Cozy up with a bowl of this old-fashioned ham and bean soup, a hearty and smoky classic that turns leftover ham into homemade comfort, with tender beans simmered low and slow in a savory broth that feels just like home.
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Holly’s Hearty Highlights
- Flavor: Smoky, savory, and comforting, with tender beans and hearty chunks of ham in every spoonful.
- Technique: Slow simmering combines smoky ham and tender beans together for a rich, hearty, comforting flavor in every bite.
- Prep Tip: Dried beans can contain debris; be sure to rinse and pick through them before using. Or use pre-soaked or canned beans for faster prep.
- Freezer Friendly: This soup can be frozen in individual portions or in a big container for up to 6 months. Reheat on the stovetop.
Ingredient Tips and Swaps
- Ham: Use a leftover ham bone or buy a ham bone, ham steaks, or ham hocks at the supermarket.
- Beans: Most mixed beans include a seasoning packet. Use it or save it, just reduce the broth if you do. Hambeens are a favorite, and Great Northern, navy, baby lima, or cannellini beans all work well. Soak overnight for even cooking.
- Broth: Use reduced-sodium chicken broth or chicken stock, as the ham also adds salt. For a more savory flavor, stir in some homemade Italian seasoning and toss in a couple of bay leaves or other dried herbs.
- Tomatoes: For a touch of brightness and balanced acidity, stir in the tomatoes after the beans are tender, as adding them too soon can prevent the beans from softening properly.
- Variations: You could also add minced garlic, diced potatoes, frozen green beans, or other frozen vegetables to stretch the meal further.
How to Make Ham and Bean Soup
- Sort and soak beans overnight (full recipe below).
- Combine soaked beans, broth, ham bone, and onion, and then simmer.
- Remove the ham bone, chop the meat, and return it to the pot
- Add celery, carrots, tomatoes, and seasonings. Simmer until tender.
Storing Leftovers
Store leftover ham soup in a covered container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave.
Freeze in zippered bags for up to 6 months and thaw overnight in the refrigerator or in a crockpot set to low until heated through. Adding a splash of water or broth when reheating will help loosen the soup.
Leftover Ham Recipes
Did you enjoy this Ham and Bean Soup? Leave a rating and comment below.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 20 ounces dry mixed beans or dry white beans
- 8 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
- 1 pound meaty ham bone or smoked turkey
- 1 medium yellow onion chopped
- 2 ribs celery diced
- 2 medium carrots chopped
- 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes with juices
- 1½ teaspoons chili powder or 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
Instructions
- Rinse the beans and check for any debris. Add the beans into a large pot and cover with cool water. Soak at room temperature for at least 8 hours or overnight. Drain.
- In a large pot, combine drained beans, broth, ham bone, and onion (do not add tomatoes until the beans are tender). Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover, and let simmer for 1½ to 2 hours or until beans are softened.
- Remove the ham bone from the soup and remove the meat from the bone. Cut into bite-size pieces.
- Add the ham back to the pot, add celery and carrot, diced tomatoes with juices, chili powder, and parsley. Cover and simmer 30 minutes more.
- Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.
Notes
- Dried bean mixes come in 15- to 24-ounce packages. For the smaller package, reduce the broth by 1 ½ cups. For the larger package, add extra broth or water as needed during the simmering.
- For a thicker broth, simmer uncovered for the last 45 minutes, or mash some of the beans with a potato masher.
- If your beans come with a seasoning packet, you can add it with the diced tomatoes. Taste before adding any additional salt.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Dinner, Lunch, Pork, Side Dish, Soup
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Great soup to use up left over ham. I also cheated & use about 4 cans of beans to make it faster. I used a smoked ham hock to add a smoky flavor since I didn’t have a bone in my ham. Great recipe!!
Patricia, I am glad you enjoyed the recipe. The smoked ham hock in the soup sounds delicious!
If you just want to add ham and not the ham bone, can you just add ham pieces the beans have cooked?
You sure can.
Holly, what kind of canned beans can I Use and how many cans?
Maria
I would choose 3-4 cans of (pick one, or mix) Great Northern beans, Navy beans, Cannellini beans, or Baby lima beans.
Hi Holly I’ve been a loyal fan for numerous years.On your Ham & Bean recipie can I use canned beans(it’s more convenient for me),is there anything I can use instead of Ham(I don’t eat pork).I really would like to try this recipe,I live in Hawaii,but we do have some chilly days,I live near the ocean so the breeze from the mountains,combined with the breeze from the ocean,makes it a good soup day!Thank Holly!
Hi Ann, if using canned beans (about 3 to 4 cans), reduce the broth to 4 cups and simmer about 20 minutes to let the flavors blend. You can replace the ham with smoked turkey legs. I would love to hear how it turns out!
My husband won’t eat tomatoes can I leave them out? Do I need to replace the can tomatoes with something else?
You can leave the tomatoes out if you’d like.
Made this soup exactly as per the recipe using ham hocks from the butcher. It was delicious. I mashed some beans for added texture as recommended.
So happy to hear that, James! I am glad you enjoyed it.
Love this recipe great soup, love all your recipes holly.
Thanks, Carol! I am so glad you are enjoying our recipes.