Warm, hearty, and packed with smoky flavor, Ham and Bean Soup is classic comfort food that’s perfect for chilly days or using up leftover ham.
🧾 Ingredients
- 1 lb dried great northern beans or navy beans
- 2 cups cooked ham, diced
- 1 ham bone or ham hock (optional for extra flavor)
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 carrots, sliced
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 6 cups chicken broth or water
- 1 tsp thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- Salt & black pepper to taste
👩🍳 Instructions
1. Soak the beans
Rinse and soak beans overnight.
Drain before cooking.
(Quick soak option: boil beans 2 minutes, remove from heat, and let sit 1 hour.)
2. Sauté the vegetables
In a large pot, cook onion, carrots, and celery until softened.
Add garlic and cook 1 minute more.
3. Simmer the soup
Add:
- soaked beans
- ham
- ham bone or hock
- broth
- thyme
- bay leaf
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 1½–2 hours until beans are tender.
4. Finish
Remove ham bone and bay leaf.
Season with salt and pepper.
For a thicker soup, mash some of the beans before serving.
🥖 Perfect With
- Cornbread
- Biscuits
- Crusty bread
- Side salad
🔥 Delicious Variations
- Add potatoes for extra heartiness
- Stir in spinach or kale
- Use smoked sausage with the ham
- Add a pinch of cayenne for heat
💡 Tips
- Leftover holiday ham works perfectly
- Soup thickens as it cools
- Freeze leftovers for easy meals
- A smoked ham hock adds incredible depth of flavor
