🍲 Ham and Bean Soup
A hearty, comforting soup made with ham and beans, perfect for a warm meal and great for using leftover ham.
🧾 Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked ham (diced)
- 1 cup dried white beans (navy or great northern)
- 1 onion (chopped)
- 2 carrots (sliced)
- 2 celery stalks (chopped)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp salt (adjust after cooking)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
👩🍳 Instructions
1️⃣ Soak the beans
- Rinse dried beans and soak them in water overnight (or use the quick soak method by boiling for 5 minutes and resting 1 hour).
2️⃣ Cook the vegetables
- Heat olive oil in a large pot.
- Add onion, carrots, celery, and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes until soft.
3️⃣ Add soup ingredients
- Add soaked beans, ham, chicken broth, bay leaf, and pepper.
4️⃣ Simmer
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 1½–2 hours until beans are tender.
5️⃣ Finish and serve
- Remove bay leaf, taste, and add salt if needed.
- Serve hot.
🍽️ Optional Add-ins
- Potatoes (diced)
- Kale or spinach
- A little smoked paprika for extra flavor
⭐ Tip:
If you have a ham bone, add it while the soup cooks—it gives the soup much deeper flavor.
If you want, I can also show you:
🥣 Slow cooker ham and bean soup
🌽 Ham, bean, and corn soup
🥔 Ham, potato, and bean soup.
