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Creamy, Smoky & Fork-Tender: Instant Pot Ham and Beans That Hug Every Bite with Flavor
Yo!—this Instant Pot ham and beans joint is not playin’ polite. We talkin’ about rich, smoky ham bones fallin’ apart like tender truths, creamy white beans so soft they melt into every spoonful like butter on a slow jam. (Video and Photo Guidance Provided)
This ain’t your grandmama’s stovetop wait-a-thon—no, sir. Thanks to the pressure-cook magic of the Instant Pot, we’re droppin’ that soulful depth in under an hour, takin' you from “what’s for dinner?” to “oh lawd, what was that?”
if you're down with ham and beans try these beans recipes with smoked meats. Or for a beef version go with oxtail stew with butter beans.
The recipe is basically a converted traditional stovetop recipe, so if you don’t have an Instant Pot, no problem as the directions are basically the same and transferrable.
Beats and Eats (music to pair with Beans and Ham)
This Instant Pot ham and beans stew recipe is my take on a typical Provencal soup/beans recipe which features ingredients like ham, fresh herbs, and a medley of vegetables.
I simply remixed it soul food style by substituting ingredients common in soul food dishes like okra and ham hocks to accompany the white beans.
“Baby I’m Scared of You” walks the line between smooth seduction and bold confrontation—just like this ham and beans recipe, where smoky depth from the ham hock meets the tender honesty of creamy white beans. The layered harmonies echo the slow-building flavors, and that tight bassline? That’s the umami kick from simmered meat and broth—low, slow, and impossible to forget.
Ingredients Needed To Make Pressure Cooker Beans Soup
Marwin's Flavor-philes and Liner Notes
Cooking tips to elevate flavor and texture based on tried and true recipe testing
Smoked Ham Hocks: Ham is the soul of traditional French provencal. My version is more Southern-style so hocks are in order and represent the soul of the dish—slow-simmered to release a deep, smoky, and savory richness that infuses every bean with meaty goodness.
White Wine: You'll need some acidity to brighten the dish some. I used wine to balances the rich smokiness of the ham hocks and the earthiness of the beans, plus it cuts through the heaviness and elevates the dish’s overall flavor profile.
Fresh Thyme: I added thyme to tie all the flavors together. Its warm, slightly minty, and lemony notes add an aromatic freshness that lifts the deep, smoky broth without overpowering it. Thyme is great here as it seamlessly melds with both the meat and beans, adding more depth and complexity for a more interesting and layered effect.
Serving Suggestions
This hearty soup is quite filling and probably only lacking some corn bread to sop up all the residue goodness left behind in your bowl. A good buttermilk cornbread or biscuit would be great! Or even some classic Southern hot water cornbread. Top the ham and bean soup with chopped fresh parsley. Eat with a side of Southern collard greens, old fashioned smothered cabbage, or Southern green beans.
If you enjoy slow cooked Southern dishes like these beans, you'll love my southern smothered turkey wings recipe.
Make This Recipe for Beans with Ham
If you make this hearty, delicious ham and white bean stew, please come back and leave me a comment below with your feedback. Definitely take a photo of the dish and be sure to tag #foodfidelity so that I can see them.
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Instant Pot Ham and Beans Stew
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 smoked ham hocks
- 1 medium red onions diced
- 10 whole okra ends removed and sliced
- 3 garlic cloves finely chopped
- 1 large carrot quartered and chopped
- ½ cup white wine
- 2 cups vegetable stock
- 2 cups water
- 2 large sprigs of thyme
- 1 cup cannellini beans (dried) soaked overnight
- 1 tablespoon smoked sweet paprika
- 1 teaspoon all spice
- kosher salt
- black pepper
- 1 bay leaf
Method
- Set instant pot settings to saute and add olive oil, onions, carrots, okra, and garlic. Saute for 2 minutes
- Add paprika, pepper, salt, allspice and saute for an additional minute
- Add beans, broth, water, wine, ham hock, bay leaf, and thyme. Stir well. Twist to lock the lid, and turn the valve to sealing. Cook at high pressure 40 minutes, and then let the pressure release naturally for 20 minutes.
- Turn the valve to venting. Unlock lid, and remove ham hocks with tongs. Discard skin, bones and cartilage. Chop or shred ham and stir back into beans.
Nutrition
Notes
- For traditional stovetop cooking approach follow the same instructions using a large pot or dutch oven. It will just be a longer, slow simmer. Saute the vegetables on medium heat and then cook the beans covered on simmer for 40 minutes or more depending on the desired level of creaminess.
- For creamier beans, put a ladle or two of the beans into a small bowl, and mash with a potato masher or fork. Stir back into the pot.
- Saute the vegetables first to release the flavors
- Add spices to the saute, as heat brings out their flavor more
- Cook the smoked ham hock whole or as big chunks and then after the dish is done, remove, cut into pieces and add back to the pot
- Have bread on hand as you’ll want to sop up any and all remains
How much allspice should be used? It's in the instructions, but not in the ingredients.
Sorry, 1 tsp
Agreed wholeheartedly!
That's excellent! Glad you all enjoyed it
Thank You! And yes it's pretty tasty with little effort.
I just loved it, I'm not only going to give it 5 stars. But, I'm going to share it with all my website's followers on the social media. Thank you for giving me something useful to share it today!
Thank you so much! I'm working to get more instant pot recipes up on the site. Stay tuned
Thank U!
yum :))