Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 2 hrs
Total: 2 hrs 20 mins
Servings: 6 servings
This hearty ham and bean soup is the kind of soup you crave on a cold fall or winter day. It’s a simple preparation using dried beans and diced ham along with chopped vegetables. The flavor comes from the long simmering. Add a ham bone or ham hock for the extra smoky flavor. It is an excellent way to use leftover ham.
We like hot baked cornbread with the soup, but biscuits slathered with butter or thick slices of crusty homemade bread would be equally delicious.
It's a great lunch soup, too. Serve it in cups with sandwiches or a simple tossed salad.
Ingredients
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8 cups water
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1 pound Great Northern beans, or navy beans
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2 cups diced cooked ham
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1 ham bone, or ham hock, optional
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1/2 cup chopped onion
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1 carrot, chopped
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1 to 2 ribs celery, chopped or thinly sliced
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1 leaf bay leaf
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1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
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1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
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1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
Steps to Make It
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Gather the ingredients.
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Bring the water and beans to a boil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven; boil for 2 minutes.
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Remove the beans from heat, cover, and let stand for 1 hour.
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Add the ham and ham bone or ham hock to the beans, along with onion, carrot, celery, bay leaf, and pepper. Bring to a boil.
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Skim any foam from top.
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Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until beans are tender—about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. If soup is too thick, add a little more water.
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Take out ham bone or ham hocks from the soup, if using, and place on cutting board.
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Dice or shred the meat and return it to the soup.
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Add the tomato sauce and salt, to taste, and simmer for about 15 minutes longer.
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Remove the bay leaf.
Tips
- If you soak the beans overnight, use 8 cups of water and skip the first step of boiling the beans and letting them stand for an hour.
- This soup is good for tailgating. Transfer the finished soup to a slow cooker and take it along to a party or event. Keep it on low or on the warm setting for serving.
Recipe Variations
- For some extra texture and flavor, add 1 can of diced tomatoes to the soup along with the tomato sauce.
- For extra color, add a cup of corn kernels to the soup shortly before it is ready.
- Add 1/2 cup of multicolored chopped bell peppers along with the onions.
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings: 6 | |
| Amount per serving | |
| Calories | 177 |
| % Daily Value* | |
| Total Fat 3g | 4% |
| Saturated Fat 1g | 3% |
| Cholesterol 29mg | 10% |
| Sodium 770mg | 33% |
| Total Carbohydrate 22g | 8% |
| Dietary Fiber 7g | 24% |
| Total Sugars 4g | |
| Protein 17g | |
| Vitamin C 6mg | 31% |
| Calcium 83mg | 6% |
| Iron 3mg | 14% |
| Potassium 675mg | 14% |
| *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. | |
