Amazing Ham and Bean Soup Recipe
Published November 27, 2020. This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
You won’t be able to resist this absolutely delicious and easy to make ham and bean soup recipe that is jam-packed with flavor.
Soup is my first love, so I make it and eat it all year long. If you’re a big soup fan as well, then definitely try my Split Pea or Zuppa Toscana.
Ham and Bean Soup
Ham and Bean is such a hearty tasty soup that is simple to make and uses mostly household ingredients that are easily accessible. My absolute favorite time to make this is immediately following a holiday where I have quite a bit of leftover ham.
Doing this is an easy way to use up everything without losing out in the flavor department. You definitely do not need leftover ham to make this recipe as you can simply use a ham hock and diced ham. I definitely encourage you to make this, you won’t regret it.
What Kind of Beans Can I Use?
The most classic bean to use in this soup is navy beans. With that being said there are several other beans you can use, especially if you don’t have navy beans on hand. Here are some great options to substitute in:
- Cannellini
- Kidney
- Great Northern
- Lima
- Bean Blend
How to Make Ham and Bean Soup from Scratch
Follow these simple instructions for how to make this tasty recipe:
Place the beans in a container and fill it with water 4” over the top of the beans, cover it and let it sit at room temperature overnight. When ready to make the recipe the next day, drain, rinse, and set aside.
Add the onions to a large pot over low heat with butter and cook until well caramelized, which takes about 30-40 minutes.
Next, add in the carrots, celery, and garlic and sweat the vegetables over low-medium heat for 4-5 minutes.
Deglaze with wine and cook until there are only 2 to 3 tablespoons of liquid left in the pot.
Place in the diced ham, ham bone, beans, chicken stock, parmesan rind, and fresh thyme. Cover with a lid and cook over low heat for 90-120 minutes or until the beans are cooked and the soup is thick.
Finish the soup with white wine vinegar, salt, and pepper, and serve.
How to Make it Thick
This soup can go from thin to thick very quickly with the breakdown of the beans as it cooks. If for some reason your ham and bean soup stays thin and brothy even with the beans being cooked, there are a few things you can do to help make it thick.
- Blend It: Take out about ½ of the soup and blend it in a blender until thick and creamy and then add it back to the soup to help thicken it.
- Add a Slurry: In a small bowl mix together 3 tablespoons of corn starch with 3 tablespoons of water and stir it into the soup and cook until the soup becomes thick.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Make-Ahead: While excellent to serve and eat as soon as it’s finished, you can make this recipe up to 2 to 3 days ahead of time, just reheat when ready to serve.
How to Reheat: Place your desired amount of soup into a small size pot and cook over low heat until hot. You can also place your desired amount of soup in a microwave-safe bowl and heat it in a microwave until hot.
How to Store: Cover and keep in the refrigerator for up to 6 days. It will freeze well covered for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator for 1 day before reheating.
chef notes + tips
- You do not only have to use a leftover ham bone in this recipe. You can just use cut up ham or cut up ham with a ham hock for extra flavor. The bone will help add in quite a bit of flavor.
- Substitute with canned beans if you do not have dried beans.
- To accelerate the bean soaking process, cover the beans in boiling water, and let it sit for 1 hour before using.
More Delicious Soup Recipes
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Video
Amazing Ham and Bean Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds navy beans
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 large peeled and small diced yellow onion
- 2 peeled medium diced carrots
- 3 medium diced celery stalks
- 3 finely minced cloves of garlic
- ½ cup chardonnay white wine
- 2 pounds of medium diced ham
- 1 ham bone
- 64 ounces chicken stock
- 1 parmesan rind
- 8-10 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 ½ tablespoons white wine vinegar
- sea salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add the beans to a large container and fill it with water until it is covering the beans by about 4 inches. Cover and set aside at room temperature overnight or for up to 24 hours. Drain, and set aside.
- Place the butter in a large pot over low heat and cook the onions for 30-40 minutes or until well caramelized. Stir often.
- Next, add in the carrots, celery, and garlic and cook over low-medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes.
- Deglaze with wine and cook it until there are only about 2 to 3 tablespoons of liquid left in the pot.
- Add in the ham, ham bone, beans, chicken stock, parmesan rind, and thyme, cover with a lid and cook over low heat for 90-120 minutes stirring occasionally until beans are cooked and the soup is thickened naturally.
- Finish by stirring in the vinegar, salt, and pepper, and serve.
Notes
- Make-Ahead: While excellent to serve and eat as soon as it’s finished, you can make this recipe up to 2 to 3 days ahead of time, just reheat when ready to serve.
- How to Reheat: Place your desired amount of soup into a small size pot and cook over low heat until hot. You can also place your desired amount of soup in a microwave-safe bowl and heat it in a microwave until hot.
- How to Store: Cover and keep in the refrigerator for up to 6 days. It will freeze well covered for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator for 1 day before reheating.
- You do not only have to use a leftover ham bone in this recipe. You can just use cut up ham or cut up ham with a ham hock for extra flavor. The bone will help add in quite a bit of flavor.
- Substitute with canned beans if you do not have dried beans.
- To accelerate the bean soaking process, cover the beans in boiling water, and let it sit for 1 hour before using.
I have made this quite a few times now. It’s flavorful and delicious. Makes a huge pot and freezes well. Thanks for the amazing recipe!
Thanks for giving it a shot!!
I used the 15-bean soup package (which includes a little flavor pack – I decided to throw the flavor packet into the soup. I used your amazing chicken stock as well. I hesitated to put the ham mean into the soup when you suggested because in my mind I have the ‘chicken’ stock recipe in my head thinking that the flavor from the meat is all gone after slow simmering for hours, which is the case with the chicken meat while making the stock. My fears were allayed as this was simply amazing. I used hamhocks and a leftover ham bone.
Easy and amazing! My family usually never eats leftovers, but they devoured this! Making a second batch!
I make this recipe often. We all love it!
Oh my goodness!! Hands down the best Ham soup I’ve ever had. I made a few adjustments for my diabetes. I didn’t use carrots and used about 1/4 of the beans. Seriously I’ve never had such a perfect ham soup. Thank you as always for keeping it simple and basic. You’re turning me into a great chef. I’ve yet to try a recipe of yours that hasn’t been the BOMB.
The Best soup I’ve made in the last 50 years! I used a bag of mixed beans soaked overnight, definitely a keeper recipe 😋
Best Ham & Bean soup I have ever made!!
Made this after Thanksgiving and everyone loved it. The caramelized onions added such a depth of flavor!
Leeks always add a lot of extra flavor to such soups also.
So darn good!!
Husband is kind delicate with Ham soup. He loved!
He took second portion of.
Thanks chef Billy Parisi!!
When I saw your recipe for Hearty Ham & Bean Soup I just had to make it! I have all ingredients to do just that!:)*♡
Thank you Chef Billy for sharing this wonderful & delicious recipe! Can’t wait to make it!
😊❤️