Dice the sausage links into 1" cylinders. Set Aside.
Set the Instant Pot to SAUTE & keep it at NORMAL. Add olive oil & when the oil becomes moderately hot throw in the sausages and fry them until golden brown in color. There will be bits sticking at the bottom, don't worry about them, we'll be deglazing the pot later and those bits & crumbs will act as flavor boosters. Once the sausages are done keep them aside.
In the same pot throw in the onion, garlic, celery, leek & carrots and sauté until just limp or soft. Add salt to quicken the process.
Once the veggies are soft add the spices + the crushed tomato and give everything a good mix.
Than, add the soaked and drained great northern beans and mix well so that the beans are all coated well with the rest of the ingredients.
Pour in the stock and the water and deglaze the pot very well so that there are absolutely no crumbs and bits stuck at the bottom of the pot. This is very important otherwise you might get a BURN message in your Instant Pot.
Throw in the herbs. CANCEL the SAUTE & press the PRESSURE COOK mode and cook on HIGH for just 6 mins.
Once, the cooking time is up and the Instant Pot begins to beep wait for Natural Pressure Release (NPR) for about 6 mins and than release the rest of the pressure.
Open the lid and add the fried sausages and the hot sauce and Balsamic vinegar. If you prefer a little more liquid in your bean stew add some more water or broth. Press the SAUTE mode, keep it on LOW & simmer a few mins. Serve hot with more hot sauce.