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Instant Pot Navy Bean Soup Recipe

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★★★★★

4.3 from 25 reviews

This hearty Instant Pot Navy Bean Soup is a comforting and flavorful dish packed with tender navy beans, aromatic vegetables, smoky ham hock, and warm spices. Perfect for an easy yet satisfying meal, it combines the richness of ham and fresh herbs with a creamy, lightly blended texture all prepared quickly in the Instant Pot.

Ingredients

Scale

Main Ingredients

  • 1 pound dry navy beans (about 1 ¾ cup)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 cup diced yellow onion (about ½ a medium onion)
  • ⅔ cup sliced celery (about 3 ribs)
  • 1 cup sliced carrot (about 4 large carrots)
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic (about 2 garlic cloves)
  • 1 smoked pork ham hock (about 12 ounces)
  • 4 cups low sodium chicken broth
  • 2 cups water
  • 2 teaspoons dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 bay leaves
  • ¼ cup fresh chopped parsley
  • ½ cup (4 ounces) diced crispy pancetta, optional

Instructions

  1. Prepare the Beans: Add navy beans to a colander. Rinse thoroughly with cold water and drain. Remove any foreign debris by hand. Set aside.
  2. Sauté Vegetables: Set the Instant Pot to the “sauté” setting. Add olive oil and heat until warm. Add the diced onion, sliced carrots, and celery. Cook for about 5 minutes until the onions become translucent.
  3. Add Garlic: Stir in the minced garlic and cook for an additional 1 minute. Press “cancel” to turn off the sauté feature.
  4. Add Remaining Ingredients: Add the rinsed beans to the Instant Pot. Place the ham hock on top. Pour in the low sodium chicken broth and water. Season with dried thyme, cumin, smoked paprika, black pepper, and add bay leaves.
  5. Pressure Cook: Secure the Instant Pot lid and set the valve to the “sealing” position. Pressure cook on high for 40 minutes.
  6. Natural Pressure Release: When cooking is complete, allow the pressure to release naturally for 15 minutes. Then carefully switch the valve to “venting” to manually release any remaining pressure.
  7. Remove Ham Hock and Bay Leaves: Open the lid and discard the bay leaves. Remove the ham hock and place it on a cutting board or plate. Remove any remaining meat from the bone and set aside. Discard the bone and remaining ham hock.
  8. Blend Soup Slightly: Use an immersion blender to lightly blend the soup to thicken it while keeping most beans intact. Alternatively, ladle 1 to 2 cups of soup into a blender, puree until smooth, then return it to the pot and stir to combine.
  9. Add Meat and Parsley: Stir the shredded ham meat and fresh chopped parsley back into the soup.
  10. Serve: Serve the soup warm topped with crispy diced pancetta if desired. Season with salt to taste.

Notes

  • For best results, soak the navy beans overnight or for at least 6 hours before cooking to reduce cooking time and improve digestibility, although this recipe works without soaking.
  • The ham hock imparts a smoky, rich flavor to the soup — you can substitute with smoked ham or a ham bone if preferred.
  • If you don’t have an immersion blender, a regular blender works to puree a portion of the soup to thicken it.
  • For a vegetarian or vegan version, omit the ham hock and pancetta and use vegetable broth instead.
  • Adding crispy pancetta on top adds a delightful salty crunch but can be omitted for a lighter dish.
  • This soup stores well and flavors deepen after a day. Refrigerate leftovers up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

Keywords: Instant Pot soup, Navy bean soup, ham hock soup, easy bean soup, pressure cooker soup, hearty winter soup

Find it online: https://foodiecara.com/instant-pot-navy-bean-soup-recipe/