Instant Pot White Bean and Ham Soup | Page 2

Prep Time

10 minutes

Cook Time

20 minutes

Total Time

30 minutes

Servings

8 servings

On a January Sunday afternoon, nobody really wants to spend two hours in the kitchen. This is exactly where this soup finds its place. It makes a great impression without complicating your life, and the Instant Pot does most of the work while you enjoy yourself.

Final result — A hearty bowl of white bean and ham soup, comforting and golden, perfect for weeknights.

The broth has that deep amber hue, between copper and honey, that you normally associate with hours of slow simmering. The cannellini beans are meltingly tender, creamy on the tongue without having lost their shape. You can smell the thyme and bay leaf even before dipping your spoon — that scent of herbs and sweet smoke that fills the entire kitchen. The turkey ham cubes have melted into the broth, tender as if they had been watched over all morning.

Why you’ll love this recipe

✓It looks like hours of work : The pressure infuses flavors at a speed that an ordinary pot cannot match. Your guests will think you started this morning. You don’t need to tell them otherwise.

✓Just one appliance from start to finish : You sauté, you press, you serve. No extra pots, no transferring boiling liquid. Cleanup is almost nothing.

✓You control exactly what goes inside : Low-sodium broth, selected herbs, salt adjusted at the end. No hidden additives, unlike canned soups that have a never-ending list of ingredients.

✓It’s better the next day : Prepare it the day before if you have guests. In the fridge, flavors continue to blend and the broth thickens slightly. It’s one of those dishes that benefits from sleeping overnight.

Ingredient Notes

All ingredients gathered: white beans, turkey ham, fresh vegetables, and aromatic herbs.

Smoked turkey ham : This is the soul of the soup. Get a thick slice that you cut yourself into cubes of about 2 cm — pre-packaged dice are often too small and fall apart during pressure cooking. The smoked version brings that depth of flavor the broth needs to not taste thin.
Canned cannellini beans : Two 425g cans, rinsed under cold water until the water runs clear. Dried beans give the same result but take hours — here it’s really not necessary. Avoid cans in a thick, very salty juice.
Low-sodium chicken broth : The liquid base decides if the soup is good or not. Use a quality broth, homemade if you have some, otherwise store-bought with few ingredients. ‘Low sodium’ is important: it lets you adjust the salt yourself at the end, rather than inheriting a soup already too salty before you’ve even tasted it.
Carrots, celery, and orange bell pepper : The orange bell pepper is a real game-changer compared to a green one. It melts slightly and brings a natural sweetness that balances the smoky-salty side of the ham. Cut all vegetables into regular pieces — not too small or they will disappear completely into the broth.
Thyme, rosemary, marjoram, and oregano : These four herbs together create that aromatic base that gives the impression of a long-simmered soup. Marjoram is the one people recognize the least but always smell — it brings a slight floral sweetness. Dried or fresh, both work. No need for precision measuring.

Why I always start by browning the ham

Many Instant Pot recipes tell you to put everything in the pot and press the button. It’s tempting. But you’re missing something important. When the turkey ham cubes cook first in hot olive oil, the surface caramelizes slightly — you hear that characteristic sizzle as soon as they touch the hot metal, and that’s a good sign. The juices that settle at the bottom will dissolve into the broth and give it a depth you won’t get otherwise. Two to three minutes are enough. The onion comes next, and the smell that rises is exactly that of good family cooking in winter.

What water does in a broth-based soup

Most people don’t understand why we add water in addition to the broth in an already aromatic soup. In the Instant Pot, it’s different from the stove. The valve keeps all the steam inside — the liquid doesn’t evaporate. Adding a little water also protects the bottom of the pot and avoids the ‘Burn’ error message the device displays when it detects something starting to stick. A small detail, but it avoids opening a lid halfway through with a half-cooked soup and a smoking kitchen.

Five minutes under pressure, then we wait — that’s where everything happens

The timer shows five minutes. In reality, count twenty to twenty-five minutes from start to finish including pressure buildup, the cooking itself, and natural depressurization. It’s still much less than an hour on the stove. Natural depressurization — ten minutes without touching the valve — is essential. It prevents the beans from bursting and the vegetables from turning into mush. The carrots keep a slight bite. The celery remains present. The broth becomes dense and coating, with a brown-amber shade like light caramel.

How to adapt the soup to what’s in the fridge

This is a recipe that tolerates a lot of improvisation. Zucchini cubes instead of bell pepper work well. A can of crushed tomatoes for a more acidic and colorful broth, too. You can add small diced potatoes for a thicker and more filling soup — in this case, slightly reduce the broth. What doesn’t change: the smoked turkey ham and herbs. That’s the foundation. Without them, it’s no longer the same soup, just a vegetable soup.

Tips & Tricks

Taste the broth after opening the lid, before adding salt. The turkey ham is already salty, and the broth concentrated under pressure — often there’s almost nothing to correct, or just a bit of pepper.
To thicken the soup without starch, mash a good ladleful of beans against the side of the pot with the back of a spoon, then stir. The released starch naturally binds the broth and gives it that velvety feel we look for in a winter soup.
Crumbled turkey bacon as a garnish isn’t just decorative — it adds a crunchy texture that contrasts with the softness of the beans. Grill it dry in a pan until firm and slightly blackened on the edges, not just warm.

Close-up on the melting beans and tender ham, coated in a golden and fragrant broth.

FAQs

Can I use dried beans instead of canned?

Yes, but you must soak them overnight in plenty of cold water. Then, increase the pressure cooking time to 25-30 minutes and add an extra 300ml of water. The result is similar, but honestly, cans are more than enough for this recipe.

How to store leftovers and for how long?

The soup keeps for up to 5 days in the refrigerator in an airtight container. It also freezes very well for 3 months — freeze in individual portions to thaw only what you need.