Ham and Bean Soup is probably my favorite soup to make with leftover ham. And if you love beans as much as I do, this recipe is right up your alley. Itโs hearty, flavorful, and super simple to make. All you need to do is cook the aromatics, add the stock, seasonings, and beans, then let it simmer.
Looking for my leftover ham recipes? Try my ham and potato soup next!
About This Recipe
The best part about the holidays is having leftover ham to make a bunch of different recipes. This week, I'm making ham and bean soup! I've had a zipper lock of chopped ham in my freezer since Thanksgiving, and I'm ready to get rid of it.
Have you ever had ham and bean soup before? It's super delicious and easy to make. There seem to be two most popular beans to use, which are either canned or dried beans.
Canned beans are quick and easy, just open the can and you're good to go. But dried beans need to be soaked for a few hours. After trying both, I've found that I much prefer dried beans because the texture is much better, but canned beans will still get the job done if you're in a rush!
Key Ingredients
Dried white beans: These need to be soaked for at least a few hours to soften slightly. Otherwise, you will need to cook the soup for much longer, and I would prefer to save electricity.
Ham: I'm using leftover holiday ham. I added 2 cups, but feel free to add more if you have it.
Olive oil: We need 3 tablespoons to cook the vegetables.
Chicken stock/broth: I used Campbell's chicken broth with no salt added. If you use regular chicken broth, make sure you taste before adding any salt. The chicken broth may already be salty enough.
Tomato Paste: I love to add a few tablespoons of tomato paste to brighten up the entire soup. It also adds a nice warming color.
Vegetables: Onions, carrots, celery, garlic.
Seasonings: Bay leaf, dried thyme, salt, and black pepper.
Instructions
STEP 1: Add the dried beans to a large bowl, cover with 2 inches of water, and let them soak for at least 3 hours, but ideally overnight. If you're using canned beans, you can skip this step.
STEP 2: Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery, and cook for 4-5 minutes until soft. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
STEP 3: Pour in the chicken stock, then add the tomato paste, bay leaf, thyme, 2 cups of water, and soaked beans. Bring everything to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a simmer. Cook for 45-60 minutes, then stir in the ham and cook for another 10 minutes.
๐ Recipe
Ham and Bean Soup
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried white beans (like Navy or Great Northern beans) (see notes for canned beans)
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 small onion (diced)
- 2 carrots (diced)
- 2-3 ribs celery (diced)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken stock
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 cups chopped ham
- ยฝ teaspoon salt (to taste)
- ยฝ teaspoon black pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Add the dried beans to a large bowl, cover with 2 inches of water, and let them soak for at least 3 hours (ideally overnight).
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery, and cook for 4-5 minutes until soft. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
- Pour in the chicken stock, then add the tomato paste, bay leaf, thyme, 2 cups of water, and soaked beans. Bring everything to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a simmer.
- Cook for 45-60 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent the beans from sticking to the bottom.
- Stir in the ham and cook for another 10 minutes. Taste the soup and add salt and black pepper as needed (I find ham to be very salty so I usually only add a little bit of salt). Serve hot and enjoy!
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