Turn the Instant Pot to saute, add the oil, and let briefly heat. Once heated, add onions, celery, and carrots and saute for 3-4 minutes, or until onions have become soft and translucent. Once the onion has softened, add in garlic and saute for another 30 seconds. Hit Cancel to turn the Instant Pot OFF.
Add the chicken stock (or water) into the inner pot and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the inner pot.
Rinse the dried beans and look through the beans to be sure there are no stray rocks.
Add water, ham bone, beans, carrots, onions, celery, tomato sauce, bay leaf, thyme, and pepper to Instant Pot.
Place lid on pressure cooker and turn vent knob to sealed. Set cook time to 45 minutes on HIGH pressure. (Hit manual/pressure cook button and then use +/- keys to adjust time to 45 minutes).
After the cooking time has elapsed, let the pressure release naturally. This can take 15-20 minutes. Open the lid and remove ham bone, bay leaf, and thyme sprigs.
Remove ham from the bone and stir it into the soup, along with 1 teaspoon of seasoned salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
Notes
No fresh thyme? In place of fresh thyme sprigs, use 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves.Note on using a bone from a Honey Baked Ham: Be sure to remove any pieces of ham with glaze-or your soup will end up on the sweeter side.Using Soaked Beans: If your dried beans have been previously soaked, decrease the water to 3 cups and cook time to 35 minutes.Using Canned Beans: In place of dried beans, feel free to use two 16-ounce cans of Great Northern beans. If you use canned beans, decrease the water to 2 cups, adjust the cooking time to 20 minutes, and decrease the seasoned salt to ¼ teaspoon.No seasoned salt? Add ½ teaspoon of salt along with ¼ teaspoon each of onion powder and paprika.Storage: Allow the soup to cool to room temperature. Transfer the soup to an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.To reheat: If needed, defrost the soup in the refrigerator overnight. Heat individual servings in a heat-safe bowl in the microwave in 60-second intervals until warmed through, adding more stock or water to thin the soup if needed. Alternatively, heat large portions in a saucepan over medium-low heat until warmed through, adding stock or water to thin if needed.