White beans lend a creamy texture to this hearty, flavorful soup. Smoky bacon and a classic vegetable trio round out the flavors. It’s filling and nourishing, and perfect for dunking a chunk of crusty bread or a toasty sandwich. Cooking it in an electric pressure cooker (Instant Pot) makes it quick and easy! Scroll past recipe for step-by-step photos and instructions on how to make my Pressure Cooker Bean and Bacon Soup.
Pressure Cooker Bean and Bacon Soup
Ingredients
- 8 oz bacon diced in small pieces (Cook extra if you'd like to save some to sprinkle on after for a garnish)
- 1 med-large carrot diced small
- 2 ribs celery diced small
- 1 small onion or 1/2 large, diced small
- 4 cloves garlic
- 6 cups broth beef or chicken works
- 1 cup water
- 1 lb white beans such as cannellini or great northern
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- optional: 1/4 teaspoon liquid smoke more if desired
- super optional: garnish with sliced green onions.
Instructions
- Place beans in a colander, remove any impurities and rinse them with cold water.
- Turn pressure cooker to saute mode. Cook bacon until crisp and use a slotted spoon to remove and drain on paper towel. Leave about 4 tablespoons of the bacon fat in the pan. Add carrot, celery, and onion and saute for about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.
- Add broth and water, beans, pepper, smoked paprika, thyme, and salt. Add cooked bacon back into pan. Cook for 45 minutes on high pressure.
- When finished, let pressure cooker rest for 10-15 minutes before releasing pressure, stir in Worcestershire and liquid smoke. Use an immersion blender to partially blend soup to thicken. Alternately, you could take 2-3 cups of soup and pulse in a blender and then add back into pot.
- If desired garnish with green onions.
How to Make Bean and Bacon Soup
This bean and bacon soup starts, appropriately, with bacon. After cooking the bacon, you’ll saute your vegetables in the rendered fat. This imparts smoky bacon flavor throughout the dish.
What Beans to Use in Bean with Bacon Soup
White beans are not only nourishing, but they add in incredible creaminess to the finished soup. Two popular white beans are cannellini and Great Northern. Either variety will work great here. Sometimes there are bags of beans labeled simply, “White Beans” and that should be fine, too! You’ll want to rinse them in cool water first and remove any impurities that sometimes sneak into the bags.
How long do I cook Bean and Bacon Soup in my Pressure Cooker?
One of the best features of an electric pressure cooker is its ability to cook beans so quickly. I process this soup at high pressure for 40 minutes. I do not soak my beans ahead of time because I don’t usually plan that far in advance! If you do choose to soak your beans for 8+ hours, the soup would cook much faster. When it’s done, I like to take my immersion blender and pulse it around a little until it’s slightly smoother and thicker. If you don’t have an immersion blender, you could transfer half the soup into a blender and puree and then return it to the pot.
What should I serve with Bean with Bacon Soup?
This soup is full of flavor and so comforting. We love to dip grilled cheese sandwiches, or eat it with a loaf of the best overnight crusty artisan bread.
In the mood for soup? Check out our Soup Collection for tons more delicious recipes!
Questions & Reviews
do you have a pressure canning methods and times and canning pressure
No, this recipe should not be canned, it is only for eating fresh.
I have extra smoked pulled pork I need to use up. Would this taste good instead of the bacon (I know nothing is as good as bacon). I’m a little nervous to try it without some sort of direction ????
yes, it would be great!
This soup turned out great! I soaked my beans overnight and cooked for 20 mins with 20 min natural release. I added cayenne for a little heat and used thick cut peppered bacon. It was yummy.
We made this last night and really enjoyed it. We had to increase the cooking time a bit to get the beans fully cooked, but it was a hit with the whole family. 🙂
Made this tonight, and the flavor is really delicious. A majority of the beans were undercooked, however. I used Great Northern beans, cooked on high pressure, and followed all directions. Any suggestions?
I would just increase your cooking time by 10 minutes next time and see if that helps. Could be your particular pressure cooker, or some other factor.
I had the same issue. Great flavor but beans were slightly undercooked. I plan on making it again but soaking the beans first to deal with the doneness issue and hoping that it will solved whatever in this soup gave me heartburn!
I have a trick I’ve used to get those beans tender…add a pinch of baking soda! I’ve done this successfully for years. Also, for those who experience digestive issues after eating beans, adding a capful of apple cider vinegar to the cooking water/broth solves that problem and prevents gas. (I can’t eat beans without doing this first!)
Note that the “Instant Pot” brand link to Amazon is their previous model ($80). Instant Pot has a newer version that is $70 (yes, less than the older model). Just search on amazon for “instant pot nova”. Might save you a few dollars. An outlet local to me sold the new model for $50.
I love your regular bean, bacon and ham soup and I am looking forward to try this now! What would you recommend to swap for the worcestershire sauce? I am celiac now and that is not an option anymore 🙁
It just adds a salty, acidic note – you could leave it out completely and just give it a taste at the end. You might be just fine without it- or if you do feel it needs just a little something more, you could add just a tiny bit of soy sauce or vinegar even.
Grace, do you live in the US? My daughter has celiac and we use Lea&Perrins it is gluten free in the US, their European versions have malt vinegar. I have read that Kroger’s version is as well but I can’t verify as we haven’t tried.
Hi Sara,
This looks so yummy and healthy. Going to try this for my little champ.
Can’t wait to try this soup! This is all what I need on the table in cold days.
THIS LOOKS SOOOOO good! Can’t wait to try it!
I loved the canned kind as a kid, this looks yummy!!
Love all your stuff! Quick question – do I add the water in when I add the broth? I didn’t see the water in the instructions. Thanks!
yep!
So you use the dry beans? Do you recommend soaking them first?
No I don’t soak, I just toss them in dry.
This looks delicious, but I have to ask the dumb question…so beans that have not been soaked overnight? This is one thing I haven’t done in my Instant Pot yet and I’ve seen in different forums that they might not come out tender enough. I really want to try this out.
I do not soak my beans overnight- if you do choose to soak, the soup will cook much faster. I don’t plan that far in advance! I just toss them in dry and cook longer.
Mmm! Soup!
Bean with Bacon was my favorite kind of soup when I was young but I haven’t had it for years. Can’t wait to try this recipe.
I cant wait to try this! I love your other recipe for bean soup with ham and bacon. Thank you for making an instant pot version!!
I LOVED canned bean and bacon soup as a kid! I’m excited to try this recipe out!