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Hearty navy bean soup is a deeply flavorful dish that is brimming with tender beans, celery, carrots, and savory chicken broth. This one-pot, budget-friendly Instant Pot Navy Beans Soup recipe uses dried beans, but since it’s made in a pressure cooker there’s no soaking needed! Yummy aromatics are quickly sauteed right in the pot before the rest of the ingredients (with your choice of dry bean) are added. Then lock, set, and sit back while the IP works its magic.
What are navy beans?
The navy bean is a variety of the common bean native to the Americas, where they were first cultivated. You may know them as haricot bean, pearl haricot bean, Boston bean, white pea bean, or pea beans.
Navy beans are common for making baked beans. Since they get creamy when cooked, they are perfect for mashing to thicken soups and to puree for dips.
What do navy beans look like?
These beans look like a small white bean with an oval, slightly flattened shape. In fact, they are smaller than most other types of white beans.
The Best Navy Bean Soup From Dry Beans
We love a great one-pot meal! Cook all the ingredients together in a single pot or skillet. Not only is cleanup a breeze, but these dishes tend to be nearly effortless to make.
Thanks to pressure cooking, it is easy to make all-in-one soups and meals that require little more than chopping, sauteeing, and pressing a few buttons. We can all do that!
This Instant Pot Navy Bean Soup recipe is loaded with tender beans sure to make everyone’s tummy happy, similar to our Instant Pot Pinto Beans.
You will love this no soak Instant Pot beans recipe because it is practically foolproof! And, it is the ideal dinner recipe for any night of the week. Just “set and forget” it.
Not to mention, with dry beans and simple pantry staples this soup recipe is economical, easy to make, and delicious! That is the best type of dinner to enjoy on a chilly eve.
Did I mention this easy soup recipe uses onion, garlic, carrots, and celery to make it an even more hearty dish?
Make it vegetarian with one simple swap by using vegetable stock. Or add more protein by including diced cooked ham, like in this Instant Pot Lima Beans and Ham soup. You’ll love how easy it is to tweak ingredients as needed!
So, if you are looking for a dinner dish that is budget and family-friendly, this recipe is sure to knock your socks off! Serve warm soup with a fresh salad and some crusty bread and you have got a winning meal that is sure to please everyone at the table.
Dried Beans vs. Canned
Why use dry beans and not canned beans?
The Instant Pot pressure cooks ingredients quickly and with high pressure. That’s why it is called a pressure cooker.
Hard veggies and dried beans become perfectly soft and tender in minutes during the process – without soaking first. That is another reason why I love pressure cooking!
Beans from a can are typically already soft. So, they can get nearly pulverized when cooked for long at high pressure. Our Instant Pot Calico Beans recipe is great for using canned beans since they pressure cook for just 15 minutes!
Additionally, dry beans tend to be cheaper than cans of beans. Who doesn’t love when the tastier option also happens to be the most economical?
The recipe is terrific for sticking to a budget while also making a one-pot meal that is scrumptious and satisfying.
Ingredients Used in this recipe
- Dried navy beans – or a similar sized small dry bean
- Olive oil – or avocado oil, a favorite high heat neutral-flavored cooking oil
- Onion – for great flavor in this recipe
- Garlic – another high flavor aromatic
- Carrot – for that Vitamin A nutritional boost
- Celery – adds flavor and is rich in antioxidants
- Chicken broth – or vegetable broth for vegetarian beans
- Hot water – heated fluids help speed up cooking time
- Salt – bring out savory flavors with just a pinch
See below for recipe variations and additions.
Equipment Used for instant Pot Bean Soup
- An electric pressure cooker, at least 6 quart-sized, is used with this recipe.
Popular brands are Instant Pot, Ninja Foodi, Crockpot Express, Cuisinart Pressure Cooker, GoWISE USA, and Chef IQ.
New to Instant Pot Cooking? Read How to Use the Instant Pot 101 first! And, then Tips & Hacks for the Instant Pot is terrific for new owners and seasoned IP-ers alike!
How to Make Navy Beans in the Instant Pot
Set pressure cooker to sauté. Once the pot is ready, add onions, garlic, and salt. Sauté until garlic begins to turn golden and the onions are translucent.
Optional: while the onions and garlic are sauteing, preheat the broth and water (I use a microwave) to speed up the cooking time.
Pour in the broth and water. Deglaze the Instant Pot by stirring the hot liquid to clean the bottom of the pot.
Add the navy beans, carrots, and celery to the pot.
Set the Instant Pot on high pressure for 45 minutes for dried, non-soaked navy beans. Use 25 minutes for pre-soaked navy beans and 15 minutes for canned navy beans.
Allow the pressure cooker to naturally release pressure (leave the pot undisturbed) for 10 minutes, then initiate a quick release.
Serve bean soup warm, topped with cheese, bacon bits, fried onions, green onions, or your favorite soup garnish.
recipe variations and Additions
Ham and beans Instant Pot recipe: Add 2 cups of pre-cooked diced ham.
Bean and bacon soup Instant Pot recipe: Omit the oil and sauté 4 slices of chopped bacon with the onions.
Vegetarian navy beans: use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.
Here Is the Best Instant Pot Navy Bean Soup Recipe
Instant Pot Navy Bean Soup (No Soak Recipe!)
Equipment
- Instant Pot (or any electric pressure cooker)
Ingredients
- 16 ounces (1 pound) dried navy beans (or substitute with any small dried bean)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 (about 2 cups) carrots, chopped
- 2 stalks (about 1 cup) celery, chopped
- 3 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth (I recommend preheating broth)
- 3 cups water (I recommend preheating the water)
- 1 tsp salt
optional
- 2 cups diced ham (precooked)
- 4 slices bacon, chopped (omit oil and sauté with onions)
Instructions
- Set pressure cooker to sauté. Once the pot is ready, add onions, garlic, and salt. Sauté until garlic begins to turn golden and the onions are translucent (about 3-5 minutes).
- Optional: while the onions and garlic are sauteing, preheat the broth and water (I use a microwave) to speed up the cooking time.
- Pour in the broth and water, and deglaze the Instant Pot by stirring the hot liquid to clean the bottom of the pot.
- Add the navy beans, carrots, and celery to the pot. Press cancel, secure the lid on the pressure cooker and seal the pressure lever (if needed). Set the Instant Pot on high pressure for 45 minutes for dried, non-soaked navy beans. Use 25 minutes for pre-soaked navy beans and 15 minutes for canned navy beans.
- Allow the pressure cooker to naturally release pressure (leave the pot undisturbed) for 10 minutes, then initiate a quick release.
- For a creamier soup, use a potato masher to mash the beans until they are creamy.
- Serve bean soup warm, topped with cheese, bacon bits, fried onions, green onions, or your favorite soup garnish.