in Instant Pot with dried beans, and then feel free to experiment with other additions. You are going to love how quick and simple this white bean recipe is when you use your Instant Pot, and how easily you can make it your own.
This ultrasimple bean soup has been on the menu at the U.S. Senate dining room and served to senators and their staff for more than 100 years, even as politics have changed, which is kind of a neat fact, you know. It shows just how enduring and beloved this dish truly is.
For more ideas on using your Instant Pot for delicious meals, you can learn more about pressure cooking on our site. Also, if you're looking for other comforting recipes, you might like to check out our collection of easy weeknight dinners.
Frequently Asked Questions About Instant Pot Ham and Bean Soup
People often have questions about making ham and bean soup in the Instant Pot, especially concerning the beans and the ham itself. Here are some common inquiries that might help you as you prepare your own comforting bowl, you know.
Do you have to soak beans for ham and bean soup in Instant Pot?
No, you do not, which is one of the big advantages of using the Instant Pot. The pressure cooker makes dried beans tender without the need for an overnight soak. You just rinse them well before adding them to the pot, which is pretty convenient, actually.
Can you put raw ham in ham and bean soup?
While many recipes use leftover cooked ham or a smoked ham hock/bone, some people do use raw, unsmoked ham pieces. If you use raw ham, just make sure it's fully cooked through with the soup. However, for that classic savory flavor, cured or smoked ham is typically preferred, as a matter of fact.
What is the difference between a ham bone and a ham hock for soup?
A ham bone is usually what's left after you've carved meat from a larger ham, like a holiday ham. It often has some meat still attached, and it adds a rich, meaty flavor to your soup. A ham hock, on the other hand, comes from the lower part of a pig's leg and is very gelatinous, adding a lot of body and a smoky, savory depth to the broth. Both are excellent for soup, but a hock tends to give a thicker, more unctuous broth, you know.
Soul-Satisfying Instant Pot Ham And Bean Soup - Miss Wish
Instant Pot Ham and Bean Soup - Spend With Pennies
Instant Pot Ham and Bean Soup | Tested by Amy + Jacky
