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Instant Pot Sausage, Bean, and Kale soup is a healthy and hearty soup that is easy to make and full of fiber and protein. Dried beans cook very quickly in the instant pot, allowing for an affordable and healthy meal that you will love.

Sausage Bean and Kale Soup in a bowl on a white background.

Instant Pot Sausage, Kale and Bean Soup

There is something about a hearty 13 bean soup that is so satisfying and comforting when the weather gets cold. Years ago I had a sausage and 13 bean soup at a friend’s house, but I never made it myself because using dried beans always seems like such an ordeal. Canned beans are so convenient, and I thought that using dried beans was too difficult. Enter the Instant Pot! Dried beans cook so quickly in the instant pot. Since then this Sausage, Bean and Kale Soup in the Instant Pot has become a family favorite. There are many mixes for 13 bean soup or 15 bean soup. I used Bob’s Red Mill 13 bean soup mix, but there are other varieties available that also work just fine.

Ingredients for Sausage, Bean and Kale Soup: Ground Italian sausage, garlic, dried 13 bean soup mix, onion, salt and spices, Tuscan kale a carton of low sodium organic chicken stock.

Why you should soak dried beans before cooking them

I tested this 13 bean soup two ways – with soaked beans and unsoaked beans. I have to say, soaking the beans makes a huge difference in the cooking time of the soup and the final texture of the beans. The soup with unsoaked beans takes at least 20 minutes longer to cook, and the beans ended up being mushy. The soup with the soaked beans only took about 20 minutes (plus the natural release time), and the beans were tender but held their shape.

A ladle filled with sausage bean and kale soup over an instant pot filled with soup.

How to Soak beans for Instant Pot Sausage, Kale and Bean Soup

There are two methods you can use for soaking beans. One is soaking them overnight, the other is the “quick soak” method.

  1. Soaking beans overnight: Rinse the beans and then place in a bowl and cover with water. Soak overnight. The next day, drain and use the beans as directed. You can save the soaking liquid to use in place of water or broth that is called for in the recipe, as it adds extra flavor.
  2. The “Quick Soak” Method: Add beans to a pot and cover with water.  Bring to a boil then remove from heat.  Allow to sit for one hour, then use as directed. You can save the soaking liquid to use in place of water or broth that is called for in the recipe, as it adds extra flavor. 
A bowl of sausage, kale and bean soup on a white background.

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Instant Pot Sausage Bean and Kale Soup

Prep 1 day
Cook 45 minutes
Servings 8 Servings

Equipment

  • 1 Instant Pot

Ingredients 

  • 2 cups dried beans soaked overnight see notes. I used a 13 bean soup mix.
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 4 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 onion diced
  • 1 lb ground Italian sausage
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • ½ tsp ground cumin
  • 8 cups chicken stock low sodium
  • 1 bunch kale ribs removed and torn into bite sized pieces

Instructions 

  • Rinse 2 cups of dried 13 Bean Soup Mix, then soak overnight in water to cover. If the beans come with a seasoning packet, do not use it.
  • The next day, drain and rinse the beans.
  • In a instant pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion, garlic and sauté until onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Add sausage, spices, and salt. Cook until sausage is browned.
  • Add the beans and broth, stir. Cook manual high pressure for 20 minutes, then natural release for 20 minutes.
  • Stir in kale, simmer until wilted, a few minutes.

Notes

If you didn’t have time to soak the beans overnight, use the “quick soak” method: 
Add beans to a pot and cover with water.  Bring to a boil then remove from heat.  Allow to sit for one hour, then use as directed. Use the cooking liquid in place of the some of the chicken broth for extra flavor. 
If you do not soak the beans (either overnight or using the quick soak method), the beans will take longer to cook. Increase cooking time to 45 minutes, and natural release for at least 20 minutes.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 288kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 7mg | Sodium: 649mg | Potassium: 971mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1760IU | Vitamin C: 19mg | Calcium: 98mg | Iron: 4mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Did you like this recipe?Please comment, rate and share! And don’t forget to tag me on Instagram @foxandbriar AND #foxandbriar so I can see what you made!

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you purchase the items I recommend through the links I provide, I get a small commission at no extra cost to you. For more info, please see my disclosure policy. Thanks for supporting Fox and Briar!

Hello! I’m Meghan.

I am so glad that you are here! I am the recipe developer, photographer, and writer here at my blog Fox and Briar. I am a passionate, self-taught home cook and believe that most things are better homemade and that good food doesn’t need to be complicated.

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1 Comment

  1. If you do not cook beans correctly, there is the chance of bean poisoning. If someone is in a hurry, they should use drained and rinsed canned beans.