The easiest thing you’ll ever do with leftover ham.
If your fridge looks anything like mine, right now it’s got a big old hunk of ham left over from Easter in it. In fact, we have even more of it than usual, because we had fewer of us at Easter dinner.
So now, the challenge is figuring out what to do with all that ham. I already have several recipes that are good for this, like Cheesy Honey Mustard Ham Rolls and Ham Cheese and Broccoli Quiche. But right now, with everything so stressful, I really wanted something nice and simple. And that’s how I came up with this Instant Pot Ham and Bean Soup.
If simple is what you’re after, you can’t really do much better than this. The hardest part of the recipe, no joke, is chopping up the ham and the veggies – carrots, celery, and onion. Just cook those in the Instant Pot on the sauté setting (with the ham bone, if you have it), then add the rest of the ingredients and pressure cook for half an hour, followed by a natural release.
With an hour or so of cooking time, this isn’t the fastest meal you’ll ever make in the Instant Pot. But it’s definitely one of the easiest.
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TOOLS USED FOR THIS INSTANT POT HAM AND BEAN SOUP
Knife Set: Every kitchen needs a set of great kitchen knives.
Measuring Cups and Spoons: Each cup’s “ml” and cup sizes have passed clearly engraved marking, and you can quickly identify the cup scale according to the color of the handle.
Instant Pot: Here is the pressure cooker we love!
What if my Easter ham had a fancy glaze on it, like your Sweet Chili Glazed Ham? Can I still use it in this soup?
Why not? The glaze will just transfer to the soup and make it that much more interesting. The only change you might make is to leave out the thyme and bay leaf if they clash with the flavors in your glaze.
Can I make this with dry beans instead of canned?
Yes, but it will take longer. If you throw the beans in without soaking them first, they’ll need to cook at least 45 minutes on high pressure, plus the natural release. If you don’t want to wait that long, set the beans up to soak in the morning, then drain and rinse them before adding them to the soup.
If I don’t have an Instant Pot, can I make this recipe in my slow cooker?
Yes, but again, the beans will need to be soaked first. In this case, I would soak them overnight, then drain and rinse them in the morning. Sauté your veggies in a pan on the stove, then add them and the other ingredients to the slow cooker, and give it eight hours on low.
How to make Instant Pot Ham and Bean Soup
Ingredients you will need:
- Olive Oil
- carrots
- celery
- onion
- chicken broth
- great northern beans
- ham (a ham bone in if you have it for additional flavor)
- bay leaf
- dried thyme
- salt and pepper to taste
- Prepare all of your veggies and dice your ham. This will be the hardest part of this recipe. You’ve got to love an Instant Pot.
- Turn your IP on the SAUTE setting. Drizzle your olive oil in your pot and then add your carrots, celery, onion and if you have a ham bone, throw that in. I just used a bone-in ham steak but threw the bone in for additional flavor. Add your salt and pepper. Saute your veggies 5-7 minutes till they are soft.
- Once your veggies are soft, add in your beans, ham, thyme, bay leaf and broth. Stir to combine.
Close your instant pot lid and turn it to the PRESSURE COOK setting on high. Set the timer for 30 minutes. Once the timer goes off let it naturally release pressure. This could take another 30-40 minutes. - If you are in a hurry then you can do the quick release if you don’t have time to wait for the full natural release. Serve and enjoy!
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Instant Pot Ham and Bean Soup
Ingredients
- 1/2 TBSP Olive Oil
- 1 cup of diced carrots
- 1 cup of diced celery
- 1 sweet onion
- 7 cups of chicken broth
- 2 cans of great northern beans drained and rinsed
- 2 cups of ham throw the bone in if you have it for additional flavor
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp of dried thyme
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Prepare all of your veggies and dice your ham. This will be the hardest part of this recipe. You’ve got to love an Instant Pot.
- Turn your IP on the SAUTE setting. Drizzle your olive oil in your pot and then add your carrots, celery, onion and if you have a ham bone, throw that in. I just used a bone-in ham steak but threw the bone in for additional flavor. Add your salt and pepper. Saute your veggies 5-7 minutes till they are soft.
- Once your veggies are soft, add in your beans, ham, thyme, bay leaf and broth. Stir to combine.
- Close your instant pot lid and turn it to the PRESSURE COOK setting on high. Set the timer for 30 minutes. Once the timer goes off let it naturally release pressure. This could take another 30-40 minutes. If you are in a hurry then you can do the quick release if you don’t have time to wait for the full natural release.
- Serve and enjoy!
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Nutrition Information:
Nutrition Disclaimer
Family Fresh Meals is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.
Jason Eads says
This was simple to prepare and very tasty! This may become a post-Easter staple in our house
Sharon Lynch says
Delicious!!!
JT says
Excellent! I added some diced potato too.
Lindsey Cagle says
Can I make this recipe with out an instant pot or pressure cooker?
Corey says
I have a similar soup I make in the slow cooker here https://www.familyfreshmeals.com/2022/01/crockpot-navy-bean-soup.html