Instant Pot 15 Bean Soup

Instant Pot 15 Bean Soup recipe with dry beans, no soak required, cooks up this one pot meal fast! Similar to our Instant Pot chili with dry beans but with ham hock inside it is healthy and delicious.

I’ve made this in the slow cooker before and it’s so hard to get them to cook evenly at that slow of a pace! You can use sliced kielbasa sausage, it’s a great leftover ham recipe or ham hock recipe too. Leaving it vegetarian is also an option but I love adding meat for us.

in Ninja Foodi

I was amazed too the very first time that I made this soup because every bean literally had it’s own flavor, texture, and taste. You can make it in a Crockpot Express pot or as an easy Ninja foodi recipe like we do. Any pressure cooker will do y’all, they are all basically the same with high pressure.

Using your Instant Pot really cooks those beans fast and gives them a great texture that is enjoyable without having them be mushy.

If you’re worried about the time it’s going to take to cook up your beans, you can plan on the maximum time being 45 minutes or so. You could use canned as well which would cut it down to 10 if you’d rather but if you haven’t been cooking dry beans in Instant Pot yet it is WAY easier than you’d think.

If you use ham hocks you won’t need to add any other seasonings. Smoked versions have a TON of flavor in them already, and sodium so that is all you need. I just dice up the meat and discard the bones right before enjoying this dish and it works fantastic.

One of the best parts about making this pressure cooker soup is that you can easily alter the flavor and taste. Because we all know that it’s fun to take an already great recipe and find ways to tweak it to make it even better. 

Ingredients

• Dry beans mix makes things easier and cheaper vs. buying multiple types and just using some of each.
  • You could make it as a ham hock recipe, just throw that in the center and cut meat off at the end
• I like to use chicken broth or pressure cooker bone broth or water could be used, but it won’t have as much flavor.
• Onion I use in almost everything because it is a really cheap way to add a lot of flavor and texture to a dish.
• Garlic of course I buy and use in bulk
  • Seasonings like thyme, salt and pepper etc.. should be used sparingly at the beginning
  • I don’t add a lot of this if I’m adding ham since that has enough natural salts in it

My favorite brand of beans to use is Hurst Beans as they just do really really well when they’re cooked up in the Instant Pot. (and if you add in a dash or two of lemon juice, it really adds a fun zest to this soup recipe as well)

Variations

• Diced or sliced onions, raw will add more texture
• Shredded Cheese, sharp cheddar is probably our favorite for this
• Chives can be diced up
• Fresh Cilantro is always better than dried, and prettier
• Chopped Jalapeños can add some real heat to the dish. Add in when cooking or at the end as a topping.
• Hot Sauce like Tobasco or Sriracha can make this spicy vs. mild.

Do you have to soak 15 beans before cooking?

Not if you use your pressure cooker! You can rinse, throw them right in with some water or broth and let them soften in about an hour. With a natural release you can then make a whole meal with them or serve as a side dish.

To make things easier I have created this free printable Instant Pot beans cook time sheet. It lists all different types of dry beans and how long it takes to soften them. Timing will be slightly subjective according to how soft you want them but it is a good gage to start with. Always naturally release at the end for best results.

I’ve been guilty of even adding in a seasoning packet or two to see how much of those unique flavors get soaked up by the beans. (Let me tell you that the beans really latch on to all added seasonings and chicken broth as well!)

This 15 bean soup mix isn’t hard to make at all which is probably why it’s one of my family-favorite soups to make. Anytime I can take a recipe that’s loaded down with healthy beans and ingredients and get the kids to eat it as well, I’m counting that as dinnertime win. 

I also like to add in some diced tomatoes and a ham bone or leftover ham from the night before to make the flavors and texture even more hearty than it already is. (and if you add in those ingredients, this is the perfect excuse to whip up some homemade cornbread, too!)

If you’re worried about cooking your beans in the Instant Pot, don’t be. I promise it’s a crazy-simple recipe to make. I’ve been using my pressure cookers for YEARS and it’s never let me down on this recipe yet. 

Just like with any Instant Pot or Ninja Foodi recipe, know the correct minute cook time before getting started so that you can plan accordingly. Then follow the simple directions (listed below), add the ingredients, lock the lid and let the Instant Pot take over, and create dinner for you! 

Pay close attention to when to remove the lid and also when to do the quick release. As the Instant Pot releases pressure, you don’t want to rush the process. If you do this might affect the outcome of the texture of the beans. 

Keep in mind that even though this might be a “bean soup” in the title, you can easily add in meat. This is one of the reasons that I LOVE this recipe. It is super versatile and I can use what I have on hand at the time.

I also like to add on fun toppings as well. Soup toppings that tend to go really well with this soup are: And anything else that you’re craving and wanting to add. Just set these ingredients out so that everyone else can dress up their own bowl. 

If you’re ready for a simple soup recipe this is it. You can easily make in time for your dinner table tonight. Healthy, hearty, and delish, this Instant Pot 15 Bean Soup needs to be on your radar now.

Not only is it perfect for the cold weather, but it really does warm your your belly right up. My kids love it no matter what proteins I throw in there. Since I hate wasting food I have tried it all. Diced up steak and/or ham are our favorites though.

Then, when you’re craving any of our Instant Pot soup recipes again, just unthaw and enjoy! There is a chance that the beans might be a bit mushy at this point but it doesn’t affect the flavor at all!

Other Pressure Cooker Soups with Dry Beans

Here are a few more pressure cooking recipes that take no time at all compared to the stovetop. Or Ninja Foodi soup recipes you’ll enjoy because all the brands basically work the same way;

1. The one above is our pressure cooker sausage soup. With some softened kale and northern beans, it’s full of awesome flavors.
2. It only takes 17 minutes to make homemade Instant Pot split pea soup. From dry to creamy and smooth for dinner, it’s great with homemade rolls.
3. Then try our Crockpot loaded baked potato soup. If you have any more meat after the holidays that needs to be used up this is a great one to add all the things into.

Looking for other ideas to make this week while it is chilly outside? We have tons on our site like Instant Pot black bean soup too!  Whoever said that soup was just a side dish was and is crazy. We serve it as a hearty dinner all the time I tell you.

This soup recipe is one that is perfect any time of the year. It can be the real MVP during those cold, winter days!