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Instant Pot Ham and Bean Soup is delicious and easy to make in the Instant Pot, or cook it in a pot on the stove if you prefer. This soup has Southwestern flavors with cumin, green chiles, and and green onion, and there’s an option to include cilantro if you enjoy that.

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Instant Pot Ham and Bean Soup shown in serving bowl with limes, Green Tabasco, and Instant Pot in background

This slightly spicy Instant Pot Ham and Bean Soup is the first soup I made years ago when I had a new stovetop pressure cooker, and now it’s a favorite soup to make in the Instant Pot. You can make the soup with dried pinto beans cooked in the Instant Pot, or save a bit of time and start with canned pinto beans. Either way this soup will be amazing.

Of course when I’m updating photos for a very old recipe, I always try to improve it if I think of changes that will be better than the original version. For this Ham and Bean Soup I increased the amount of diced ham to make a soup that’s lower in carbs! I bet none of my readers are going to mind that.

And we also added some spicy Green Tabasco Sauce to the finished soup for a bit more spicy flavor! Kara and I loved how this soup turned out, and it’s definitely great for a family-friendly dinner.

What ingredients do you need for this recipe?

(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

What kind of dried beans can you use for this ham and bean soup?

I loved this soup using Pinto Beans to go with the spicy Southwestern flavors, but you can use any white or navy beans if you prefer.

Want to cook the dried beans in the Instant Pot or Slow Cooker?

If you’re not a fan of canned beans, you can easily cook dried beans in the slow cooker or in the Instant Pot. You will need to cook about one cup of dried beans to replace the two cans of beans.

Can you make the Ham and Bean Soup without an Instant Pot?

I love the Instant Pot for making soup, but I realize some people are not converts or don’t have an Instant Pot, so I’ll also tell you in the full recipe section how his soup could easily be adapted to cook in a regular pot on the stove.

How can you make this Ham and Bean Soup lower in carbs?

You could make a delicious lower-carb version of this soup using only one can of pinto beans if you prefer.

What if you don’t want cilantro in the Instant Pot Ham and Bean Soup?

If you have the no-cilantro tastebuds, leave out the fresh cilantro or use more thinly sliced green onion.

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Instant Pot Ham and Bean Soup process shot collage

How to make Instant Pot Ham and Bean Soup:

(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

  1. Drain canned beans in a colander placed in the sink. (No need to rinse unless you prefer them rinsed.)
  2. Turn instant Pot to SAUTE, MEDIUM HEAT and heat olive oil.
  3. Add onions and cook until onions start to soften.
  4. Add dried cilantro, ground cumin, and canned green chiles and cook about 2 minutes more.
  5. Then add diced ham, beans, canned tomatoes and liquid, chicken broth, and Goya Ham Flavor Concentrate (or ham rinds if using).
  6. Lock lid and set Instant Pot to MANUAL, HIGH PRESSURE, 3 MINUTES.
  7. Let pressure natural release about 10 minutes, then release remaining pressure using quick-release method.
  8. When all pressure is released, carefully remove lid, remove ham rinds if using, and stir in sliced green onions (and chopped fresh cilantro if using).
  9. Serve hot, garnished with more thinly sliced green onions, Green Tabasco Sauce, and limes to add at the table if desired.

one serving of Instant Pot Ham and Bean Soup in bowl with limes, green Tobasco, and Instant Pot in background

More Favorite Instant Pot Soups:

Weekend Food Prep:

This Instant Pot Ham and Bean Soup recipe has been added to a category called Weekend Food Prep where you’ll find recipes you can prep or cook on the weekend and eat during the week!

Instant Pot Ham and Bean Soup shown in serving bowl with limes, Green Tabasco, and Instant Pot in background
Yield: Makes 6 servings

Instant Pot Ham and Bean Soup

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Additional Time 15 minutes
Total Time 47 minutes

Use the Instant Pot to make this tasty Instant Pot Ham and Bean Soup with Southwestern flavors, or make it on the stove if you prefer.

Ingredients

  • two 15 oz. cans Pinto Beans
  • 2 tsp. olive oil
  • 1 onion, chopped small
  • 2 tsp. ground cumin
  • 1 T dried cilantro (probably optional but recommended)
  • one 4 oz. can diced green chiles
  • 2 1/2 cups diced ham (see notes)
  • one 14 oz. can petite diced tomatoes (not drained)
  • 4 cups chicken broth (see notes)
  • 1 packet Goya Ham Flavor Base
  • 6 green onions, sliced
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
  • Green Tabasco sauce (to add at the table if desired)
  • Limes to squeeze into the soup at the table (optional)

Instructions

To Cook the Soup the Instant Pot:

  1. Drain canned beans in a colander placed in the sink. (No need to rinse unless you prefer them rinsed.)
  2. Turn instant Pot to SAUTE, MEDIUM HEAT and heat the olive oil.
  3. Add onions and saute until onions are starting to soften.
  4. Add dried cilantro, ground cumin, and canned green chiles and cook about 2 minutes more.
  5. Then add diced ham, beans, canned tomatoes and liquid, chicken broth, and Goya Ham Flavor Concentrate (or ham rinds if using).
  6. Lock lid and set to MANUAL, HIGH PRESSURE, 3 MINUTES for Instant Pot.
  7. Let pressure natural release about 10 minutes, then release remaining pressure using quick-release method.
  8. When all pressure is released, carefully remove lid (removing ham rinds if using) and stir in sliced green onions (and chopped fresh cilantro if using).
  9. Serve hot, garnished with thinly sliced green onions if desired.

To Cook the Soup on the Stovetop:

  1. Soak 1 cup pinto beans overnight, then cook on stovetop in a generous amount of water for about 30 minutes, or until beans are tender.
  2. Can also use 2 cans pinto beans, rinsed well before adding to soup.
  3. Saute onion, spices, and green chiles in soup pot same as above.
  4. Add other ingredients as above, but increase chicken stock to 5-6 cups.
  5. Simmer soup at low heat for about 30 minutes, until flavors seem well blended.
  6. Turn off heat and stir in chopped cilantro.

Notes

The 2 1/2 cups of diced ham was a ham steak from Costco that weighed about one pound.

I used my homemade chicken stock, but canned chicken broth will be fine.

Goya Ham Flavor Concentrate (affiliate link) is often sold near Mexican foods. If you have ham rinds you can cook them with the soup and remove instead of using the ham flavor base.

This recipe created by Kalyn.

Nutrition Information

Yield

6

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 277Total Fat 9gSaturated Fat 1gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 5gCholesterol 69mgSodium 1917mgCarbohydrates 22gFiber 6gSugar 7gProtein 30g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.

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Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating (under the PRINT button in the recipe) or share a photo of your results on Instagram! THANKS!

© Kalyn Denny
Category: Instant Pot
Square image for Instant Pot Ham and Bean Soup showing soup in serving bowl with limes on the side and Instant Pot in back.

Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
Instant Pot Ham and Bean Soup is suitable for any phase of the original South Beach Diet. This soup is a bit high in carbs for traditional low-carb diet plans, but you could make a lower-carb soup by using only one can of beans.

Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Instant Pot Recipes to find more recipes like this one. Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.

Historical Notes for this Recipe:
This recipe for Ham and Bean Soup to make in the Instant Pot or on the stove was first posted in 2009. It was last updated with more information and the option to use more ham in 2023.

Pinterest image of Instant Pot Ham and Bean Soup

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