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
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.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Didnt change a thing except to thicken it a bit a sprinkled in instant mashed potato flakes; maybe 1/3 cup.
I used dried beans for years and I just switched to canned beans. I think that the soup has better flavor and takes much less time to prepare. Wish I would have discovered this years ago when my life was so much busier.
For sure Rose, canned beans work great for a quicker version.
I plan on using my slow cooker to make this soup. Do I still soak the beans overnight before adding to the cooker, or will the 6-8 hrs on low be sufficient to soften them. I would hate to end up with mushy beans!
yes, I would still soak the beans Karen.
Personally, I have made this soup several times; once in the slow cooker. The beans were a bit mushy in the slow cooker. I have better control when making on the stove top. Stick to the recipe as written. Just my two cents.
We just had this for lunch today! One of my favorite soups. I have been using the dried beans too and I freeze most of the soup to have during the winter. I wonder how the canned beans would be after freezing? Would they be too mushy?
First time to make. Cooked in my crockpot on low for 6 hours. I added bacon bits and left my veggies chunky. Did not pre-cook them. Came out super great. Will certainly make again. Thank you
I tried this recipe and it was delicious! I had no leftovers! I want to make it again since I have a ham bone leftover from Easter. Thanks for a simple wonderful recipe!
I used your recipe and added two bay leaves plus used the immersion blender on about four cups of the soup. It is a recipe that I have added to my own recipe favorites. This recipe will become a staple in my dinners future!
I’ve taken photos just haven’t been able to attach here!
Thank you!!
This is the best ham and bean soup I have tried. I’ve made it many times and always receive praises. One thing I do differently is add a can of diced tomatoes. We really enjoy that extra little pop of flavor.
I have to admit something…the only reason I buy bone-in ham is so I can make this recipe – it’s THAT good! Thank y’all for a super-great recipe.
Thank you Laurie, I also make a bone-in ham just to have leftovers for this soup!
Can you still make without bone in ham? Maybe add a ham hock?
Yes it will work without a bone in ham. The bone just adds extra flavor.
My family enjoyed this recipe immensely. I’m making it again just a few weeks after the last time I made it because I was craving it. The only change i make is to put it into my instant pot to cook. 25 minutes later, it’s done. Thank you for a deliciously easy recipe.
Thank you Nicole for taking the time to drop me a comment and rate my recipe!
Did you use dry beans? do you need to soak them first? I’m going make this in my IP.
Yes Brenda, I used dry beans and soaked them overnight.
Im going to do the slow cooker version. Do I need to fry up the veggies and garlic, or just add everything? It seems like they should soften in the ceock pot for 8 hours.
Brenda, I used dry beans like the recipe calls for. I tried both soaking for about 5 hours and not soaking and noticed a very slight difference in texture. I think I preferred the soaked bean version but both were good.
I am a soup lover and this soup recipe is definitely a keeper 😋 I also used canned beans, it was delicious. My husband and I both had a second helping and he’s not a soup lover.
THANKS for the recipe
I’m now going to follow you 👍
Thank you, thanks for following my blog. I hope you find more recipes to try!
Sooooo good!!! I didn’t have carrots, followed the recipe otherwise. Will make this again. So much flavor!!
We buy a bone-in ham every winter so we have ham for this soup. It’s one of our very favorite soups and I don’t tweak the recipe at all. I soak the dry beans overnight and let it simmer on stove for 3 hours. The broth is absolutely delicious!!
Thanks for such a wonderfully perfect soup recipe!! ♥️
Can I use my left over ham, for this recipe ,unfortunately I don’t have the bone?
yes left over ham without the bone will work. The bone just adds more flavor
Sounds great – I’ll be trying it out this week. Think I could use it with dried black-eyed peas for New Year’s?
We both agree that this is the best soup we’ve made. And we make a lot of soups in the fall and winter. We made it in the morning, let it simmer for 3 hours, and by supper time it was delicious.
Excellent soup recipe. I used canned navy beans (drained and rinsed) instead of the dry which I added to the soup the last hour of simmering. Thanks for posting, I’m glad I made it?
Oops, the last sentence on my previous comment should have ended with an explanation point NOT a question mark.
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!
Just got the soup in the crockpot and
no room to spare.Well let you know how it came out, looks good.
I like this soup. I used butter beans, pinto beans, navy beans, and canilli beans. The different beans made this soup even better.
First time making this soup. So easy and delicious!!!
Thank you Suzanne, it is one of my family’s favorites!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Nice updated version of an old recipe. I made minor adjustments according to our preferences, ie: added a bay leaf, used mostly water vs. broth, but I did add 2 tsp Better Than Bouillon roasted chicken flavor at the end. It took 1 hour on high & 8 hrs on low to fully cook in my large crockpot.
I love ham and bean soup, but I am wondering if I can use the bag of mixed beans instead of the navy beans. Its what I have on hand. Thank you.
Hi Sharon, I have only used navy beans, but I am pretty sure the mixed beans will work just fine. Enjoy!
I use mixed beans often, it’s great!
Nothing like ham and bean soup when it’s cold outside! I have secret ingredient that everyone loves. I add some ground cloves to the soup. Try 1/2 tablespoon and let it cook for while then taste. A little brown sugar, say a tablespoon or so, is also nice. These additions mimic a ham glaze, but in a subtle way.
Best ham and bean soup ever made and I’ve tried alot
I’ve made this several times and it is excellent! My son asked me to make it this year.