Hearty "15 Bean Soup" Recipe | Easy Instant Pot Soup Recipes (2024)

This easy Hearty “15 Bean Soup” recipe is made in the Instant Pot made with ham, broth, veggies, and my favorite Hurst’s dried beans. Perfect with a side of cornbread!

Easy Instant Pot “15 Bean Soup”

Ham and beans with a side of cornbread will forever be one of my favorite comfort foods. Those filling, salty, flavor-filled tender beans with sweet and crumbly cornbread is a match made in heaven. I love using Hurst’s 15 Bean Soup as my bean base because it has so much variety. The lentils cook down and help thicken things, and the big chubby lima beans, creamy cranberry beans, and sturdy kidney beans make a great combination. I love all of the colors and textures and how they all come together to make one great dish.

Ham and beans is an economical way to feed a crowd. It reheats well so you can eat it all week long, and it’s full of all kinds of vitamins, minerals, and protein thanks to using a wide variety of beans. This is a recipe that I make over and over again and I’m so excited to share it with you today. I’m also excited to be working with my friends at Hurst’s Beans again this year.

Here’s why I’m excited to be working withHurst’s Beanstoday. Hurst’s is a 4th generation family-owned company that is based out of Indiana (my home state!), and they’ve been a brand that has been in my cupboard, my mom’s cupboard, and my grandma’s cupboard for years and years. I grew up loving the 15 Bean Soup Mix, and their products are ones I use and know well.

They grow their beans in the US and Canada (yay!), and the flavor packets really are just seasonings in a convenient little package. They are gluten-free and vegan and have no added MSG. This is a great brand, and I can’t wait for you to bring them into your own kitchen if you haven’t already.

Tips and Tricks for Making 15 Bean Soup in the Instant Pot:

• This is the fastest way to make this recipe. If you have the time, feel free to let the Instant Pot do a “natural pressure release” at the end of the cooking time.
• I tried this recipe with and without the included seasoning packet, and I really liked using the seasoning packets. It adds a great smoky flavor. It’s gluten-free, too. If you are sensitive to salt though, try adding only half and adjusting additional salt to your liking.
• You are free to use the pork/ham product of your choice – using a leftover ham bone works great. I just toss my ham bone in a zipper-topped freezer bag after dinner and keep it there until I’m ready to make soup.
• If you’d like to thicken the soup just a bit, you can blend it for just a few seconds with your immersion blender or you can blend 2 cups of the soup in a traditional blender and then return it to the pot. Blended beans are a great natural thickener.

What are the beans in 15 bean soup?

Contains at least 15 of these varieties: Northern, Pinto, Large Lima, Black-eyed, Garbanzo, Baby Lima, Green Split, Kidney, Cranberry, Small White, Pink, Small Red, Yellow Split, Lentil, Navy, White Kidney,Black Bean, and Yellow Eye. I LOVE the variety as it adds so many flavors, textures, and colors to your dish. Plus, I feel like all of that variety has got to be full of all kinds of healthy vitamins and minerals. You know how I feel about “eating the rainbow!”

Tips for making 15 bean soup on the stove top or in the slow cooker:

To make this recipe on the stove top, saute the veggies as directed and then add everything else to the pot. Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer and cover. Cook covered, stirring often until the beans are tender, about 4 hours.

To make 15 bean soup in the slow cooker, saute the veggies as directed and then add everything to your slow cooker. Cook on low for 7-8 hours or until the beans are tender.

Do you have to soak your beans before using?

No! They cook just fine without soaking. You can if you’d like, though – simply soak them in water overnight or for 8 hours before using. If you soak your beans, reduce the broth in the recipe by 1 cup (from 8 cups to 7 cups).

Is 15 bean soup good for you?

One-hundred percent, yes! Beans are a fantastic source of lean (not to mention, vegetarian) protein. The ham in this recipe adds another element of protein — and delicious flavor! Protein helps build and maintain body tissue, plus give us energy for activities. So this is a filling and fueling meal for all.

Can you freeze 15 bean soup?

Totally! This soup freezes very well. Just fill up a sealable bag or an airtight container, and keep it in the freezer for 2 to 3 months. You can also keep it in the fridge for up to a week.

Do you have to soak your beans before using?

Thanks to the gloriousness that is the Instant Pot, the beans cook just fine without soaking. If you prefer to soak them, though, you certainly can. Just submerge them in water overnight or for 8 hours before using. If you soak them, reduce the broth in the recipe by 1 cup, using 7 cups instead of 8.

What if my 15 bean soup is too thin?

To thicken the soup a bit, you can blend it for a few seconds with an immersion blender, or you can scoop out 2 cups to blend in a traditional blender and then return it to the pot. Blended beans are an easy soup thickener.

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Love 15 Bean Soup? Here are a few other recipes I made with Hurst’s Beans that you’ll love:

• Instant Pot or Slow Cooker Cajun Beans and Rice Recipe
• Slow Cooker Refried Beans Recipe
• Instant Pot Vegetarian Chili
• Instant Pot Split Pea Soup

Need a cornbread recipe to serve with your 15 bean soup? I got you covered!

• The Best Cornbread Recipe(my favorite go-to recipe that is sweet and turns out every time)
• Sour Cream Cornbread(sturdy in a good way, perfect for crumbling in your beans)
• Skillet Cornbread(buttery with a crispy crust and tender center – so good)
• Pumpkin Cornbread Muffins(great way to sneak in those veggies!)
• The Best Easy Zucchini Cornbread(more veggies!)

A great recipe made using a great product from a great company that I genuinely love working with. How is this my job?! THANK YOU for being here and please enjoy this recipe, from my kitchen to yours. Holler if you have any questions, can’t find the beans (Smith’s in Utah carries them as does Wal-Mart), or need some encouragement for your first time cooking dried beans. I’m here to help!

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf ofHurst’s Beans.Thank you for supporting the brands that help make Bless this Mess possible.

I can’t wait for you to give this hearty “15 bean soup” in the Instant Pot a try! It is so simple, rich, and filling, and it’s packed with wholesome ingredients!