Hearty Ham Bean Soup: 7 Steps to Comforting Perfection

Instant Pot Ham and Bean Soup delivers a cozy, hearty soup filled with tender beans and a rich smoky broth in record time.

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Turn the Instant Pot to sauté, add ½ tablespoon oil, and let briefly heat. Once heated, add onions, celery, and carrots and sauté for 3-4 minutes, or until onions have become soft and translucent. Once the onion has softened, add in garlic and sauté for another 30-60 seconds until just aromatic. Hit Cancel to turn the Instant Pot OFF.
Add 2 cups of chicken stock (or additional water) into the inner pot and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the inner pot.
Add 4 cups of water, rinsed beans, 2 bay leaves, 2 sprigs of thyme, and 1 teaspoon pepper to Instant Pot. Nestle the ham bone inside the inner pot and top with 8 ounces of tomato sauce (if using).
Place lid on pressure cooker and turn vent knob to sealed. Set cook time to 45 minutes on HIGH pressure. (Hit manual/pressure cook button and then use +/- keys to adjust time to 45 minutes).
After the cooking time has elapsed, let the pressure release naturally. This can take 15-20 minutes. Open the lid and remove ham bone, bay leaf, and thyme sprigs.
If desired, pick off any remaining bits of meat from ham bone and stir back into the soup, along with 1 teaspoon of seasoned salt. Give the soup a taste and add up to an additional 1 teaspoon seasoned salt if needed.