Mixed Bean and Ham Hock Soup
This simple & delicious mixed bean and ham hock soup is the perfect meal for a cozy night in. This tasty bean soup Instant Pot recipe offers easy prep, minimal cleanup, and includes Instant Pot, Slow Cooker, & Dutch oven instructions!
Table of Contents
What Makes This Recipe Great
I love this bean and ham hock soup because it requires so little active prep work. You simply soak the beans in water overnight (I usually do it for about 24 hours), chop up a few veggies, add all the ingredients to the Instant Pot, and let it cook! You can even make it in your slow cooker or Dutch oven!
Hello, affordable meal! This bean soup Instant pot recipe can easily feed 6 people and costs less than $10.
Ingredient Notes
- Dry Mixed Beans: This is super easy to find at your local grocery store!
- Olive Oil: You could also use Avocado Oil.
- Carrot, Yellow Onion, Celery: I buy these and cut them myself, but keep your eye out for a mirepoix mix (which is these three veggies already pre-cut!). Trader Joe’s sells a great one!
- Garlic: Feel free to use garlic cloves or minced garlic from a jar.
- Chicken Stock: Chicken broth or chicken bone broth will also work.
- Smoked Ham Hocks: You can find these in your local grocery meat section, at the butcher counter, or wherever you buy your meat.
- Salt/Pepper: Use this to your taste.
Recipe Step by Step
Bean Soup Instant Pot Recipe with SOAKED Beans
- Add all the soaked beans and raw ingredients to your instant pot/pressure cooker and pressure cook on HIGH for 5 minutes, followed by a quick release.
Bean Soup Instant Pot Recipe with UNSOAKED Beans
- Add your unsoaked beans and 8 cups of chicken stock to the instant pot/pressure cooker and pressure cook on HIGH for 60 minutes, followed by a quick release.
- Open the lid, add all the remaining raw ingredients to the cooked beans and chicken stock, then pressure cook on HIGH for another 5 minutes, followed by a quick release.
Alternative Cooking Methods
Dutch Oven
- Soak the Beans: Soak the dried beans in cold water for at least 12 hours, removing any debris that floats to the top. (See Recipe Notes below for a quick soak method).
- Saute the Veggies: Heat a dutch oven (or large soup pot) over medium heat. Add in the olive oil, carrots, celery, and onion with just a pinch of salt until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Then, add in the garlic, cooking until fragrant for another minute. Add in the chicken stock and ham hocks. Strain the beans from the water and add them to the soup.
- Cook: If you are cooking on the stove, reduce heat to a simmer and cook uncovered for 3 hours.
- Skim the Fat: After the soup is done cooking, skim any fat from the top of the soup if desired. Remove the ham hocks, and shred any ham meat. Add the ham meat back to the soup, and discard the skin, bone, and any fat. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
- Serve: Serve warm immediately with your favorite bread or by itself.
Slow Cooker
- Add all the soaked beans and raw ingredients to your slow cooker and cook on LOW for 8 hours or HIGH for 4 hours.
Expert Tips
Quick Soak for Beans: If you don’t have time to soak your beans overnight, you can do a “quick soak” by cooking the beans in unsalted boiling water for 5 minutes, then covering, turning off the heat, and allowing them to sit for 1-2 hours.
FAQs
Store bean and ham hock soup leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator and eat within 1 week.
Leftovers can be frozen in an airtight container for at least 6 months.
Must-Try Soup Recipes
Did you love this recipe? Thank you! Please give this recipe a star rating and leave a review below. I respond to every one! Be sure to follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok, and Facebook. Tag me if you try a recipe!
Mixed Bean and Ham Hock Soup
Ingredients
- 20 ounce bag mixed dried beans
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 medium carrots, chopped
- 3 ribs of celery, chopped
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 8 cups chicken stock
- 2 smoked ham hocks
- salt and pepper to taste
Equipment
Instructions
- In a large bowl, soak the dried beans in cold water for at least 12 hours, removing any debris that floats to the top. I usually soak mine for 24 hours. (See Recipe Notes below for a quick soak method)
- Heat a dutch oven (or large soup pot) over medium heat. Add in the olive oil, carrots, celery and onion with just a pinch of salt until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add in the garlic, cooking until fragrant for another minute. Add in the chicken stock and ham hocks. Strain the beans from the water and add to the soup. Do not add in any more salt since the beans absorb the salt and can get too salty. I recommend seasoning with salt at the end of cooking.
- If you are cooking on the stove, reduce heat to a simmer and cook uncovered for 3 hours.
- After the soup is done cooking, skim any fat from the top of the soup if desired. Remove the ham hocks, and shred any ham meat. Add the ham meat back to the soup, discard the skin, bone and any fat. Taste and season for salt and pepper.
- Serve warm immediately. Will keep an an airtight container for 1 week.
- See the Recipe Notes below for more tips, FAQ's and ingredient substitutions.
Notes
- Add all the soaked beans and raw ingredients to your slow cooker and cook on LOW for 8 hours or HIGH for 4 hours.
Bean Soup Instant Pot Recipe with SOAKED Beans
- Add all the soaked beans and raw ingredients to your instant pot/pressure cooker and pressure cook on HIGH for 5 minutes, followed by a quick release.
Bean Soup Instant Pot Recipe with UNSOAKED Beans
- Add your unsoaked beans and 8 cups of chicken stock to the instant pot/pressure cooker and pressure cook on HIGH for 60 minutes, followed by a quick release.
- Open the lid, add all the remaining raw ingredients to the cooked beans and chicken stock, then pressure cook on HIGH for another 5 minutes, followed by a quick release.
71 Comments on “Mixed Bean and Ham Hock Soup”
I loved it! I had to send a friend for the ingredients and he got pork hocks. Not the same as smoked ham hocks.
Love the variety of beans. Easy to make and under $10 as of 11.17.2020
I am so glad you liked my bean and ham hock soup John! It’s good to know it was still delicious with pork hocks. It is a very budget friendly meal! :)
If you do quickmethod how does it affect slow cooker time?
Thanks for the question on my bean and hamhock soup Margaret. When you refer to the “quick method” do you mean a quick soak of the beans? You would bring the water to a boil, add beans, remove from heat and let it set for 1 hour. I just prefer to soak mine overnight on the counter. If you do the quick method it does not change the length of time you cook in the crockpot. You would cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 hours.
I’m wondering what the serving size is??  Re:  to get the pro. Fat and carb count that you’ve included.  I didn’t see that.  Thank you !!!
It serves 6! So 1/6th of the soup : )
Absolutely Delicious. Turned out Great. Only thing I did different from the recipe was I used the 3 cups of liquid i had left in the crock pot after cooking the ham, and just subtracted that 3 cups from the chicken stock called for. Making this again this week. Thank you so much for the Awesome Recipe.
Yea! So glad you liked it Tiffany! Thanks for taking the time to let me know : )
I did not use this recipe but it is the same recipe I use from my head….it is so amazing and nutritious!
Thanks Susan! Love this soup!
I just finished preparing this soup and it is cooking right now. It tastes amazing already…. Can’t wait to share this pot with my friends tonight. It was easy to prepare, Thank you for such easy to follow directions.
Connie
I am so glad you liked it Constance! And thanks for taking the time to let me know you liked my recipe. You just made my day! Hope your friends enjoyed it too. Such a favorite in our house, especially on rainy Sundays : )
The last mixed bean soup recipe I made had tomatoes …. sounded good …. but I had to force myself to eat it so as not to WASTE it!!
I am making this recipe today …. looks delicious, and no tomatoes!!!
I was just trolling sites looking for a recipe with actual ham hocks. I make mine with Randall beans from the glass jar, however from time to time I will soak dried beans. Fall is a great time to make soup as I love the smell in the house of home made soup. Thanks for the recipe, I will be referring to it again in the future.
I made this soup for dinner last night and the flavors took me right back to Memaw’s house. As a child, Memaw would make big pots of bean soup and this recipe hit home. This was a perfect dinner for a Fall Kentucky evening served with cornbread. Thanks for sharing. My Kentucky home loved it.
I am so happy to hear that Tammy! We always make this soup for New Year’s Eve. I heard that pork and beans is good luck for the new year. Not sure if it’s true, but a great excuse to make a delicious soup! I love that you served it with cornbread. I am going to have to try that next time. Now you’re making me crave this! I haven’t made it this year yet. Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know you liked my recipe. You just made my day!
Can you tell me the manufacturer and name of the flatware in the picture?
I have been shopping for flatware for some time and it looks nice. Has it
been dishwasher friendly?
Hi Janet! You know, I actually took these pictures at a house we were housesitting last year. I’m not sure who makes the flatware. But it was definitely dishwasher friendly. Sorry I can’t help more : )
Well, I was searching for a hamhock bean soup recipe and I found it. I’m going to make this tonight along with some cornbread. I shared it on Facebook too and found your page there as well. All these creative, amazing ladies that have blogs. I seriously could spend hours just looking at recipes and reading all your blogs. Thank you for sharing! :)
Well, I was searching for a hammock bean sit-up recipe and I found it. I’m going to make this tonight along with some cornbread. I shared it on Facebook too and found your page there as well. All these creative, amazing ladies that have blogs. I seriously could spend hours just looking at recipes and reading all your blogs. Thank you for sharing! :)
Looks great, comfort food for sure! :-) It’s cold and rainy here today and this would be perfect for supper!
check out my recent post, Hot Fudge cake
Michael :-)
http://michaelswoodcraft.wordpress.com/2014/03/17/hot-fudge-sauce-chocolate-cake-and-ice-cream/
wow! such a great and cost-effective soup recipe!
This soup instantly brings back memories of my childhood. My grandparents used to make something very similar and I’m just now realizing how much I miss it. Thanks for sharing :)
This looks super delicious, Natalie! :)
This soup sounds delicious Natalie! I see my Mr. swarming over this because of all of the ham!
I love soups like this so much! But I’m awful and always forget to soak beans–NEED to make this. It looks so delicious!
This soup looks to die for! I am getting bored of the same soups I have made all winter so I will definitely have to give this recipe a try asap!
We have done this before and it is always so good, not to mention healthy! Thanks for sharing!