Ah, Ham and Bean Soup 🍲—a hearty, comforting soup that’s perfect for chilly days. It’s rich, smoky, and full of tender beans and savory ham. Here’s a classic recipe:
Ham and Bean Soup
Servings: 6–8
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 1–1.5 hours
Ingredients
- 2 cups dried white beans (like navy or cannellini), soaked overnight or quick-soaked
- 1 lb (450 g) cooked ham, diced (or use ham bone for more flavor)
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 6 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- Salt & pepper, to taste
- Optional: 1 tbsp tomato paste or a few diced tomatoes for depth
- Optional garnish: chopped parsley
Instructions
- Prepare the beans
- If using dried beans, rinse and soak overnight in water. Drain before using.
- Quick-soak method: boil beans 2 minutes, remove from heat, cover 1 hour, then drain.
- Sauté vegetables
- In a large pot, heat a little oil or butter over medium heat.
- Add onion, carrots, and celery. Cook 5–7 minutes until softened.
- Add garlic and cook 30 seconds.
- Add beans, ham, and broth
- Add soaked beans, diced ham (or ham bone), broth, bay leaf, thyme, and optional tomato paste.
- Simmer
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 1–1.5 hours until beans are tender.
- If using a ham bone, remove it before serving and shred any meat left on the bone.
- Season & serve
- Taste and adjust salt and pepper (ham can be salty, so season carefully).
- Serve hot, garnished with parsley if desired.
🔥 Tips
- Ham bone adds deep flavor; if you don’t have one, extra diced ham works fine.
- For a thicker soup, mash some of the beans against the side of the pot while simmering.
- Can make in a slow cooker: combine everything and cook on low 6–8 hours or high 3–4 hours.
- Leftovers taste even better the next day after flavors meld.
I can also give you a quick stovetop version using canned beans that’s ready in under 30 minutes.
Do you want the quick canned-bean version?
