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4.5 from 1,749 votes

Leftover Ham and Bean Soup

Looking for a delicious and comforting way to use up leftover ham? Look no further than this hearty and flavorful Leftover Ham And Ban Soup! Packed with tender ham, aromatic vegetables, and creamy cannellini beans, this soup is easy to make and perfect for chilly days.

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
1 hr
Total Time
1 hr 10 mins
Servings: 8
Calories: 196 kcal
Course: Soup , Lunch , Dinner
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 large onion chopped
  • 3 talks celery chopped
  • 2 medium carrots chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 cups leftover ham chopped in cubes
  • 1 leftover ham bone optional
  • 1 whole parsnip peeled and cleaned
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 8 cups vegetable broth low sodium
  • 19 ounce cannellini beans 1 can, drained and rinsed
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt or to taste
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper or to taste
  • ¼ cup fresh parsely chopped, for garnish

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. In a large soup pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, celery and carrot and cook for about 5 minutes until onion is tender. 
  2. Add garlic, ham, ham bone, parsnip, bay leaves and the broth. If you don't have a ham bone, just skip it.
  3. Bring to a boil and lower heat to medium. Let cook for about 30 minutes.
  4. Add the rinsed beans, cumin, thyme and season with salt and pepper. Continue cooking for another 30 minutes.
  5. Remove the ham bone, bay leaves and parsnip.
  6. Garnish the soup with some fresh parsley, and serve it up with some crusty bread for a complete meal.

Notes

  • I don't have leftover ham or ham bone, can I still make this: Yes! You can purchase a prepackaged ham from your local grocery store and use that instead of leftover ham. If you don't have a ham bone, just skip it, it's used to flavor the soup.=
  • Can I chop up the parsnip: Yes, of course. I use a whole parsnip to simply flavor the soup, but I know some people prefer to actually eat, so in that case, chop it first, then add it to the soup.
  • Can I use dry beans instead of canned beans: Absolutely, just keep in mind that dry beans take longer to cook. You'll need about 1 cup of dry beans for this recipe. Also if using dry beans, you can soak them in water overnight if you choose. Usually this is done to speed up the cooking process, however studies have shown that it will only cut about 10 minutes of cooking time.
  • How do I store leftovers: Store leftover soup in a covered glass or plastic container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
  • Can I freeze this soup: Yes you can. While the soup will only last 3 to 4 days in the fridge, it can last up to a month in the freezer. Make sure the soup is cooled completely first. Use freezer bags for this such as gallon or quart-size top plastic freezer bags. Ladle soup into each bag then let out any excess air and seal. Lay bags flat in a single layer in the freezer. Once they're frozen you can stack them to save space. To reheat, thaw them overnight in your fridge then pour them in a saucepan and reheat over low heat. You can also reheat them in the microwave.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1serving Calories 196kcal (10%) Carbohydrates 18g (6%) Protein 12g (24%) Fat 10g (15%) Saturated Fat 3g (15%) Polyunsaturated Fat 1g Monounsaturated Fat 5g Cholesterol 22mg (7%) Sodium 1562mg (65%) Potassium 237mg (7%) Fiber 4g (16%) Sugar 4g (8%) Vitamin A 3284IU (66%) Vitamin C 6mg (7%) Calcium 68mg (7%) Iron 2mg (11%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 8Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 196

% Daily Value*

Serving 1serving
Calories 196kcal 10%
Carbohydrates 18g 6%
Protein 12g 24%
Fat 10g 15%
Saturated Fat 3g 15%
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g 6%
Monounsaturated Fat 5g 25%
Cholesterol 22mg 7%
Sodium 1562mg 65%
Potassium 237mg 5%
Fiber 4g 16%
Sugar 4g 8%
Vitamin A 3284IU 66%
Vitamin C 6mg 7%
Calcium 68mg 7%
Iron 2mg 11%

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