My favorite Instant Pot bean soup includes kale and sausage! Use navy beans or great northern beans and any leafy greens! The perfect quick & easy one pot meal! Serve with My Sweet Kale Salad and My Potato Buttermilk Bread!
One of my most favorite soup recipes is my White Bean Soup with Garlic and Kale.
I love that it’s SO fragrant on the stove, and it comes from a completely different flavor family than our other standby soups (minestrone, tomato basil and tortilla soup).
A reader suggested that I try it with sausage, which I thought was a fantastic idea! So I’ve combined both ideas to create an Instant Pot bean soup called Instant Pot White Bean Soup with Sausage and Kale!
Although “garlic” isn’t in the title, there’s still PLENTY of garlic in the recipe. Actually, I think the quantity of garlic in the soup, and the fact that the garlic is SMASHED and not minced, is one of the reasons why I like it so much!
Is This a One Pot Meal?
My original recipe calls for two pots – one to get the beans cooking in chicken stock and another to simmer the tomato paste. This second pot is really what gives an AMAZING aroma in the house.
But the whole point of using the Instant Pot pressure cooker is to use less cookware on the stove, right?
I’ve made a few batches of chicken stock in the Instant Pot and every single time the stock is so rich and flavorful. I’m not a scientist, but I really think it’s how the food is cooked in the pot that intensifies the flavors.
So with that said, I took a gamble that tossing everything into the Instant Pot would make for a super easy dinner AND one that tasted just as good as the original recipe.
Guess what – I was right!
Instant Pot White Bean Soup with Sausage & Kale
The beauty of making this Instant Pot bean soup is that you don’t have to soak or pre cook the beans beforehand. You literally can put ALL of the ingredients into the Instant Pot, set the timer and walk away.
- The beans will come out perfectly tender.
- The sausage will be cooked perfectly though.
- The kale will be sufficiently wilted, and yet not mushy.
- The broth will be flavorful and absolutely delicious.
Another perk of this recipe, is that you probably have everything you need to make it already in your kitchen.
Ingredients for White Bean Soup with Sausage and Greens
- navy beans
- chicken stock (I use homemade chicken stock)
- garlic cloves
- bay leaf
- Kale (you can use all types of kale including curly kale, OR collard greens & other leafy greens)
- olive oil
- butter
- oregano
- tomato paste
- sausage (I used spicy turkey sausage links)
- salt & pepper
Psst! Want to kick this up a notch? Try finishing this recipe with a pinch of finishing salt! I love Ava Jane’s Kitchen because it doesn’t have microplastics (gross, right?) and it’s SO GOOD! Plus, you can get a bag for just 1¢!! Just add a pinch before serving to bring out the savory flavor of this hearty soup! (Get your penny bag of salt on this page.)
How to Make White Bean Soup in the Instant Pot
Step 1. Rinse and sort beans, discarding any misshapen or discolored beans.
Step 2. Place all ingredients in the Instant Pot.
Step 3. Place the lid on the Instant Pot, lock it and make sure the steam release valve is sealed.
Step 4. Press “soup” and use the “-“ or “+” button until you reach 45 minutes. This automatically defaults to high pressure.
Step 5. When the Instant Pot is done, use an oven mitt to turn the steam release valve to “quick release.” When the steam stops venting, carefully open the lid.
Step 6. Serve hot.
Instant Pot Bean Soup Recipe Tips
Sausage
- Any kind of sausage will work here, and I have some tips depending on what you use:
- If you want to use sausage links: place in the pot with all the other ingredients and cook as directed. Pull the sausage links out, slice on a cutting board and place back in the soup.
- If you want to use ground sausage: use the sauté function on the Instant Pot to brown the sausage with a tsp or so of olive oil. Crumble the sausage as it cooks, and when it’s done, turn the Instant Pot off to add the remaining ingredients. Then cook according to the recipe!
Beans
I really like navy beans in this recipe because of their mild and muted flavor. If you can’t find navy beans, great northern beans would also work well. I usually have them on hand because I love great northern bean and ham soup (with cast iron skillet cornbread!) in the winter.
If you can’t find navy beans or great northern beans, substitute with another small white bean. I wouldn’t choose white kidney beans (cannellini bean) though, simply because it will change the overall flavor of the soup.
Greens
- Kale (dinosaur kale, curly kale) is the perfect dark green to use in this soup because it’s hardy. It can stand up to being in the Instant Pot for a while without turning to mush.
- If you don’t have kale, Swiss chard makes a great substitute. If you like the flavor of mustard greens, turnip greens or beet greens, then by all means, use them!
- The only exception to substituting for greens would be using spinach. You can certainly use spinach, but don’t add it to the soup at the very beginning. Instead, cook the soup as written (minus the greens) and add the spinach at the end. Give it a quick stir and close the lid. Let the soup sit for 5 minutes and the residual heat from the soup will wilt the greens all by itself!
FAQs for White Bean Soup and Sausage Soup
Does Instant Pot White Bean Soup with Kale & Sausage Freeze Well?
This soup freezes and reheats beautifully, so feel free to make a double batch. Or make a big batch for a very inexpensive way to feed a crowd on just one pound of meat!
What type of Instant Pot is best for making Instant Pot Bean Soup?
One more note on the Instant Pot – I have the 8-quart Instant Pot DUO and LOVE that it can hold so much food! If you have a 6-quart Instant Pot, just make sure you don’t go past the fill line (you should be fine in this recipe though!). If you’re new to cooking with an Instant Pot or aren’t sure if it’s worth the investment check out my post 20+ Things to Know BEFORE You Buy an Instant Pot.
More Easy Instant Pot Recipes
- Instant Pot Honey Baked Ham
- Instant pot Breakfast Casserole
- Easy Instant Pot Vegetarian Chili
- Instant Pot Lentils
- Best Easy Yellow Rice
Slow Cooker Meal Plan
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My favorite Instant Pot bean soup includes kale and sausage! Use navy beans or great northern beans and any leafy greens! The perfect quick & easy one pot meal!
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 45 mins
- Total Time: 55 mins
- Yield: 8 cups 1x
- Category: Main Meals
- Method: Instant Pot
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 cup dry navy beans
- 2 quarts chicken stock (I used homemade chicken stock)
- 4 large garlic cloves, smashed
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 cup chopped kale
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 Tbsp tomato paste
- ½ lb sausage (I used spicy turkey sausage links)
- salt & pepper, to season to taste
Instructions
- Rinse and sort beans, discarding any misshapen or discolored beans.
- Place all ingredients in the Instant Pot.
- Place the lid on the Instant Pot, lock it and make sure the steam release valve is sealed.
- Press “soup” and use the “-“ or “+” button until you reach 45 minutes.
- When the Instant Pot is done, use an oven mitt to turn the steam release valve to “quick release.” When the steam stops venting, carefully open the lid.
- Serve hot.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 227
I used a two-year-old (dry) bean mix for this, and I tell ya – I’ve never made better bean soup in my life! My husband didn’t remember me making bean soup, to put this in perspective, and we’ve been married 26 years ; ) Yes, I’ve made bean soup, but it’s never been this delicious. I flash-froze kale from the garden and used that for the kale (it’s December as I write this), plus some sausage patties from the farmer, chopped up. Fabulous, fabulous, fabulous.
I forgot to add 5 Stars to this recipe. Can that be added on the back end of the website?
I wanted to make sure that it was hearty and filling so I doubled the meat (hot Italian ground sausage) and tripled the amount of kale. Rather than adding salt (since I used canned stock), I used a half teaspoon of black pepper. Liberal amount of garlic. I decided to brown the sausage first but otherwise did everything else the same. It turned out to be so flavorful and one of the best things I have made in the Instant Pot. I was surprised that with such simple ingredients would produce such a rich taste. Thank you for the recipe. For those wondering, the 2X version of the recipe fits nicely in a 6 quart IP.
Thank you for sharing! We are so glad you loved this Instant Pot white bean and sausage soup recipe!
To cook beans faster you need to soak them, minimum 4hrs, preferably 8 or overnight. I’m able to do this if the soup is good.
Although i expect I may have a problem with the taste of sausages. Not the best flavours in America.
That’s why I’d gladly switch to meatballs, but I’m afraid they will fall apart with so long cooking time….
Maybe I’ll try to cook the beans, and in the middle of the process add meatballs and kale.
Kale btw looks sad even in pictures above.
What changes would you make if using a can of navy beans? not cook as long – but will the sausage be cooked? I also just got the IP and am just learning!
Hi Ashley! Honestly, I’d skip the IP and do it stove-top. Almost every IP recipe that I’ve seen calling for cooked beans has the beans added AFTER the IP is done, so in this case, it would just be easier to dump in a pot, turn the stove on medium and cook until the sausage is done!
So when I made it I made it to fit what I had on hand.
No tomato paste
Double garlic (because I have a problem)
Pinto beans
Deer sausage
I set my cooker to 40 min and added thick sliced mushrooms and cooked for 2 min (soup setting) after the 40 min.
Turned out great and can’t wait to try it the original way!
I’m glad this turned out well for you Tanna! And I think we all need a garlic problem. 😉
I made using 1 qt stock, 1/2 bay leaf, 1/2 tsp oregano, 3/5 pound hot Italian sausage links, 4 kale leaves (about 3 cups chopped), 1 tsp salt, otherwise measurements (and cooking time) as specified in recipe.
Beans were nicely done.
Kale was cooked to DEATH, mushy, falling apart, gray-green.
Sausages were almost falling apart, but texture wasn’t too bad.
Smelled good, tasted not especially great.
It was a VERY thin soup — needed more beans and more kale, even with my having reduced the stock by half and tripled the kale, compared to what the recipe specified!
I’m sorry you didn’t like the recipe Michelle. We love it, and it’s worked out every time!
Hi there. Which IP do you use? I have a 6 quart and am wondering if this will work in my pot. Sounds so good!
Hi Amy! I have this 8 quart pot: http://amzn.to/2yYH6zQ, but this recipe should work just fine in the 6 quart.
Wow! This was delicious. I was surprised at how perfectly the beans cooked in such a short time. I used chicken sausage and spinach because I had those on hand and it was perfect! My kids ate it all!
Yay! I’m so glad you all enjoyed this! ♥
Are the whole sausage links raw when you put them in the instant pot? And they cook all the way through? Or do you have to precook them?
Yep – raw into the soup and they cook in the IP!
It did and it was yummy! I have the Lux…do you think that matters for the soup function?
Maybe? I’m not sure if IP changed that function from different models… I figure they’re always improving though. I’d just make a mental note that next time to just do “manual” on high for 45 min instead. 🙂
After 45 minutes on the soup function about 1/3 of the beans are not thoroughly cooked. I used White Northern Beans instead of Navy beans. I omitted the sausage because we wanted to go meatless. Do you think that changed the cooking time? I’m not a big cook but I would’ve thought if anything the cooking time would be less without the sausage. Any thoughts?? And btw way the flavor is amazing! I also used homemade broth. I’m not going to rate the recipe poorly because I think this is my fault…I have it on the high manual setting now for 15 minutes and I think that will be plenty….
Hi Elizabeth! I don’t think taking out the sausage would effect the cooking time, but perhaps the different beans did? So strange… I tested this and it worked without any issues. The high setting should get that squared away. Glad it tastes good!!
Navy beans are a lot smaller than northern beans that would be your time difference. Still tasty with northern beans I am sure. You could switch to a canned version if you are wanting the soup to cook faster in the future. I would bump the time down if you switch to canned. Say 20 min cooking time then check it.
I don’t have money for an instant pot right now. Is it ok to use my 7 qt slow cooker? Is there much difference besides the time it will take? Thanks! It looks delicious!
Hi Sharon! I honestly can’t say. I have no doubt the recipe will work WITHOUT the meat, but I haven’t tested it WITH the meat. If you’re savvy with the slow cooker, I say go for it. If not, perhaps cook the meat separately just in case! Thank you for the compliments!! It tastes just as good as it looks! ♥
Trying this today! It took 23 minutes to come to pressure so I’ll have to make note of that for next time. It smells so good though!
Oh yes, this is a keeper for sure!
This sounds good, and is obviously gluten-free. Gotta try it!
Thanks Melissa! I hope you like it as much as I do. 🙂