Ham and Bean Soup with Canned Beans
User Reviews
5
Ham and Bean Soup with Canned Beans
Description
This recipe starts by sautéing carrots, celery, onion, and garlic in butter to build a vegetable base. Adding chicken broth, rinsed canned white beans, smoked ham hock, thyme, and bay leaf allows the soup to simmer slowly, extracting smoky richness from the ham and developing a full-bodied taste. The beans provide body and creaminess, especially when partially mashed or pureed to thicken the broth without overpowering the soup.
After simmering, the ham is removed, meat picked off the bone, trimmed of fat, and returned to the soup to add tender pieces throughout. Seasoning with salt and pepper adjusts the final balance. A fresh herb garnish of parsley or thyme adds a bright finish.
Serving this soup hot complements its savory depth and makes it a filling option for chilly days. The recipe can also adapt to slow-cooker preparation by sautéing vegetables first and then slow cooking the entire mixture, simplifying the process while maintaining flavor.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 cup carrot diced
- 1 cup celery diced
- 1 cup onion diced
- 1 tablespoon garlic about 3 cloves garlic, minced, fresh
- 6 cups chicken broth low-sodium
- 3 (15.5 ounce) White beans drained and rinsed (about 5 ¼ cups total) (use navy beans, Great Northern beans, or cannellini beans, for instance, canned
- thyme leaves or sub with ½ teaspoon dried thyme, from 2 sprigs fresh
- 1 ½ lb. ham hock smoked
- 1 bay leaf dried
- kosher salt to taste
- ground black pepper to taste
- parsley or thyme, chopped, fresh, for garnish; optional
Instructions
- In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add carrots, celery, onion, and garlic. Stir until vegetables are crisp-tender (about 5 minutes).
- Stir in chicken broth, beans, thyme leaves, ham hock, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 1 hour. Discard bay leaf. For a thicker soup, mash or puree some of the beans at the end of cooking. You can do this with a potato masher, or you can use an immersion blender. The pureed beans will add texture to the dish and thicken the soup. Just be careful not to puree all of the soup! Another easy way to thicken the soup is to continue simmering the pot with the lid off until it reduces.
- Remove ham hock; pull meat off the bone and discard fat. Cut ham into bite-sized pieces and stir into the pot. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if desired.
- Ladle into bowls and garnish with parsley or thyme.
Notes
- Vegetables and garlic can be sautéed then transferred to a slow cooker for an easier method.
- Cook soup on low in the slow cooker 4–6 hours or high 2–3 hours before shredding ham and serving.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 10cups
Amount Per Serving
Calories 164 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1cup | |
| Calories | 164kcal | 8% |
| Carbohydrates | 22.3g | 7% |
| Protein | 12.4g | 25% |
| Fat | 3.9g | 6% |
| Saturated Fat | 1.7g | 9% |
| Cholesterol | 15.1mg | 5% |
| Sodium | 826.5mg | 34% |
| Fiber | 7.8g | 31% |
| Sugar | 3.6g | 7% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
You'll Also Love
