Sometimes nostalgia just hits you in the mouth right? That’s what this recipe will do for you. It’s pure comfort in a bowl. Homemade ham and bean soup is hearty and full of flavor, with a surprisingly short ingredient list for all the massive flavor it packs in. It’s all about the ham bone, that stuff is magical. Save yours after Easter and turn it into this soup! (I have substitutes if you don’t have a ham bone, don’t stress). Make this in the slow cooker or stove top!
Table of Contents
- Nostalgia in a bowl
- Ham bean soup is my love language
- The best recipe for ham and bean soup
- This makes a big ol batch of soup
- The ingredients
- How to make ham and bean soup
- What to serve with slow cooker ham and bean soup
- How to store the leftovers
- Can you freeze ham and bean soup?
- Ham and bean soup frequently asked questions
- More recipes for your leftover ham!
- More bean lovin recipes you’ll want to try
- Ham and Bean Soup Recipe
Eric has been out of town this week, and I have had to face some very harsh realities. Like the fact that apparently I NEVER make our bed. I’m looking over right now at my ruffled sheets, and they look exactly the same as when I dragged myself out of them this morning. I’m a tidying-moocher! I didn’t even know!
Another reality: starting the dishwasher. Now don’t look at me like that, I DO THE DISHES, I swear. It’s the actual starting of the machine that gets me. Our dishwasher is a senior citizen…she needs a little TLC. Her name is Shelly and she’s the grumpiest witch, not gonna lie.
Eric is the ONLY one with the magic touch. She is so fussy that if you open her up in the middle of a cycle, to add in that last glass or spoon, she will BEEP at you incessantly for hours on end and refuse to work. She has her own little tantrum anytime she’s interrupted.
On days like this, Eric’s strategy is to put her in time out. You know, so she can gain some perspective. After a while she forgives him and starts up again. But Eric’s the only one she listens to. I’ve had to literally beg on bended knee this week to get her to do anything.
I know what you’re thinking: A man who makes the bed and does the dishes? I know, I know. He’s all mine ladies, back off.
Nostalgia in a bowl
The feud between Shelly and I has been kind of a problem, because I’ve been testing this ham and bean soup nonstop. It’s not a hard recipe, but still, there are SOME dishes!
It’s been raining like crazy here in Sacramento, and soup is the answer, in my book. Not that rain is a problem. Rather, soup is like the final puzzle piece that makes the rain feel so “right.”
Ham bean soup is my love language
I still remember where I was sitting the first time I tried this soup. I was in my mother-in-law’s dining room, having an other-worldly experience while everyone else chatted normally, as if something monumental wasn’t happening.
Kris had used the ham bone from our recent holiday meal (Easter, I think) to make the soup. I just kept taking bite after bite, staring down at the magic that was in my bowl. I was blown away by the flavor. It felt like such a mystery. Soup is an ART, that is for sure. Kris is a master!
I LOVE this soup. If you found my blog because of a soup you loved (Potato Soup? Creamy Turkey Rice? Beef Barley?) then you will know I am passionate about a well-spiced and well-balanced soup!
The best recipe for ham and bean soup
The real secret to this recipe is the ham bone. The marrow flavors the entire soup in a way that you just can’t get by adding plain ham. We are also starting off with dried beans, rather than canned beans. This has a huge impact on flavor, because we are letting the beans cook for hours, absorbing all the other flavors.
Flavors like smokey ham, thyme, carrots, celery, ah! It all just comes together so beautifully. These ingredients were just MADE for each other. I could eat a bowl of this soup every day for the rest of my life and die happy.
Kris was the one who taught me about this soup, and I tackled my own version of it several years ago. It’s never been a post on the blog, but I shared it on my Instagram page forever ago. It’s the only place I have it recorded, so I have to go take a screenshot every time I make it. (You can see it below after the recipe card!) I’m so excited to finally give this classic soup its own official post! Ham navy bean soup needs to be recorded for posterity.
I’m sending you this recipe early so you are ready for when you have that ham bone after Easter! If you want to try it this weekend, you can totally make it with a couple ham hocks from the store. It’s a great hack that I use all the time.
This makes a big ol batch of soup
I just can’t understand why anyone would go to the trouble of making homemade soup and not make a huge batch. Soup is a time investment, and most soups freeze phenomenally, including today’s recipe.
So bust out your biggest pot and get ready to solve tonight’s dinner AND next week’s too! It just makes sense, I’m sorry small-batch people. Clear out some space in your freezer!
The ingredients
Here’s a brief overview of what you’ll need to make this amazing soup. There really isn’t too much that is out of the ordinary other than the ham bone (which you should totally save from your holiday meal) or ham hock (super easy to buy in the grocery store). Make sure you look at the recipe card for exact measurements and instructions on how to make the soup!
- ham bone or ham hocks
- dry white beans
- salt and pepper
- Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base
- bay leaves
- celery
- onion
- garlic
- carrots
- thyme, chipotle pepper
How to make ham and bean soup
We’re starting out with dry beans for the BEST flavor! This soup is a time investment because of that, but I PROMISE it’s worth it guys. When you take the time to cook the beans from dry, the time invested means you get the full flavor from the ham bone. More time = more flavor. So really, ham bones and dry beans go hand in hand. Rinse those beans:
Add the beans and ham hocks to a pot with some water. That tablespoon hanging out in there is my Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base. Sometimes I’m in such a hurry to get my recipe done so that I can shoot in the best light that I don’t think too much about how weird my process shots look. Ha. Sorry guys, charlatan over here. Add in the bay leaves and salt. DON’T be salt shy!!
Let that simmer for a hot minute. Okay, about an hour. Meanwhile, prep your veggies:
I love to chop celery from the leaf end, all the stalks at once. Great flavor!
Here’s how much celery and onion I ended up with this time. You want roughly an equal amount, but like I said, your soup will forgive you if it’s not exact. I promise.
Add it all to the pot:
This photo shows adding my ham steak at the same time as the celery, which is different from the recipe. I did that because I accidentally did the first simmer too long and needed to move things along. But bottom line—it doesn’t matter that much 😂 You want to make sure you cook the veggies enough, but don’t want to boil the ham to death. So just keep that in mind.
Add in some extra water so that the veggies have plenty to absorb. Don’t forget that fresh thyme! Oh, and the chipotle powder. This is TOTALLY optional. I started doing this years ago because I loved the chipotle flavor that the soup had when I made it using the ham bone from my favorite Raspberry Chipotle Glazed Ham. So good!
Here is my ham hock that I chopped up. Look at how much meat was on there!
About 30 minutes before your soup is done, add in the carrots:
You can use a food processor or shred them with a box grater. You can OF COURSE just chop the carrots as usual! Add them in with the celery and onions if you do that, they will need longer to cook. I just love the texture of shredded carrots in my soup! I learned this from Eric’s grandma, Nana, who always shredded her carrots for Beef Barley Soup. ❤️
This is the last step! Now just wait for the carrots and beans to be fully tender and it’s time to EAT!
Just look at this goodness. Give me two bowls please!
What to serve with slow cooker ham and bean soup
Soups, especially really hearty ones like this recipe, are the easiest main dishes for me because I almost always pair them with a simple green salad and some type of bread. It’s a combo that never lets me down! Here are some great salad and bread options to choose from.
Salad to serve with your soup
- Raspberry Avocado Salad with Poppyseed Dressing >> such a refreshing salad, and I love how light it feels next to this soup
- Easy Broccoli Bacon Salad Recipe >> this is my absolute favorite broccoli salad, a total crowd pleaser
- Green Salad with Feta and Beets (The Fanciest No-Chop Salad Ever) >> I turn to this salad anytime I want a delicious salad in about 5 minutes flat
- Strawberry Spinach Salad >> sweet, tangy dressing over spinach and strawberries is a HUGE win in my book
- Mexican Cucumber Salad with Cilantro and Lime >> I can eat this cucumber salad with almost any entree. I swear it goes with everything!
- Avocado Salad from Love and Lemons
Bread to dip in this soup
- The Best Garlic Butter Bread >> I’m hard pressed to think of a time I would ever, ever say no to garlic bread. Garlic butter for life!
- Best Recipe for Garlic Knots >> speaking of garlic and butter… a batch of these is basically a meal for me
- Quick and Easy French Bread Recipe >> are you a crusty bread for soups kind of person? If so, this super easy french bread is for you
- Garlic and Rosemary Skillet Bread >> this bread is like the crust of a pan pizza and halfway to heaven
- Rustic Italian Crusty Bread Recipe from Ciao Florentina
How to store the leftovers
Once it has cooled, transfer the soup to a container with an airtight lid. You can store it all together to reheat for family style serving, or add it to smaller containers for individual or meal prep serving. To reheat a large amount, pour the soup back into a pot big enough to hold it all. Then, warm it over medium heat with a lid on, stirring occasionally, until the soup is piping hot.
To reheat individual servings, add an individual container (glass is best) or bowl to the microwave. Heat at 50% power for 3-4 minutes until hot.
Can you freeze ham and bean soup?
Hallelujah yes! This soup is perfect for freezing. The recipe makes so much that I’m often able to freeze half of it. Then I have a dinner in the freezer ready to go for those days when I just can’t even. YOU know those days.
Carefully ladle cooled soup into a gallon size ziplock freezer bag, making sure to leave a bit of space at the top for when the soup expands as it freezes. It will last in the freezer for about 3-4 months.
To thaw
When you’re ready to eat your soup again, thaw it in the refrigerator overnight. Then, transfer the soup to a large pot and warm over medium heat until ready.
Or, if you’re like me and you realize at 4pm that you have no food to make for your children, find the soup in the freezer, then dump the whole frozen mass of it in a large pot over low heat (or use scissors to cut the ziplock away). Add about 1/2 to 1 cup of water and top it with a lid. After about 15-20 minutes, you can open the lid and stir in any soup that’s melted. As more soup melts, you can turn the heat up a bit. Keep the lid on, and stir occasionally until the soup is mostly thawed. Then you can turn the heat up to medium (if you haven’t gotten there yet), still stirring, until heated through.
Ham and bean soup frequently asked questions
No, you can get great flavor using ham hocks or other smoked pork pieces! The rich, meaty broth that comes from using a bone is unmatched. You really need that depth of flavor for this soup, there isn’t that much else to it. You can use a leftover bone from a ham you’ve cooked, or purchase ham hock or pork shank right from the grocery store. If you truly cannot use a ham bone, use extra ham to lend more flavor.
Using a bone while cooking the soup will help thicken due to the gelatin in the bone dissolving into the broth. You can use a potato masher or immersion blender to smash or blend some of the beans. The released starch from the beans will make the broth thicker. If you want it extra thick, in a small bowl mix together 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of water. Slowly pour into the hot soup and let it come to a simmer and cook for about one minute.
More recipes for your leftover ham!
I always buy a bigger ham than I need because I love to use the leftovers so much. Both the bone and the meat are so great in so many recipes. Check out some of my favorites!
- Ham Mac and Cheese Soup >> my kids (and I) go crazy for this soup
- Cheesy Ham and Broccoli Frittata >> a frittata is practically fool proof, and this one has pockets of melty cheddar cheese. Yes please!
- Ham and Cheese Dip >> If it’s wrong to serve this dip with bread for dinner, then I don’t want to be right
- Cheesy Hashbrown Breakfast Casserole with Ham >> another breakfast that I adore (and is also a reader favorite)
- Cheesy Ham and Egg Breakfast Casserole with Biscuits (Overnight) >> similar to the casserole above, but with BISCUITS! And Hollandaise Sauce!!
More bean lovin recipes you’ll want to try
I’m a beans girl. My friend Katie told me the other day that her son loves rice so much that when they go to Chipotle for lunch, he orders two sides of rice. I’m the opposite, give me two sides of beans please! (Seriously why am I not doing this??) Beans are just so flavorful and creamy when they are done right.
- Traditional Tejano Pinto Beans (Slow Cooker Mexican Beans) >> my very favorite beans on this entire planet probably
- Santa Maria Beans >> smokey and sweet, with a perfect blend of spices
- Cajun Red Beans and Rice Recipe >> so creamy and flavorful, there’s a reason there are a southern staple
- The Best Chili Recipe Ever! (Slow Cooker) >> the smell alone is intoxicating, and eating it is even better
- Creamy White Chicken Chili Recipe (Easy!) >> I’m in love with how easy this is to throw together, and it’s a double win since my kids love it too
- Hearty White Bean Chicken Soup with Kale >> so much flavor thanks to the whole parmesan rind that cooks with the soup!
Facebook | Pinterest | Instagram
Ham and Bean Soup
Ingredients
- 1 ham bone**, with plenty of meat still on it. OR use 2 ham hocks, see note**
- 10 cups water
- 1 pound dry navy beans*, rinsed
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt, use 1.5 teaspoons table salt
- 2 tablespoons Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base, or Zoup brand chicken base
- 3 bay leaves
- 3 cups celery, chopped
- 2 large onions
- 6 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
- 5 sprigs fresh thyme****
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon chipotle chili powder, optional
- 5 cups water
- 4 medium carrots, peeled and shredded
- 3 cups chopped ham, from the ham bone, ham hocks, or ham steak
- parsley, chopped, to garnish (optional)
- Parmesan cheese, shredded, to garnish (optional)
- French Bread, for serving, optional, but not really
Instructions
- Prepare your ham bone: You need a meaty ham bone for this recipe! (If you don't have one, see notes for how to use ham hocks + a ham steak.) Cut as much of the ham off the bone as you can, that is easy to get off. You want to add about 2-3 cups of meat to your soup. Chop it and set it aside to add toward the end—we don't want the tender ham getting tough from simmering so long. Add the ham bone to your largest stock pot (at least 6 quart capacity.) More of the ham will come off the bone in tender shreds as it cooks.
- Add water and beans: Add 10 cups of water, 1 pound of dry navy beans (that have been rinsed and picked through), 2 teaspoons kosher salt***, 2 tablespoons Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base, and 3 bay leaves.
- Simmer. Cover with a lid and bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. Keep an eye on it until it boils. Once it is at a rolling boil, lower the heat to medium low. Maintain the heat at a low simmer. The soup should have a slow bubble but nothing too wild. Simmer for 1 hour.
- Prep the veggies. Chop 3 cups of celery. Start at the leafy end of the head of celery and just start chopping down the line, no need to pull off stalks. I love adding these celery leaves to my soup, they have great flavor. Chop the celery into smallish bite size pieces.
- Chop 2 large onions. This will be about 3 and 1/2 cups, but you don't need to measure it. Soup will forgive you if it's not exact.
- Smash 6 cloves of garlic with the side of a chef's knife. Peel off the paper and mince the garlic.
- Add veggies: After the soup has simmered about one hour, add 3 cups chopped celery, 2 chopped onions, and 6 cloves minced garlic.
- Add spices and water. Add 5 sprigs of fresh thyme PLUS 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme.**** Add 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon chipotle chili powder (optional).
- Add about 5 cups water to compensate for the water that evaporated in the first simmer.
- Bring the soup to a boil over high heat, then lower the heat to medium low to maintain a low simmer. Simmer for about 1 hour.
- Add the carrots: Wash and peel 4 medium carrots. Use a box grater or a food processor to shred the carrots (it will be about 2 cups shredded carrots). Add the carrots to the soup.
- Remove the ham bone from the soup. Use a fork or knife to carefully pull away any tasty looking meat that is still on the bone. Shred and return the ham to the pot. Add any chopped ham that you set aside in the beginning. (This is when you would add a ham steak, if you used ham hocks.) The soup should have somewhere around 2-3 cups of ham in it.
- Simmer. Once the carrots and chopped ham are in the soup, continue simmering for another 30 minutes or so. (You can turn the heat up a bit and keep an eye on it so it doesn't boil over if you are in a hurry. Turn it back down once it has a decent bubble going.)
- The soup is done when the shredded carrots are tender, when the white beans are tender and not at all chalky, and when the ham is heated through.
- Serve the soup with a sprinkle of fresh parsley and shredded parmesan. And a few cranks of freshly cracked black pepper! Add a hunk of French bread to everyone's bowl, if you know what's good for you. What's a bowl of soup without the bread?? Treat your people right.
- Storage: Store this soup covered in the fridge for up to 5-7 days.
- Freezing: The soup freezes very well! Add cooled soup to a ziplock and leave some space in the bag to let the soup expand as it freezes. When you want to eat, let it thaw in the fridge and then heat on low in a pot, or heat small servings in the microwave. To cook from frozen, add the frozen soup to a large pot with 1/2 cup water. Cover and heat on LOW, stirring every 20 minutes, until the soup is melted. Once it's melted turn the heat up to medium high until it reaches a simmer. Serve as usual!
Notes
Nutrition
Just for fun, here’s the original recipe I posted on Instagram. The final version in the recipe card has been updated but only slightly.
Ok! You’ve convinced me! NO MORE SOAKING!!
Beautiful photos Karen. And of course I know this is an amazing recipe! The only thing I do differently is I soak my beans (either overnight or the boil 1 minute and sit an hour method)and then drain and rinse them and start with fresh water. I’ve read in different places this helps reduce the amount of gasiness that beans can cause. Your way is definitely faster and one less step. Did you read anything about that being legit in your research? I could swear I read it on the Kitchn or some other reputable food site. Just wondering!
Hi Kris!! There is a lot of dispute about this, but I call hogwash. Everyone is going to be affected differently by beans of course (and if you eat a lot of beans, you will definitely build up a tolerance.) But I read several articles debunking the soak method. In fact, everything I read said that soaking beans ahead of time DECREASES flavor in the beans and has no effect whatsoever on gasiness. It makes sense — the beans soaking in water absorb flavorless water before being dunked in our delicious broth with ham, giving them less of a chance to absorb the good stuff. They also turn out more mushy, especially if you are using fresh beans. Here are some of the articles I read:
https://www.latimes.com/food/dailydish/la-dd-dont-soak-dried-beans-20140911-story.html
https://www.seriouseats.com/soaking-black-beans-faq
https://www.seriouseats.com/bean-science-how-to-reduce-gas-tested-6755268
Great discussion question! Reading these articles, especially that last Serious Eats one, also supported my theory that draining canned beans is usually a terrible idea, as far as flavor goes. They said, “Rinsing [canned] beans is like throwing away beef stock and eating only the flavorless, overcooked beef.” When you rinse dry beans, naturally some of the bean breaks down into the liquid, and is discarded when you drain. I want that flavor! So no soaking or rinsing for me.
But really. It’s also because I’m lazy. 🤣