This Ham Bean Soup is the perfect recipe to turn your leftover ham into a hearty soup.  We use chunks of tender ham meat plus the ham bone, which adds a depth of flavor throughout.  Then add in tender veggies and creamy navy beans and you’ve got yourself the coziest soup recipe.

The Best Ham and Bean Soup Recipe

This soup is the epitome of cooking smarter, not harder thanks to leftover Easter ham. Just chop some veggies, grab some beans, and let it simmer on the stove for a couple of hours. And if you’re a fan of white beans, check out our brothy beans recipe! 

What You Will Need

• ham bone – We saved the bone from our slow cooker ham, but ham hocks would work too, which you can usually find at your local grocery store or butcher. This creates a rich broth with the best flavor. 
• water – Just enough to help cook the beans.
• bay leaf – Adds a subtle herbal flavor.
• navy beans – Slightly smaller than Great Northern Beans and cannellini beans, navy beans add a slightly nutty flavor and a lovely creamy texture.  And using dry beans really allows the flavors to meld nicely.
• carrots, celery, yellow onion – Classic root vegetables for soups.
• ham meat – A saltier meat that compliments the rest of these ingredients so well.
• kosher salt & black pepper – Just a bit!

How To Make Ham and Bean Soup

Start by placing your ham bone into a large soup pot or Dutch oven.

Then add in the water, bay leaf and bring it all to a boil.  Once boiling, reduce it to a simmer and cover for an hour and a half.  Next, add in the beans, cover, and return to a simmer for 4-6 hours, stirring occasionally. 

Remove the ham bone and then add in the carrots, celery, onion, and cooked ham meat and let them all simmer for 20-30 minutes or until the veggies have softened a bit.

Give your soup a taste and adjust salt and pepper as desired.

Now dig in!  Divide the soup into individual portions and serve with some crusty bread and butter. 

Ham bean soup is excellent for freezing, so don’t hesitate to make a double batch of this one to give to a neighbor or just to have on hand when you don’t feel like cooking. Scroll down to the recipe card and hit x2 to get the doubled ingredients.

Print