Ham and Bean Soup:Pressure Cooker

Nicnacsmommy · ‎08-18-2014

I'm going to make Ham and Bean soup for the first time tomorrow and I'm making it in my TSV pressure cooker. I'm new to pressure cooking, but so far so good with what I have made. I'm soaking my beans first, great northerns, I bought a boneless turkey ham, adding onion, celery, and carrots. I do hope it turns out as good as I'm hoping. I'm making either corn bread or a loaf of bread in the bread maker to go with it. It's going to be our lunch and dinner (if it's good). I'm thinking I need to cook it for 30 minutes and let it depress naturally. Should that be about right?

Poodlepet2 · ‎03-09-2010

I am at our weekend place and I don't have my PC cookbooks with me, but just to be on the safe side-not that there is much you can do terribly wrong aside from not adding enough liquid- it never hurts to Google, especially if this is your own recipe. I have made bean soup many times, and your method sounds right: the only thing I would do differently is a quick release. Allegedly if you let the pressure come down on its own, it creates foam. One other thing I do is Saute the onions, then brow the turkey ham just a little-known can be done in your PC. Poodlepet

Madisson · ‎10-13-2011

Nicnacsmommy, I don't have any suggestions about how to use the pressure cooker. (I'm scared of them after seeing my parents' pressure cooker blow food all over the kitchen.) I know they don't do that anymore. I just had one suggestion for the next time you make ham and bean soup. Trying using the 15 bean hambeans. There is a little package of ham flavoring in there, but I always add ham too. It turns out just awesome!

Enjoy your soup!

Some people do drugs. I do shoes....Celine Dion

BooBoo2 · ‎03-13-2010

I've never cooked great northern in the pc but I have done pinto beans. You really don't need a soak because of the way the pc cooks them. Now it has been a while since I've cooked bean soup this way but I'm thinking it took about 50 minutes. But I'm thinking pintos take longer than great northerns.

One thing I'd be concerned about is the cooking of the ham that long in the pc. I always use a ham bone, hock, or salt pork. They all flavor the beans really well. If I were you, I would put the ham, which is already cooked, in after the beans are cooked and just let it heat up. OR after the 30 minutes of cooking, use the quick release method to release pressure. That way you can test to see if the beans are done. If not, put the ham in at that time and cook a little longer. If they are done, first you will definitely know the correct time of cooking for next time, second you can put the ham in and let it warm up. I would be afraid to cook the turkey ham the whole time because it could get to be a weird texture or fall apart altogether.

Let us know how they turn out!! Good Luck!!

*makes me want bean soup now* ${#emotions_dlg.biggrin}$

Poodlepet2 · ‎03-09-2010

BooBoo, I have to disagree on the soaking issue. Even when using the PC, you have to soak, either overnight, or using the quick method. The qui k method is the one I usually use because I am not a planner. LOL! To quick soak, cover the beans with water, at least two inches over the beans, and bring to a boil. For "meaty" beans like garbanzo, I boil for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat, cover and let them sit for an hour. Proceed to cook according to your PC recipe. As far as the turkey ham goes, I cook with it all the time because DH keeps kosher. I have never had problems....I have bought the ham beans before, but I don't use the seasoning packet.. from time to time, I will add liquid smoke.... Poodlepet

BooBoo2 · ‎03-13-2010

Hey Poodlepet I'm not much of a planner either! I do the quick method if I cook them on the stove but honestly, the last time I made them in the pc I didn't. I couldn't tell any difference.

As far as the ham, I wasn't speaking only of the turkey ham (which I love! as well as turkey pastrami..yummy!) I just think using any boneless ham pieces, which are tender, would get a little "wonky" cooked that long in a pc. I've picked ham off the bone after cooking beans and it seemed to lose some of it's flavor (probably from the salt leaching into the beans??)

I use liquid smoke a lot if I don't have a ham bone, bacon, or hocks etc. I've also discovered that ham base from Better Than Bouillon. Although I don't put it in until after the beans start getting soft because it is salty and salting dried beans prior to cooking will make them tough. Also, using the BTB, I find I don't have to add extra salt. It does give the beans and green beans a nice ham smoky flavor.

I'm really getting hungry for bean soup!!!!

Poodlepet2 · ‎03-09-2010

BooBoo, my mouth is watering... I grew up in the South with a ham bone in my mouth....ahhh, there's nothing like it in a pot of green beans and new potatoes.....a big ole meaty ham bone in bean soup is a marriage made in Heaven. I keep telling DH that one of our most revered sages, Hillel said"It's not what goes into your mouth that makes you unclean, it's what comes out of your mouth that makes you unclean"....but he's not buying it! He doesn't mind if I eat pork, but he won't, so I guess you could say we have a "mixed" marriage LOL! Poodlepet

BooBoo2 · ‎03-13-2010

Poodlepet, that does put a new meaning to the term "mixed marriage" for sure!! I love the "I grew up with a ham bone in my mouth"! That made me giggle!!

Zhills · ‎11-15-2011

My instructions state to add 1 Tablespoon of oil to prevent any foaming. My cooking time shows 5 mins at 15lb pressure and keep below 1/2 full. Love bean soup!