This Instant Pot Navy Bean Soup recipe combines warming broth, rich, salty bacon, hearty navy beans, celery, carrot, and fresh herbs for an easy, delicious dinner everyone will love that's ready in under an hour!
Why You'll Love This Dish
It's quick! Using a pressure cooker for this Instant Pot soup cuts your cooking time significantly. Dry beans normally take a long time to cook, but with this method, you'll pressure cook them in no time at all.
It's super easy. This hearty navy bean soup is perfect for weeknights because the pressure cooker really does the work for you. Make this soup anytime you're low on time but want something healthy, filling, and delicious.
Much like split pea soup, ham and bean soup reminds me of my childhood. This might be the best part about this soup for me. Nostalgia holds a big place in my culinary heart, and this recipe is no exception.
Finally, there's no need to soak the beans. You can do a quick soak or soak them overnight, if you'd like, but the final texture of the soup will be a bit one note.
It really is, at heart, a simple soup, so I recommend you use your Instant Pot to your advantage and skip the soak.
Jump to:
What You'll Need
- Dried Navy Beans I don't recommend using canned beans as they'll fall apart. Dried beans are economical and last forever, so grab a bag the next time you're at the store. You can also use dried cannellini beans or Great Northerns.
- Chicken Broth or Vegetable Broth Either will work well. Use vegetable broth for a strictly vegetable soup. You can use your favorite bouillon, too, if you prefer.
- Onion Sweet or yellow onion are best here.
- Garlic Fresh garlic is always my preference, but feel free to use jarred garlic as well.
- Carrots or baby carrots
- Celery
- Bay Leaves You can omit bay leaves if you can't find them.
- Dried Thyme and Rosemary Both thyme and rosemary are welcome additions. Use one or both! You can also try Herbs de Provence.
- Salt Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt is my brand of choice. It coats food evenly and is less salty than traditional table salt by volume, making it much easier to taste as you go!
- Pepper Fresh cracked pepper is delicious here.
Optional Ingredients
- Bacon or Ham You can use bacon or 2 cups of diced ham. If you're using ham for the soup, use leftover ham or cooked ham. A ham bone or ham hock would add wonderful flavor, too.
- Red Wine Vinegar A tiny bit of vinegar really wakes up the flavor of the soup.
- Chili Flake Again, just a pinch of chili flake goes a long way.
- Parmesan Cheese One of my favorite additions to any soup, parmesan, pecorino, or romano would add a lovely salty-savory note to the finished soup.
- Parsley or another soft, fresh herb like basil
How to Make Instant Pot Navy Bean Soup
Step One Chop your carrot, celery, onion, and garlic. See photos below for guidance on size. Slice your bacon.
Step Two Heat your Instant Pot using the sauté function. After a minute or two, add the olive oil and the bacon or ham, if using. Cook for a few minutes.
Step Three Add the carrots, onion, and celery and cook for a few minutes until the onion is softened, stirring occasionally.
Step Four Add the garlic and dry spices (rosemary, thyme, chili flake, bay leaves, salt and pepper) and cook for another 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until fragrant.
Step Five Add beans and broth. Scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to lift any browned bits.
Step Six Secure the Instant Pot lid. Cook on high pressure for 40 minutes. Release the pressure using the quick release method. You could also naturally release pressure, but it will take a bit longer.
Step Seven Carefully remove the lid. Stir in the vinegar and serve right away with fresh herbs like parsley or basil and a healthy serving of grated parmesan!
FAQ
The bacon and/or ham suggested in this recipe will impart lots of flavor into the soup. Other suggestions include parmesan cheese, some red pepper flake, a dash of vinegar, and fresh herbs.
Be sure to taste for seasoning--sometimes a bit more salt is all you need.
Great Northern beans are larger than navy beans, hold their shape well, and have a nutty, firm flesh. Navy beans tend to adopt the taste of the dish they are cooked in and are a bit softer in texture.
You can! Try any variety of dried white bean in this soup, such as cannellini beans or Great northern beans.
This dish freezes very well. See the "How to Store" section above for details.
Absolutely! This particular recipe stores very well in the refrigerator and the freezer. Cool the soup completely, then store for 3 to 4 days in the fridge or up to 3 months in the freezer.
Variations
More Vegetables Try stirring in some Swiss chard or spinach at the end!
Tomato Base In place of a plain chicken broth base, add a small tin of canned tomatoes along with the broth.
Creamy Replace one cup of broth with one cup of cream for a richer, more decadent soup.
How to Store
Fridge You can store this navy bean soup for 3 to 4 days in the fridge. Reheat on the stove by bringing up to a boil and down to a simmer, or reheat in the microwave for a few minutes.
Freezer Once the soup is cooled completely, store it in an airtight, freezer-safe container such as a gallon freezer bag for up to 3 months.
Defrost overnight in the fridge and then reheat on the stovetop. Bring up to a boil and down to a simmer before serving.
How to Serve
This Instant Pot bean soup can definitely be a meal unto itself. Below are some ideas for how to fill out your dinner table:
Toast Try this Air Fryer Toast, which includes directions for a garlicky crostini as well!
Salad A simple side salad is a great option here.
Rolls These Instant Pot Dinner Rolls are a wonderful addition to this meal.
Roasted Vegetables Looking for a warm vegetable side? Try this Roasted Tenderstem Broccoli or these Roasted Cherry Tomatoes on the Vine.
Expert Tips
- Rendering your bacon or ham will add a lot of flavor to the soup. Just add a bit of olive oil so they don’t stick to the pot.
- Taste your food! Once the soup is finished, taste for seasoning. Does it need a bit more salt? Being sure to taste before serving will improve your final dish.
- Added salt and things are still a bit bland? Whenever I encounter this problem, fresh herbs, dairy, and acid are your friends! Try adding a handful of basil or parsley, a sprinkling of parmesan, and even a squeeze of lemon.
More Recipes You'll Love
Looking for more soup recipes? Try the suggestions below!
Instant Pot Chicken Stew is a favorite in our house, as is Instant Pot Tortellini Soup. We love Greek Chickpea Soup when we're trying to eat less meat, and this Chicken and Cabbage Soup is incredibly flavorful!
If you want to try another warming Instant Pot recipe, this Instant Pot Round Steak is creamy and delicious.
📖 Recipe
Instant Pot Navy Bean Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil extra virgin
- 1 small onion yellow or sweet
- 2 carrots medium
- 2 stalks celery
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 pound navy beans dried, or other small dried beans like cannellini beans, great northern beans, or lima beans
- 2 quarts chicken broth or vegetable broth
- ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- kosher salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
Optional
- 4 slices bacon or 2 cups cooked, diced ham
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 pinch red pepper flake
- parsley or basil, to garnish
- parmesan cheese to garnish
Instructions
- Chop the carrot, celery, and onion. Finely chop the garlic. Slice the bacon.
- Set the Instant Pot to the sauté function. Let heat for a minute or two. Add the olive oil and the bacon or ham (if using).
- Cook for about 2 to 5 minutes, until most of the fat has rendered.
- Add the carrots, onion, and celery. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until the onion is softened.
- Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute.
- Add the beans, broth, and dry seasonings - rosemary and thyme, salt, pepper, chili flake (if using).
- Secure the lid. Set the Instant Pot to high pressure for 35 minutes.
- Once the soup has finished cooking, manually release the pressure. Carefully remove the lid, stir in the red wine vinegar, and serve with fresh herbs like parsley or basil and a sprinkling of freshly grated parmesan.
Notes
- Fridge You can store this navy bean soup for 3 to 4 days in the fridge. Reheat on the stove by bringing up to a boil and down to a simmer, or reheat in the microwave for a few minutes.
- Freezer Once the soup is cooled completely, store it in an airtight, freezer-safe container such as a gallon freezer bag for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge and then reheat on the stovetop. Bring up to a boil and down to a simmer before serving.
- The estimated calories for this dish include 4 strips of bacon.
- Rendering your bacon or ham will add a lot of flavor to the soup. Just add a bit of olive oil so they doesn’t stick to the pot.
- Taste your food! Once the soup is finished, taste for seasoning. Does it need a bit more salt? Being sure to taste before serving will improve your final dish.
Elena says
This soup was just wonderful. Delicious and comforting. Perfect for a cold weeknight. Thank you for sharing!
Genevieve says
Thanks for the kind words, Elena!
Journa Liz Ramirez says
Never thought that navy bean soup can be so good like this! It is so hearty, rich, and comforting. Love to have this on repeat. Thanks Gen, I enjoyed your recipe, must-try!
Genevieve says
Thank you, Journa!
Traci says
What a delicious recipe! This was perfect today it was chilly and this hit the spot thank you!
Genevieve says
I'm happy to hear it! Thanks Traci!
Sharina says
This soup is a new favorite comfort food! It is so simple and quick to make, it is also so hearty and satisfying. Love to have this again. Highly recommended!
Genevieve says
That's fantastic! Thank you, Sharina.
Shelby says
The bacon in this soup was a nice surprise and adds the perfect amount of salt!
Genevieve says
So glad you enjoyed it, Shelby!
Kris says
The savory flavors here were delish and so hearty and comforting. Thank you for another winner! 🙂
Genevieve says
Thanks Kris!
Jenn says
It is soup season and this hearty soup is my new favorite! Loved the bacon in it!
Genevieve says
Isn't that bacon good? Thanks Jenn!
Jere Cassidy says
Glad to find this bean soup recipe. I am still trying to get everything right with my IP and your instructions were very helpful and the soup is delicious.
Genevieve says
I'm happy to hear it, Jere! Thank you.
Dana says
I love making soups in the instant pot, it makes things so easy. I really loved the flavors of this soup, comfort in a bowl!
Genevieve says
Thanks so much, Dana!