Ham and Bean Soup
A best ever recipe for Ham and Bean Soup! This is my all-time favorite recipe for using up leftover ham. Your family will love this hearty and delicious soup.
Whenever I cook a ham I always buy a large one just to have extra ham to make this savory bean soup recipe. Although boneless ham meat will work for this recipe, you will not get the same rich flavorful broth that a ham bone, ham hock or ham shank will add.
Can you make this recipe in a slow cooker or instant pot?
Absolutely, the cooking time if using your instant pot will be about 50 minutes. Cooking time for the slow cooker will be 8-10 hours on low or 4-5 hours on high.
Ingredients for ham and bean soup
Beans – I prefer to use dried Great Northern beans or Navy beans, but you can also use dried white beans or Cannellini beans.
Ham and ham bone – leftover ham has the best flavor, but any kind of ham will work.
Chicken stock or chicken broth – Try my Homemade Chicken Stock recipe or use your favorite brand and adjust the salt to taste.
Vegetables – celery, carrots, onion, and garlic.
Can you add potatoes? Potatoes do not work well in this recipe as they become too mushy. Try my Ham and Potato soup recipe instead.
Seasonings – fresh or dried thyme, parsley and ground black pepper. Add salt as needed.
Method for preparing the soup
How to thicken ham and bean soup
When the bean soup has almost finished cooking, remove about 1 cup of the soup. Puree using an immersion blender and stir back into the soup.
I prefer the texture and have always soaked my beans for at least 8 hours or overnight. Alberta Pulse Growers has some great information about preparing dry beans. Whatever method you use be sure to discard any broken or shriveled beans. Store your beans in an airtight container in a cool, dry place and use within one year. Old beans can stay hard and chewy even after cooking.
How to store leftover soup.
Leftover ham and bean soup stores in the refrigerator for 3-4 days and in the freezer for up to 3 months.
The Best Homemade Soup Recipes
As the weather turns cold and you start to crave comfort food, warm up with some of these delicious homemade soup recipes.
This post was originally published April 26,2024. Occasionally I update with fresh tips, content, and photos.
Ham and Bean Soup
Video
Ingredients
- 4 cups leftover ham cubed
- 1 ham bone
- 2 cups dry Great Northern beans or Navy beans
- 2 cups celery chopped
- 2 cups carrots chopped
- 1 large onion finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic finely minced
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme or 2 teaspoons dry
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley or 1 tablespoon dry
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
- 8-9 cups chicken stock or chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon olive oil for sautéing vegetables
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Prepare the dried beans by soaking them in cold water for 8-10 hours or overnight. Drain and rinse, discarding any broken or discoloured beans.
- In large Dutch oven, heat oil and sauté celery, carrots, onions and garlic until tender.
- Stir in the chicken stock, ham bone and ham.
- Add the beans, parsley, thyme and pepper.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 2-3 hours until beans are tender.
- Chop up large pieces of ham before serving
- Once the soup has almost finished cooking, remove about 1 cup of the soup. Puree using an immersion blender and stir back into the soup.
Notes
Nutrition
Hi, just came across this recipe. Could you make this with lima beans in place of the navy beans? And if so, how much should you use?
Hi Patty, I have never tried lima beans myself, so without testing it I can’t really answer that.
Great recipe! Water works just fine. I found the chicken broth made it salty because my ham was salty too. One or two bay leaves is a must.
I just had to try this recipe after I saw your name! Almost the same as my Mom who just died recently. Her name is Lurene King. I’m making this soup in her honor today as a remembrance as well as a perfect dish for a cold rainy January Saturday!
So sweet, I hope you enjoy the recipe.
This soup is excellent. I didn’t have chicken broth so I used 1 carton of no salt veggie broth and then 1 carton of water with 4 tsp of Better Than Boullion’s Baked Ham base.
My mother-in-law was from Austria and taught me this recipe 50+ years ago. We always added potatoes cut in chunks a little bigger than cubes. Just add them last and cook about 20 minutes longer or until done.
First time making this soup. So easy and delicious!!!
Thank you Suzanne, it is one of my family’s favorites!
I like this soup. I used butter beans, pinto beans, navy beans, and canilli beans. The different beans made this soup even better.
Just got the soup in the crockpot and
no room to spare.Well let you know how it came out, looks good.
Your Ham and Bean soup recipe looks delicious! I’m having my children and their spouses over for this meal and my question is how many will this recipe feed and secondly, what’s the delicious looking bread in your photos?
Thanks for the recipe! I don’t usually use a recipe for this, but this meal is special having all three of my children home to feed, A mama’s dream!
Hi Janice, it really does depend on portion size, but I would say 8 should be a good number. The bread is just a simple oven baked garlic bread. Enjoy the time with your family, very special!
Oops, the last sentence on my previous comment should have ended with an explanation point NOT a question mark.