Smoked turkey wings replaced ham hocks in this Southern bean soup, adding collard greens the way Gullah cooks did for generations.
15 Bean Smoked Turkey Soup with Collard Greens
This easy Instant Pot 15 Bean Smoked Turkey Soup with collard greens is hearty, smoky and comforting, with tender beans and rich bone broth in a fraction of the usual cooking time.
Prep
10
min
Cook
45
min
Serves
16
people
Level
intermediate
The Story
This soup is pure Gullah Geechee ingenuity from South Carolina's Lowcountry, where enslaved West Africans in the 1700s stretched smoked meat scraps across mountains of beans and greens to feed entire families—a thrifty genius later echoed by Instant Pot devotees who collapsed a six-hour simmer into 45 pressurized minutes without betraying the original's smoky, bone-deep soul whatsoever, frankly.
Regional Twist
Down in New Orleans' Treme neighborhood, cooks ditch the Cajun seasoning for a proper dark roux and swap half the beef bone broth for andouille-infused stock, pushing this Carolina classic toward something altogether more Creole and considerably more likely to set your face on fire.
📝 Ingredients
Serves 16🥬Fresh Produce(5)
- 4 celery stalks diced
- 6 garlic cloves minced
- 2 green bell pepper diced
- Water as needed
- 2 medium yellow onion diced
🥩Meat & Seafood(3)
- 8 cups beef bone broth
- 2 tablespoon Better Than Bouillon Roasted Chicken Base
- 2 pound smoked turkey wings
🥛Dairy & Eggs(1)
- 2 stick 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
🧂Spices & Seasonings(5)
- Black pepper to taste
- 2 teaspoon Cajun seasoning plus more to taste
- 2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoon onion powder
- Reserved 15 bean soup seasoning packet optional and to taste
🍯Sauces & Condiments(1)
- 2 cap full apple cider vinegar
📦Other(3)
- 2 package about 20 ounces 15 bean soup mix, seasoning packet removed and reserved
- 4 medium carrots peeled and diced
- 2 package frozen collard greens about 12 to 16 ounces
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
359
Protein
21g
Carbs
30g
Fat
18g
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Rinse the beans: Pour the beans into a colander and remove the seasoning packet. Pick through the beans and discard any debris or damaged beans. Rinse thoroughly under cold running water and drain.
- 2
Load the Instant Pot: Add the rinsed beans to the Instant Pot along with the smoked turkey, onion, carrots, celery, green bell pepper, garlic and frozen collard greens and 1 cap full apple cider vinegar. Sprinkle in the onion powder, garlic powder and Cajun seasoning. Add the Better Than Bouillon and butter.
- 3
Add the liquid: Pour in the beef bone broth, then add enough water for everything to be well covered while staying safely below your Instant Pot's maximum fill line. Do not exceed the max-fill marking, especially when cooking foods like dried beans that expand during cooking. If using the seasoning packet from the beans, add only a portion at this point. You can always add more after cooking.
- 4
Pressure cook: Secure the lid and set the valve to sealing. Cook on High Pressure for 45 minutes. When the cooking cycle is complete, carefully perform a quick release according to your Instant Pot's instructions. A natural release also works if you aren't in a rush.
- 5
Shred the smoked turkey: Carefully remove the smoked turkey pieces from the soup. Once they're cool enough to handle, pull the meat from the skin and bones. Discard the bones, skin and any tough pieces. Return the shredded turkey meat to the Instant Pot.
- 6
Finish the soup: Stir everything together. At this point, decide how brothy you want your soup. Add a little additional hot water or broth until it reaches your preferred consistency. Taste before adding any additional salt. Adjust with Cajun seasoning, black pepper or some of the reserved bean seasoning packet as needed.
- 7
Serve hot with sweet honey cornbread muffins on the side.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Pick through dried beans before rinsing to remove stones and damaged beans, which can shatter during the 45-minute high-pressure cook and create a gritty mouthfeel that's difficult to detect after cooking.technique45 minutes high pressure
- ✓Don't exceed the Instant Pot's maximum fill line by more than 2-3 inches when cooking beans, since they expand 200-300% during pressure cooking and can clog the vent valve, creating a safety hazard.equipment200-300% expansion
- ✓Add the apple cider vinegar at the start of cooking (not at the end) because its acetic acid softens bean skins during the 45-minute pressure cook, reducing mushiness while maintaining structural integrity.ingredient45 minutes pressure cook
- ✓Perform a quick release immediately after the 45-minute cycle completes rather than waiting for natural release, because residual heat continues hydrating beans for 10-15 minutes and can turn them mushy if delayed.timingImmediate quick release vs. 10-15 minute natural release
- ✓Reserve tasting the soup and adjusting seasoning until after shredding the turkey, since the meat releases additional rendered fat (10-15% of its weight) that carries smoked flavors and changes salt perception by up to 20%.timing10-15% rendered fat release
Share this recipe
Prep
10
min
Cook
45
min
Serves
16
people
Level
intermediate
Share this recipe
Smoked turkey wings replaced ham hocks in this Southern bean soup, adding collard greens the way Gullah cooks did for generations.
15 Bean Smoked Turkey Soup with Collard Greens
This easy Instant Pot 15 Bean Smoked Turkey Soup with collard greens is hearty, smoky and comforting, with tender beans and rich bone broth in a fraction of the usual cooking time.
The Story
This soup is pure Gullah Geechee ingenuity from South Carolina's Lowcountry, where enslaved West Africans in the 1700s stretched smoked meat scraps across mountains of beans and greens to feed entire families—a thrifty genius later echoed by Instant Pot devotees who collapsed a six-hour simmer into 45 pressurized minutes without betraying the original's smoky, bone-deep soul whatsoever, frankly.
Regional Twist
Down in New Orleans' Treme neighborhood, cooks ditch the Cajun seasoning for a proper dark roux and swap half the beef bone broth for andouille-infused stock, pushing this Carolina classic toward something altogether more Creole and considerably more likely to set your face on fire.
📝 Ingredients
Serves 16🥬Fresh Produce(5)
- 4 celery stalks diced
- 6 garlic cloves minced
- 2 green bell pepper diced
- Water as needed
- 2 medium yellow onion diced
🥩Meat & Seafood(3)
- 8 cups beef bone broth
- 2 tablespoon Better Than Bouillon Roasted Chicken Base
- 2 pound smoked turkey wings
🥛Dairy & Eggs(1)
- 2 stick 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
🧂Spices & Seasonings(5)
- Black pepper to taste
- 2 teaspoon Cajun seasoning plus more to taste
- 2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoon onion powder
- Reserved 15 bean soup seasoning packet optional and to taste
🍯Sauces & Condiments(1)
- 2 cap full apple cider vinegar
📦Other(3)
- 2 package about 20 ounces 15 bean soup mix, seasoning packet removed and reserved
- 4 medium carrots peeled and diced
- 2 package frozen collard greens about 12 to 16 ounces
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
359
Protein
21g
Carbs
30g
Fat
18g
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Rinse the beans: Pour the beans into a colander and remove the seasoning packet. Pick through the beans and discard any debris or damaged beans. Rinse thoroughly under cold running water and drain.
- 2
Load the Instant Pot: Add the rinsed beans to the Instant Pot along with the smoked turkey, onion, carrots, celery, green bell pepper, garlic and frozen collard greens and 1 cap full apple cider vinegar. Sprinkle in the onion powder, garlic powder and Cajun seasoning. Add the Better Than Bouillon and butter.
- 3
Add the liquid: Pour in the beef bone broth, then add enough water for everything to be well covered while staying safely below your Instant Pot's maximum fill line. Do not exceed the max-fill marking, especially when cooking foods like dried beans that expand during cooking. If using the seasoning packet from the beans, add only a portion at this point. You can always add more after cooking.
- 4
Pressure cook: Secure the lid and set the valve to sealing. Cook on High Pressure for 45 minutes. When the cooking cycle is complete, carefully perform a quick release according to your Instant Pot's instructions. A natural release also works if you aren't in a rush.
- 5
Shred the smoked turkey: Carefully remove the smoked turkey pieces from the soup. Once they're cool enough to handle, pull the meat from the skin and bones. Discard the bones, skin and any tough pieces. Return the shredded turkey meat to the Instant Pot.
- 6
Finish the soup: Stir everything together. At this point, decide how brothy you want your soup. Add a little additional hot water or broth until it reaches your preferred consistency. Taste before adding any additional salt. Adjust with Cajun seasoning, black pepper or some of the reserved bean seasoning packet as needed.
- 7
Serve hot with sweet honey cornbread muffins on the side.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Pick through dried beans before rinsing to remove stones and damaged beans, which can shatter during the 45-minute high-pressure cook and create a gritty mouthfeel that's difficult to detect after cooking.technique45 minutes high pressure
- ✓Don't exceed the Instant Pot's maximum fill line by more than 2-3 inches when cooking beans, since they expand 200-300% during pressure cooking and can clog the vent valve, creating a safety hazard.equipment200-300% expansion
- ✓Add the apple cider vinegar at the start of cooking (not at the end) because its acetic acid softens bean skins during the 45-minute pressure cook, reducing mushiness while maintaining structural integrity.ingredient45 minutes pressure cook
- ✓Perform a quick release immediately after the 45-minute cycle completes rather than waiting for natural release, because residual heat continues hydrating beans for 10-15 minutes and can turn them mushy if delayed.timingImmediate quick release vs. 10-15 minute natural release
- ✓Reserve tasting the soup and adjusting seasoning until after shredding the turkey, since the meat releases additional rendered fat (10-15% of its weight) that carries smoked flavors and changes salt perception by up to 20%.timing10-15% rendered fat release