Pressure Cooker Vegetable Soup with Giant White Beans, Ham, and Bay Leaves

Ingredients

• 1 cup giant white beans, soaked for 8 hours in cold water
• 3 cups water
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1 onion chopped in 1 inch pieces
• 1 large carrot, cut in half lengthwise, then into thick half-circles
• 1/2 cup chopped celery, cut into pieces same size as carrots
• 1 cup ham cubes, about 1 inch square
• Ham rinds to flavor soup
• Chopped parsley for garnish, optional

Directions

1. Cover the beans with cold water and leave them to soak for 8 hours or overnight, then drain and discard the soaking water. You can skip the soak if needed, but the beans will need much more cooking time.
2. Add the beans to the pressure cooker with 3 cups water, the bay leaves, and the garlic cloves.
3. Secure the lid, heat the cooker until it reaches high pressure, and cook for 10 minutes. If you’re using an Instant Pot or another electric pressure cooker, set it for 10 minutes. After cooking, allow the pressure to come down gradually.
4. Once the pressure is fully released, take out the bay leaves and garlic cloves and throw them away. Leave all of the bean cooking liquid in the pot.
5. As the beans are cooking, cut up the onion, carrot, celery, and ham.
6. Stir the vegetables and ham into the beans and their liquid, then add the ham rinds, or flavor the broth with Goya Ham Flavored Concentrate or barbecue sauce.
7. Close the lid again and return the cooker to the heat, then cook for 3 minutes at low pressure. For an electric pressure cooker, set it for 3 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the pressure drop on its own.
8. Take out the ham rinds, then serve the soup hot with freshly chopped parsley on top, if you’d like.