Our healthy Instant Pot sausage soup with beans recipe is packed with flavor using ground sausage, dry Great Northern beans, tomatoes and kale. Made from scratch (with a canned beans option) you’ll love this homemade meal for dinner.
Today we made this pressure cooker sausage soup with kale and it was delicious! Are you ready for some more easy Instant Pot recipes to cook this week? It’s the winter months now so I am focused on soup for dinner, eating healthier, and meals with a ton of flavor!
If you’re new to this you’re in for a surprise as it cooks dry beans in no time and pasta in 10 minutes. Want it done faster, you could use canned Great Northern beans instead which would cut the cook time to just ten minutes too but I prefer to start from scratch whenever possible.
You can use your Crockpot Express, IP or make as a Ninja Foodi recipe too. All electric machines like this basically work the same. Choose dried beans or canned for this one, only difference is the cook time but both are fast.
I used dry beans that were cooked to tender perfection in an hour. Grabbed some fresh kale from the produce department and I was ready. It was a bite of comfort food that we’ll make over and over again. This is how I make Instant Pot soup recipes in a fraction of the time.
Ingredient Notes
You are going to want to pick up a bag dry Great Northern Beans which is the type we used and the cook time below will reflect that type. White beans would be the same. I wouldn’t go with kidney as they take longer and feel too firm.
Can you use canned beans?
Yes, you could start with canned beans instead but I personally think it’s pretty cool to go from hard as a rock to tender perfectly cooked bites in really no time at all. If you decided to start with cans you would just start at step 2 instead.
Chicken broth or stock is the best liquid to use to add lots of flavor. Don’t use water or it won’t be as flavorful.
Ground spicy Italian ground sausage is best. Kielbasa cut into dials work or slices of venison sausage is great too, or use half mild and half spicy
You will want a bit of Olive oil or avocado oil is needed to saute the meat in the first step.
You want to add some Crushed tomatoes, canned are easy to find at the store. It creates a bit of texture with a rich sauce
Your Onions should be diced fine, either white or yellow are best. This can be omitted if you are really against them of course.
The fresh kale I will submerge at the end to soften just a bit to add a lot of texture and nutrition to the dish, this is optional. I like to add Oregano and Garlic to add flavor too.
How Long to Cook Sausage Soup in Instant Pot
If you want to make with canned beans I suggest that you use the same type but in cans and that you drain them before adding. This way you can instead make this same meal in 10 minutes flat. You would instead start at step 2 instead of 1 in this case.
When using dry beans you’ll do the same steps we did when making Chili With Dried Beans. You will start by rinsing them to remove debris, then add to the pot with 6 cups of water. Push bean setting for 60 minutes followed by a quick release. Drain tender beans and set aside, then move to step 2 where you add olive oil into pot and set to saute.
How long does it take to cook dry beans in Instant Pot?
If you haven’t yet used your pressure cooker to turn dry beans into tender beans in just about an hour you are going to be amazed (with NO soaking required)!! Until I got this “magic pot” I had never bought a bag like this because it intimidated me, not anymore. Instant Pot Cooking Times for Beans just needs water and less than 60 minutes to get done.
When do you add the kale?
If you want to add kale add it to the top and gently submerge into the liquid once the beans are done and tender. I suggest that the pieces are large bite size pieces, and the same size so they cook evenly and are easy to eat. Pressure cook on step 6 at high function for 10 minutes. Do a quick release when done, stir, and serve with parmesan cheese on top.
How to Serve
Ok so if you ask me this is a complete meal where you have protein, legumes and vegetables all in one. I just serve this as is (with parmesan cheese on top) most of the time but occasionally if I am really craving a bit of bread with it I will make some quick sour cream biscuits to serve on the side and call it a day. 😉
Instant Pot Sausage Soup Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb sausage, roll, spicy variety is great
- 1/2 small onion , diced
- 16 oz Northern beans, dry or canned can be used
- 6 cup water, if using dry beans this is necessary
- 4 cup chicken broth
- 28 oz crushed tomatoes, I used canned
- 1 tbsp garlic, I used minced, jarred
- 1 tsp oregano, dried
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, for topping, optional
- 3 cup kale, fresh, cut into chunks
Instructions
- If using dry Northern beans put them in your Instant Pot with 6 c. water and set to the bean setting for 60 minutes, do a quick release, drain and set aside. If you're using canned beans refer to notes below and skip this step.
- Set your pressure cooker to saute and add a bit of olive oil, your sausage and diced onion. Cook until sausage is no longer pink. Turn pot OFF/Cancel.
- Add spices and mix with meat and onions.
- Pour in can of crushed tomatoes, beans either canned or dry (that you “cooked” earlier and drained), and chicken broth. Stir.
- Cut stem off fresh kale and cut into chunks (2×2″ or so).
- Put into pressure cooker and push down into the liquid, gently mix a bit so they are submerged. Close lid and steam valve.
- Set Instant Pot to high pressure for 10 minutes (8 minutes if you want your kale to have a bit of “bite” to it and not be super soft).
- Do a quick release and can serve with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese on top if desired.
Video
Notes
If using canned beans
If you want to use canned beans you will still want 16 oz. Drain the cans first and then skip step 1 above. Start with step 2 instead and follow along from there with the same cook time as listed above in step 7.Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
A side of rolls or pull apart bread is a great addition too. If you decide to use canned beans, drain them and start at step 3. Now I even have a Crockpot tortellini soup that is similar if you want to give that one a whirl too! I do love my slow cooker and some nights it is a necessity.
Other dry bean pressure cooker recipes you’ll love
Here are a few others we’ve made so far, this one is yet another: They are all easy Instant Pot dinner recipes everyone loves. We love our healthy Instant Pot split pea soup for dinner but my kids love Instant Pot beans and franks even more.
Make our tasty instant pot ham and beans which uses the same Signature Select beans you see here. You can use the same to make our NO soak Instant Pot baked beans
My Foodi doesn’t have a bean setting, what do I set it to? It sounds so yummy for our cold weather coming soo.
Thanks
Use high with lid that is not attached with a natural release, timing is https://temeculablogs.com/instant-pot-cooking-times-for-beans/
What do you mean by “Close lid and steam valve.” Do you mean, set the valve to “sealing”?
Close to sealing yes
I am looking to use vegetarian “sausage” instead of regular. Do you know if the sausage should be added towards the end? I didn’t know if it would totally break down as it cooks very fast.
I soaked my beans overnight. How long do I need to cook them before adding the remaining ingredients? Thank you!
I haven’t done it that way but if I were to venture a guess I would add your beans, cover with water and put in for 5 min with natural release for 15 min or so. Let me know if that works well.
What an easy, healthy meal! My entire family loved it, this recipe will be going into my recipe files.
So glad you loved it.
I wish I had a bowl of this right now! Definitely adding this to my Instant Pot lineup!
All of these ingredients are PERFECT together! Sausage, Northern beans, and kale — all the yes’s! Not to mention the crazy fast cook time. Such a dinnertime win!
Yes, crazy fast.