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Hurst’s 15 Bean Soup for Instant Pot combines dry mixed beans, cooked ham, onion, celery and garlic in a hearty broth. This version uses 1 lb (16 oz) dry beans and makes about eight servings. The pressure-cooking stage takes 35 minutes; preparation, heating, a complete natural pressure release and optional thickening take additional time.

Jump to the printable soup recipe

Which Hurst’s beans and how much?

The original recipe lists 1 lb of dry beans. Hurst now lists its Cajun 15 Bean Soup package as 20 oz. Weigh out 16 oz for this recipe rather than automatically using a whole current bag; the quantities below have not been retested with 20 oz. Set the seasoning packet aside and add it to taste after cooking. Use less, or omit it, if you prefer a milder soup.

The original batch used pre-cooked ham, chicken broth, onion, celery and garlic. A meatless variation would also need vegetable broth and a check of the seasoning ingredients; simply leaving out the ham does not make the chicken-broth version vegetarian. Check the labels on your own ingredients for dietary needs.

Pressure cooking, capacity and elapsed time

The recipe uses 2 cups chicken broth and 8 cups water. Choose a cooker large enough to keep all food and liquid at or below its half-full limit for beans; follow your model’s manual and use a larger cooker if needed. Do not reduce the liquid simply to squeeze this batch into a small pot. See Instant Pot’s fill guidance.

Allow about 15 minutes for preparation and 35 minutes at high pressure, plus the time your cooker needs to heat and depressurize. The original author estimated 10–15 minutes to reach pressure but did not time it. The updated directions use a complete natural release, which adds variable waiting time. Optional thickening adds another 15–30 minutes, so the old fixed total is no longer shown.

Directions updated October 22, 2026: the original method used a 15-minute natural release followed by quick release. It now calls for complete natural release to follow Instant Pot’s current guidance for beans and other expanding foods. Open only after pressure has fully released and your model’s manual says it is safe.

How to thicken the soup

For thicker soup, carefully puree 1–2 cups of the cooked beans, then stir them back in. The original author used a slotted spoon to remove the beans and let the soup stand on Keep Warm for around 15 minutes. The recipe card allows 15–30 minutes, depending on how thick you want it.

Recipe testing note: the original author made this recipe once. This update clarifies the original quantities and current pressure-cooker guidance; it does not represent a newly tested batch. These are pressure-cooker directions, rather than slow-cooker instructions.

Yield: 8

Hurst’s 15 Bean Soup for Instant Pot

3.9 Stars (58 Reviews)

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Hurst's 15 Bean Soup Recipe for Instant Pot!

Ingredients

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• 1 lb (16 oz) dry Hurst’s 15 Bean Soup mix, measured from the bag
• 1/2 cup diced onion
• 1/4 cup diced celery
• 1 clove diced garlic
• Seasoning Packet
• 1-2 cups cubed or shredded pre-cooked meat of choice, I used ham
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 8 cups water

Instructions

1. Sort through and rinse 1 lb (16 oz) dry beans; set the seasoning packet aside.
2. Put the beans, onion, celery, garlic, pre-cooked ham, chicken broth and water in the inner pot. Keep the combined food and liquid at or below your model’s half-full limit for beans. Use a larger cooker if needed; do not overfill.
3. Secure the lid and set the valve to Sealing according to your model’s manual. Select Manual or Pressure Cook on High for 35 minutes. The cooker needs additional time to reach pressure before the countdown begins.
4. After cooking, allow the pressure to release completely naturally. Do not quick-release this bean soup. Open the lid only after the float valve has dropped and your manual says it is safe.
5. Stir and check several beans for tenderness before serving. If they are still firm, continue cooking until tender, following your cooker’s instructions.
6. Stir in the Cajun seasoning to taste after cooking; use less for a milder soup.
7. For thicker soup, remove 1–2 cups of beans with a slotted spoon, carefully puree them, and stir them back in. Let the soup stand on Keep Warm for 15–30 minutes, or until thickened as desired.
8. Serve with cornbread if desired.

Notes

Original recipe: 1 lb dry beans, 2 cups broth and 8 cups water; about 8 servings. Current Cajun bags are listed by Hurst as 20 oz, so weigh out 16 oz rather than assuming one whole bag. This recipe was originally made once; it has not been retested for this update.

Allow about 15 minutes for preparation, 35 minutes at high pressure, plus time to reach pressure and a complete natural release. Optional thickening adds 15–30 minutes. Total elapsed time varies, so no fixed total is listed. The original 15-minute natural release followed by quick release has been replaced with complete natural release to follow current Instant Pot guidance for beans.

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