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4.8 from 102 votes

Ham and Bean Soup

This is easily the best Ham and Bean Soup we’ve ever had! It's a simple, adaptable recipe, perfect with chunks of crusty bread.

Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
5 hrs
Total Time
5 hrs 20 mins
Servings: 10
Calories: 317 kcal
Course: Soup
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon oil (olive oil, vegetable oil, canola oil, etc.)
  • 1 1/2 cups onions (diced, about 1 medium onion)
  • 4 large garlic cloves (chopped)
  • 2 cups celery (diced, about 5 ribs of celery)
  • 2 1/2 cups carrots (diced, about 6 medium carrots)
  • 5 oz. cans assorted beans (such as cannellini, red kidney, pink beans, pinto beans, or black-eyed peas, drained—no need to be super thorough about draining)
  • 9 cups water (a 15-ounce/425g bean can, filled 5x; can use low-sodium chicken stock if you don't have the chicken bouillon paste the recipe calls for)
  • 2 large bay leaves
  • 2 teaspoons dried thyme
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoons onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon paprika
  • 2 tablespoons chicken bouillon paste (adjust to avoid over-salting if using powdered bouillon)
  • 14 ounces ham (roughly shredded or diced; or 2 large smoked ham hocks)
  • 1/2 cup fresh parsley (chopped)
  • 1/4-1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke (optional, to taste: not needed if using smoked ham hocks)

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Heat a Dutch oven (you can also use a thick-bottomed soup pot, but may need to stir more often to prevent burning) over medium heat for about 3 minutes or so, until it’s nice and hot. Add the oil and the onions. Cook until the onions begin to turn translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes.
  2. Stir in the chopped celery and carrots, and cook for an additional 5-6 minutes. Add the beans, followed by the water. Increase the heat to high.
  3. Add the bay leaves, dried thyme, garlic powder, onion powder, white pepper, black pepper, paprika, and chicken bouillon paste. (If you don’t have chicken bouillon paste, simply use chicken stock in place of the water.) Bring to a boil.
  4. Stir in the ham. I like to cut it into big shards/shreds for extra texture. (Sarah likes hers cubed and orderly though. I won’t judge either way!) If you’re using a ham hock instead of ham, you can add it in now.
  5. Reduce the heat to medium-low so the soup is at a somewhat energetic simmer--it should always be at a low bubble. Cook for 4-5 hours, stirring periodically. For the first half of the cooking time, I keep the lid on. For the last hour or two, I will leave the pot slightly uncovered so some steam can escape. If the soup isn’t cooking down, you may want to increase the heat to medium. Every stove is different, so don’t just set it and forget it. Periodically check liquid levels.
  6. In the last hour of cooking, add the fresh parsley and liquid smoke (if desired), and cook for another hour. It’s done when the beans and carrots are tender, and the soup is thickened. If you used a ham hock, fish out any bones, and chop up any large pieces of meat and skin (keeping the skin is optional) that don’t break down during the cooking process before serving.
  7. This soup is quite forgiving. If it ends up too salty for your tastes, just add water, and lightly mash some of the beans to release their starchiness and re-thicken the soup. If you are reheating the soup and there is not enough liquid, just add 1-2 cups of water to bring it back to your desired consistency.

Notes

  • You can also used dried beans for this recipe, but will need to cook them in a pressure cooker. See end of post for pressure cooker instructions.
  • This soup freezes well. It is best consumed within 3 months, but will last up to 6 months.
  • This soup freezes well. It is best consumed within 3 months, but will last up to 6 months.

Nutrition Information

Calories 317kcal (16%) Carbohydrates 40g (13%) Protein 19g (38%) Fat 9g (14%) Saturated Fat 3g (15%) Trans Fat 1g Cholesterol 25mg (8%) Sodium 906mg (38%) Potassium 927mg (26%) Fiber 12g (48%) Sugar 5g (10%) Vitamin A 5723IU (114%) Vitamin C 10mg (11%) Calcium 146mg (15%) Iron 4mg (22%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 10Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 317

% Daily Value*

Calories 317kcal 16%
Carbohydrates 40g 13%
Protein 19g 38%
Fat 9g 14%
Saturated Fat 3g 15%
Trans Fat 1g 50%
Cholesterol 25mg 8%
Sodium 906mg 38%
Potassium 927mg 20%
Fiber 12g 48%
Sugar 5g 10%
Vitamin A 5723IU 114%
Vitamin C 10mg 11%
Calcium 146mg 15%
Iron 4mg 22%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.