Smoky Navy Bean Soup (Instant Pot)

A bowl of instant pot navy bean soup on top of a plate with ingredients and garnishes around it on the table.

Smoky Navy Bean Soup (Instant Pot)

Instant Pot Navy Bean Soup makes a hearty main dish soup perfect to warm you up on cooler days. It's packed with chunky vegetables, tender white navy beans, and a rich, smoky flavor. A vegetarian soup that's filling on its own or you can add some ham for flavor and bits of meat. There's no soaking required for the dried beans and cooks up in about an hour.

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Course: Main Course, Soup

Cuisine: American

Keyword: instant pot navy bean soup, navy bean soup recipe

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 30

Total Time: 40

Servings: - 8 servings

Calories: 313kcal

Author: Lyn Croyle

Ingredients

Soup Base

1 tablespoon coconut oil or other vegetable oil
1 medium onion chopped
1 carrot sliced
2 stalks celery chopped
3-4 cloves garlic minced
½ - 1 chipotle with adobo sauce chopped, about 1 tablespoon
1 pound dried navy beans
8 cups broth (chicken, vegetable, or beef)
2 bay leaf
6 ounces fresh greens spinach, kale, or arugula
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
Salt and pepper to taste see notes

Optional Flavors

Ham hocks leftover ham bone, or chopped diced ham
White miso adds flavor for vegetarian soup
1-2 drops Liquid smoke or another ½ teaspoon smoked paprika adds smoky flavor for vegetarian or ham-free soup

Instructions

Heat the oil using the saute setting of your Instant Pot. Add onion, carrot and celery to the Instant pot. Cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and chipotle, cook one minute more.
Add beans, broth, and bay leaf. If you’re using the ham hocks or ham bone you can add it at this point. Cover with lid and cook on high pressure for 30 minutes.
Allow the heat to release naturally for about 15 minutes and then open the lid.
Remove bay leaf and ham bone or ham hock if you used it. Stir the greens and smoked paprika into soup. The leaves should wilt in just a few minutes.
If you’re using miso, diced ham, liquid smoke or smoked paprika add it now. Stir to dissolve the miso. Heat long enough to warm up the diced ham.
Add salt and pepper to taste.

Recipe Tips

Soaking Beans: If you prefer to soak your beans to improve digestibility, soak them overnight in salted water. Rinse the next day and then continue cooking. Be sure to taste before adding the salt and add it in increments. Soaking them in salted water helps them cook better.

Salt: The amount of salt will depend on whether you’re using any form of ham or white miso. Also, using bouillon rather than broth will make the soup saltier. I find 1 teaspoon of salt and a half teaspoon of black pepper is adequate if your not adding miso or ham.

Nutrition: The nutritional facts are based on the recipe as written and do not include any of the optional flavors or variations.

Nutrition