Instant Pot 15 Bean Soup

4.94 from 112 votes

Dried beans are cooked to tender perfection without any pre-soaking in this deliciously seasoned Instant Pot 15 Bean Soup. Old fashioned comfort food at its best!

Prep Time15

Cook Time45

Pressure and Release Time30

Total Time1 30

Course: Main Course, Soup

Cuisine: American

Diet: Low Calorie, Low Fat

Servings:

Calories: 433kcal

Author: Valerie Brunmeier

Equipment

Ingredients

1 pound 15 or 16 dried bean soup mix any brand will work (toss the seasoning packet)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1½ cups diced yellow onion
2 ribs celery diced
2 carrots peeled and diced
1 teaspoon minced garlic
4 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
3 cups water
8 ounces tomato sauce
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon oregano
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper or to taste
¼ teaspoon cayenne optional (it adds a nice kick)
2 bay leaves
1 ham shank, ham hock, or meaty ham bone
salt to taste and only if needed

Optional Garnishes

grated Parmesan or Monterey Jack cheese, oyster crackers, crushed saltine crackers

Instructions

Place beans in a colander and rinse them well with cold water and allow to drain. Pick through the beans and remove and discard any debris.
Add oil to the Instant Pot and press the SAUTE button. When display reads "Hot" add the onion, carrot, and celery. Cook, stirring, for 4 to 5 minutes, or until onion and veggies begin to soften. Add garlic and cook for an additional minute then press CANCEL.
Add beans, broth, water, tomato sauce, chili powder, cumin, oregano, cayenne, and the bay leaves. Stir well to combine. Tuck the ham shank (or meaty ham bone) down into the mixture. Lock the lid in place and make sure vent is sealed (on older models). Press the MANUAL or the PRESSURE COOK button, select HIGH, and cook for 40 minutes.
When time is up, allow the steam pressure to naturally release for 15 minutes then manually release any remaining pressure. Unlock and remove the lid. Transfer ham shank (or bone) to a cutting board. Use a fork to remove the ham from the bone and stir it into the soup. Discard the bone.
If a creamier (less brothy) texture is desired, pulse the mixture with an immersion blender 3 or 4 times, just to break up some of the beans. Don't go overboard, you want lots of whole beans and a few pulses will yield a nice and creamy result.
This soup is excellent reheated. It will thicken when refrigerated so just add a little water to reach desired consistency.
Taste and season with salt and additional pepper, if desired. I don't recommend adding any salt until the end of the cooking process as the seasoning ham, tomato sauce, and broth tend to add enough.

Video

Notes

Seasoning Ham

If you don't have a leftover ham bone on hand, pick up a ham shank or hock from the meat department at your grocery store. My store carries Cook's brand. Shanks are meatier but pork hocks are mainly used for seasoning. They impart a really nice meaty, smoky flavor but you won't have much, if any, meat to add to the soup at the end of the cooking time. You can also pick up a ham steak to chop up and add to the soup if you'd like but there will be plenty of flavor either way.

Nutrition