15-Minute 15-Bean and Ham Soup in the Multi Cooker

Is your family still working your way through a mountain of Easter ham? This week we’ve had ham breakfast biscuits, ham and Swiss paninis, ham, potato and pea frittata. After a few days though, its time to get serious and enlist the mother of all leftover ham recipes: ham and bean soup. Since time got away from me yesterday, I prepared it in my multi cooker. I give you 15-Minute 15-Bean and Ham Soup.

This yummy, hearty, creamy soup is the perfect thing to eat on a rainy day with a loaf of crusty bread or some homemade corn muffins. Even better, its super affordable to prepare using leftover ham and a 1 pound bag of dried 15 bean mix.

If you manage to plan ahead, soak the beans in water in the morning before you leave the house. At dinner time, simply sauté some onions, carrots and celery in the multi cooker, then add in the soaked beans, leftover ham and ham bone, broth and water and set the multi cooker to high pressure for 15 minutes. Once the pressure is released, use the back of your spoon to smash a few of the beans to create a creamy texture, season and serve. So easy!

What if you forgot to soak your beans? No problem — just put the dried beans and water into the multi cooker for 30 minutes. When the timer beeps, release pressure, rinse the beans and start the soup. You’ll still have dinner on the table in under an hour.

What if you don’t have a multi cooker and want to make this in your slow cooker? Thats fine too. Soak the beans overnight, start the soup in the morning and set the slow cooker for 8 hours. No matter how you do it, this recipe is super forgiving and delicious.

Going back to that part about not having a multi cooker (sometimes called an “Instant Pot,” although thats just one brand name) — what are you waiting for? These things are awesome! If you’re not familiar, a multi cooker is a handy little appliance that combines the functions of a slow cooker with the speed of a slow cooker, plus it has a brown/sauté setting and a delayed start timer, making it the most versatile tool ever. I used mine al the time! If you’re interested in getting one, be sure to check back here next week because I’ll be announcing a really cool giveaway I’ve put together for Mother’s Day and my favorite multi cooker is one of the prizes!

The contest will be live starting on Sunday so be sure to check back for details. Its really an amazing prize package…I kind of can’t believe I was able to put it together.

Meanwhile, back to the 15-Minute 15-Bean and Ham Soup recipe. That leftover ham’s days are numbered!

15-Minute 15-Bean and Ham Soup
Makes about 8 one-cup servings

Ingredients:

1 pound bag of dried 15-bean mix
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
1 celery stalks, diced
1 large clove of garlic, minced
1 pound of cooked, diced ham plus the ham bone( if available)
4 cups unsalted chicken broth or stock
2 cups water
1 bay leaf
Salt & Pepper to taste

Instructions:

Soaking Dried Beans

1. Pick through beans and discard any debris. Rinse beans and combine 6 cups of water. Soak beans for 8 hours or overnight – OR – place in a multi cooker and close the lid. Lock the lid, move valve to sealing and cook on Manual for 30 minutes.
2. When the bean soak cycle is done, and you hear the beep sound, click the Cancel/Keep Warm button. Let NPR for 10 minutes, and then QR until all the pressure is out.
3. Open lid, transfer beans to a colander and rinse under fresh water.

Instant Pot Soup Instructions

1.  Press the “saute/brown” button on the multi cooker, and add the oil, onion, carrot, celery and garlic to the pot. Cook stirring occasionally for 5 minutes. (This is an optional step.).
2. Add the ham and ham bone, soaked beans back into the pot along with the broth, water and bay leaf and close the lid. Lock the lid, move valve to sealing and cook on Manual for 15 minutes.
3. When the soup is done, and you hear the beep sound, click the Cancel/Keep Warm button. Let NPR for 10 minutes, and then QR until all the pressure is out.
4. Open lid. Discard bay leaf and ham bone. Use the back of a wooden spoon to smash some of the beans on the bottom and sides of the pot to create a creamier consistency. Season generously with salt and pepper to taste.  Serve warm.

Slow Cooker Instructions

1. Soak beans overnight following the instructions above. Rinse beans and add with remaining ingredients into the slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours (or on high for 4 hours).
2. Open lid. Discard bay leaf and ham bone. Use the back of a wooden spoon to smash some of the beans on the bottom and sides of the pot to create a creamier consistency. Season generously with salt and pepper to taste.  Serve warm.

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