Classic comfort food right there 🥣 Here’s a hearty, old-fashioned ham and bean soup—rich, filling, and even better the next day.
Ham and Bean Soup
Ingredients (serves 6–8):
- 1 lb (450 g) dried white beans (navy or great northern)
- 1 ham bone or 2 cups diced ham
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 carrots, sliced
- 2 celery stalks, sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 8 cups water or chicken broth
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- Salt to taste
- Optional: 1 tbsp butter or olive oil
Instructions:
- Soak the beans (recommended):
- Rinse beans and soak in water overnight.
- Drain and rinse before cooking.
(Quick soak: boil beans 2 minutes, turn off heat, cover 1 hour, then drain.)
- Start the soup:
- In a large pot, add beans, ham bone (or diced ham), broth/water, bay leaf, and thyme.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer.
- Add vegetables:
- After 30 minutes, add onion, carrots, celery, and garlic.
- Simmer:
- Cook uncovered 1½–2 hours, stirring occasionally, until beans are tender and soup is thick.
- Finish:
- Remove ham bone, shred meat, and return it to the pot.
- Discard bay leaf.
- Taste and add salt if needed (ham can be salty).
- Serve:
- Serve hot with crusty bread or cornbread.
💡 Tips
- For thicker soup, mash some beans against the side of the pot.
- Add a pinch of smoked paprika for extra depth.
- Soup thickens a lot when cooled—add broth when reheating.
If you want, I can give you a slow cooker version, no-soak bean version, or a creamy ham and bean soup variation. Just say the word 👍
