Soup Beans & Ham

One of my favorite things about having a ham for Easter is the leftover ham bone!  We put it in a freezer bag and save it for a Soup Beans & Ham craving.  IF you can wait this long, make this soup one day before you intend to eat it.  I like to get it cooking right before we start to get the girls ready for bed.  Let it cook and cool before you go to bed, stick it in the fridge overnight, and then heat it back up the next day.  The flavor and consistency is out of this world.  It's so hearty and satisfying.  I use my Instant Pot for this so you don't even have to soak the beans.  Just be sure that they're super clean.

1 1/2-2lbs. smoked pork bone

any leftover ham you might have 

1/3 cup dehydrated onion

1tsp. granulated garlic

1/2tsp. Johnny's Garlic Spread (from Costco)

1 1/2tsp. Italian seasoning

1 1/2lbs. dry pinto beans

8 cups water

1/4 cup Better Than Bouillon Chicken 

black pepper to taste

Add all of the ingredients to the Instant Pot and secure the lid.  Make sure the vent is set to Sealing.

Select Manual or Pressure Cook and adjust the time to 60 minutes.

When the time is up, allow the pressure to release naturally all the way (if you don't have time for a full natural release, shoot for 20-30 minutes at least).

Remove the pork bone and slice off any remaining ham from the bone and return the meat to the pot. Discard the bone.  

*This is when I like to let it cool and stick it in the fridge overnight.  When you're ready to start preparing dinner the next day, remove it from the fridge, let it sit on the counter long enough for some of the chill to come off of it, put the pot back into the Instant Pot, set to Sauté and bring it up to a boil for about 30 minutes.  Serve with my favorite cornbread recipe.