Whip up a cozy bowl of Instant Pot Ham and Lentil Soup using dried lentils, crunchy celery, sweet carrots, aromatic onions, and a blend of spices. It’s an effortless, nourishing meal ideal for those chilly evenings.
This recipe is always on the menu after I have cooked a spiral ham for dinner. It’s a great way to use leftover ham to make an easy meal.
When the temperatures dip and you’re craving something that’s both hearty and simple to make, you can’t go wrong with a good bowl of soup. That’s where this Instant Pot ham and lentil soup comes into play. You’ll adore this soup for its ease of preparation, robust flavors, and the way it fills your kitchen with its inviting aroma.
Why You’ll Love It
- Effortless Cooking: With the Instant Pot doing most of the work, you can enjoy this homestyle soup without slaving away at the stove.
- Rich in Flavor: The combination of savory ham, earthy lentils, and aromatic herbs creates a taste that’s complex and comforting.
- Nutrient-Packed: Lentils are not only filling, they’re also packed with nutrients, making this soup a wholesome choice.
» You might also like Instant Pot Lentils and Instant Pot Dal.
Ingredients You Need
- Butter – I like to sauté the veggies in a salted butter to create amazing flavor right from the start.
- Carrots – Use any carrots you have on hand – baby or large.
- Celery ribs – You can leave out the celery if you don’t like it.
- Onion – I use a yellow onion, but white or sweet work well too.
- Garlic – Make sure your garlic is fresh for the best flavor.
- Dried lentils – I used brown lentils. You can use any type of lentils you like, but you can also use navy beans or Northern beans. If you use dried beans the cook time is 50 minutes.
- Water or broth – Your choice of water or broth, but I like to use low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth.
- Meaty ham bone – When I cut the rest of the ham off the bone, I always leave enough meat on to make a good soup. If you don’t have much meat on the bone, you can add additional ham. You could also use a ham hock.
- Bay leaf
- Seasonings – chili powder, dried rosemary and oregano, salt, ground black pepper
Equipment Needed
- Instant Pot – I use a 6-quart Instant Pot Duo Plus to make all of my recipes, but you can use any size or brand of electric pressure cooker. If you’re using an 8-quart pot, you will need to adjust the amount of liquid accordingly, as it requires more water to build steam.
Helpful Tips
- Vegetable Swap: Feel free to toss in any other veggies you have on hand. Potatoes or bell peppers would make great additions.
- Herb Flexibility: If you don’t have fresh herbs, dried ones will do just fine—just use half the amount.
- Natural Pressure Release is Key: Allowing the Instant Pot to release pressure naturally is crucial for perfectly tender lentils.
How to Make Instant Pot Ham and Lentil Soup
Step 1: Sauté veggies
Set your Instant Pot to sauté mode and melt the butter. Toss in the carrots, celery, and onion, sautéing until they’re just softened.
Add a hint of garlic for that fragrant touch, then pile in the lentils, broth, ham bone, and all the seasonings.
Step 2: Pressure cook
Lock your Instant Pot and cook on high pressure for a snappy 15 minutes, keeping in mind it’ll take a bit to pressurize.
Once cooked, let the pressure ease off naturally. This is when the magic happens, and the flavors really meld together.
Step 3: Take meat off the bone
Fish out the ham bone, shred any meat off it, and stir that back into your soup for a satisfying chunkiness.
Fancy it thicker? Squash a few lentils against the side of the pot. A final stir, and you’re golden.
Storing Leftovers
This soup’s charm doesn’t fade overnight. In fact, it gets even better. Store it in the fridge, and you’ve got a go-to meal for up to four days. If you’re thinking longer-term, this soup freezes well. Just thaw overnight and reheat gently.
Ladle up a bowl of this Instant Pot Ham and Lentil Soup, and you’ve got more than just a meal—you’ve got comfort in a cup, a warm embrace on a cold day. Like and follow our page for more recipes that bring hearty goodness to your table with minimal fuss.
Questions About the Recipe
Do I have to use lentils?
You don’t have to use lentils in this recipe. If you like navy beans better, this soup is very good with beans. If you use dried navy beans, you’ll want to pressure cook the soup for 50 minutes to make sure the beans are done. You can also make this soup without lentils or beans. It will still taste great.
What if I don’t have a ham bone or hock to use?
You can make this soup without the ham bone, but it won’t be quite as flavorful. Instead of the bone, add 2 cups of chopped ham and cut the cook time down to 10 minutes, rather than 15 minutes.
Before You Go
Since you made it to the end of this article, you might be interested in more winter soup recipes. Here are a few more articles we think you might enjoy.
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Instant Pot Ham and Lentil Soup
Note: Made in a 6-qt Instant Pot
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon (14 g) butter
- 1 medium carrot sliced
- 1 celery rib chopped
- 1/2 cup (80 g) onion chopped
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 cup (192 g) dried lentils
- 4 cups (946 ml) low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 meaty ham bone
- 1 teaspoon (2 g) chili powder
- 1 teaspoon (0.1 g) fresh rosemary chopped (or ½ teaspoon dried)
- 1 teaspoon (2 g) fresh oregano chopped (or ½ teaspoon dried)
- 1/4 teaspoon (1.5 g) salt
- 1/4 teaspoon (0.5 g) ground black pepper
- 1 bay leaf
Instructions
- Set the Instant Pot to sauté mode and add the butter. Once hot, saute the carrots, celery, and onion until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic. Turn off saute mode.
- Add the lentils, broth, ham bone, seasonings, and bay leaf.
- Close and lock the lid of the Instant Pot. Set the pressure release valve to the sealing position (if necessary for your model).
- Cook on high pressure for 15 minutes (it will take 10 minutes to come up to pressure). Once the cooking time is complete, allow for a natural pressure release (about 30 minutes).
- Open the lid and use tongs to transfer the ham bone to a cutting board. Remove any meat from the bone.
- Return the meat to the pot.
- If you want a thicker soup, mash a few of the lentils in the soup. Give the soup a good stir and add additional salt and pepper, if needed.
- Serve hot.
Notes
- Feel free to toss in any other veggies you have on hand. Potatoes or bell peppers would make great additions.
- If you don’t have fresh herbs, dried ones will do just fine—just use half the amount.
- Allowing the Instant Pot to release pressure naturally is crucial for perfectly tender lentils.
Nutrition
Laura is a passionate home cook and the owner of A Pressure Cooker Kitchen. She is dedicated to helping people create delicious Instant Pot meals with ease. Laura is an expert at developing recipes that can be prepared quickly and easily using a pressure cooker.