Got a ham bone laying around after a holiday feast? Don’t throw it away - make this delicious Instant Pot bean soup with ham bone - it’s a comforting and flavorful way to use up the leftover bone and meat. The bone adds depth and richness to the broth, and any remaining meat will add texture and protein to the soup. It's an excellent way to stretch your food budget, reduce waste, and enjoy a warm and satisfying meal.
Using an Instant Pot is the quickest and easiest way to make meals like my easy Instant Pot pulled pork and Instant Pot St. Louis Ribs recipes. Making a ham bone bean soup is just as convenient and it comes out so flavorful! The bean/high pressure function allows you to cook the legumes in a fraction of the time it would take on the stovetop, and the resulting broth will be full of flavor and nutrients.
With just a few simple steps, you can enjoy a hearty and satisfying bowl of ham bone soup in no time.
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Ingredients
Ham Bone - Full of flavor - trim off any big chunks of ham and chop into ½ inch pieces.
Diced Ham - You’ll need about 2 cups for this recipe, chopped into ½ inch pieces.
Navy beans - this is a white bean, which has a soft and creamy texture when cooked - perfect for soups and stews.
Carrots, Celery, Onion - A classic mix of aromatics.
Potato - Will add some thickness as it cooks down into the broth, I like Yukon gold.
Bay Leaf - Helps balance out the flavor of the soup so it’s not so heavy.
Garlic - 3 cloves add enough flavor without overpowering the other components.
Thyme - Adds depth and complexity to the broth.
Chicken Stock - Use instead of water for a more flavorful broth.
Parsley - Chopped for garnish.
Equipment
Instant Pot - I’m using the 6 quart Duo
Instructions
1). Add the ham bone, ham, navy beans, vegetables, bay leaf, garlic, thyme, salt & pepper to the Instant Pot.
2). Add in enough chicken stock to cover the bone and ingredients (8 - 10 cups) and cook for 45 minutes on the "bean/chili" setting or high pressure.
3). Remove the bay leaf and bone, scrape off any remaining bits of ham and return to the soup, then stir and serve, garnish with parsley.
Ham bone soup variations
You can definitely customize your soup, here are a few variations of the basic ham bone soup recipe to enjoy!
- Add a variety of vegetables like kale, cabbage, red bell peppers, collard/mustard greens , leeks and potatoes.
- Mix up the beans by adding lentils, black beans, or Great Northern beans.
- For an even heartier taste, add cooked chopped bacon to the soup.
What to serve with Instant pot ham bone soup
Air Fryer baked sweet potato - easy, delicious sweet potatoes are the perfect side carb dish to go with your soup.
Crispy roasted mini smashed potatoes - If you don’t have an air fryer, try these amazingly crispy potatoes without frying!
Rice cooker garlic rice - For a set and forget it side dish, this flavorful rice will be the perfect soup pairing.
Pro Tips
- If you want more texture in your soup, chop the veggies thicker so they hold up better to the pressure cooker.
- Cutting the big chunks of ham off before cooking the bone is less messy than doing it after. Plus, it makes removing the small bits of meat easier after cooking.
- Note that it takes at least 25 to 30 minutes for the Instant Pot to pressurize, so total cooking time will be about 1 hour 15 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you’ve left the ham out all day and it’s summer, you should probably freeze it, or use it immediately for soup. But if it’s only been out for a couple hours after cooking/carving, then you can keep it in the fridge for up to 5 days before using for soup.
Yes you can, you may want to add an additional 15 minutes to the cooking time.
You can also use black beans, cannellini beans, or pinto beans. Navy beans are a classic choice for ham bone soup.
The rule of thumb is three days.
More Instant Pot Recipes
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Easy Instant Pot Ham Bone Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 ham bone
- 2 cups Diced ham into ½" cubes
- 8-10 cups chicken stock
- 1 pound navy beans (uncooked)
- 1 cup carrots, peeled and chopped about 3 medium carrots
- 1 ½ cup celery, chopped about 3 stalks
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 ¼ cup Yukon potato, cut into 1" cubes about 1 large potato
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- ⅛ teasspoon ground pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt, more to taste
- chopped parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Cut away any big chunks of ham from the bone, then chop into ½ inch cubes.
- Add the ham bone, ham, navy beans, vegetables, bay leaf, garlic, thyme, salt & pepper to the Instant Pot.
- Add in enough chicken stock to cover the bone and ingredients (8 - 10 cups).
- Make sure the rubber insert on the inside of the lid is correctly installed, then secure the lid on the Instant Pot, and set the valve in the closed position.
- Cook for 45 min on “bean/chili” setting (or on High pressure).
- When done cooking, slowly release the pressure or allow it to naturally release.
- Remove the bay leaf and bone, scrape off any remaining bits of ham and return to the soup, then stir and serve, garnish with parsley.
Notes
- Note that it takes at least 25 - 30 minutes for the Instant Pot to pressurize.
- You may use frozen ham bone, add an additional 15 minutes to the cooking time and cut the ham meat off after it's cooked.
JoAnn Britt
I enjoy instant pot recipes. Made hambone 17 bean soup without hambone. Used extra seasonings and bacon bits willl let yo u know how it turns out
Kaylie
Yes please let me know! I love to hear when modifications to a recipe turns out well!