Classic Ham and Bean Soup

A bowl of ham and bean soup can really lift your spirits on a cold day and inject your soul with a little sunshine. It’s a truly delicious soup recipe and really easy to make. The kitchen smells incredible while this tasty soup is cooking, and you’ll want to grab a spoon and bowl and tuck in as soon as it’s ready.

Although it’s delicious to eat right away, it also keeps well. You’ll find a day or two deepens the flavors even more, which is why some home cooks like to prepare this ahead and then warm it back up gently.

Choose a ham that has a bone in it for the meatiest flavor. Ham hocks or shanks would also work but they don’t have as much meat on. Perhaps you have some leftover holiday ham, in which case you can definitely use that.

Why You’ll Love the Recipe:

This is a great soup to make with your leftover holiday ham. It’s really rich in flavor and the vegetables and beans make it all the more delicious. You can enjoy it as it is or puree some of it and add it back in if you prefer a thicker texture.

How to Serve It:

Enjoy this soup hot. Cornbread pairs well with this, as do corn muffins.

Can You Make It Ahead?

Yes, you can prepare it in advance and reheat it later. 

Variations and Substitutions:

Use different vegetables if you want. You can swap the black pepper for white pepper, or use dried beans instead of canned if you soak them overnight and add an hour or so on to the cooking time.

Ingredients needed:

• Vegetable oil or canola oil
• Yellow onion
• Minced garlic cloves
• Chopped celery ribs
• Ground cumin
• Chopped carrots
• Black pepper
• Fresh thyme leaves
• Red pepper flakes
• Low-sodium chicken broth
• Bay leaves
• White beans
• B sugar
• Ham steak, bone-in

How to make Classic Ham and Bean Soup:

Heat the oil in a heavy pot, then add the celery, onion and carrots, cooking for 7 minutes or until tender.

Turn down the heat and add the thyme, garlic, red pepper, black pepper, and cumin.

Cook for 1 minutes, stirring all the time.

Add the sugar, broth beans, white beans and bay leaves.

Cut the ham into very large pieces and add those to the pot with the ham bone too.

Simmer for about 25 minutes, then remove the ham, cut it into bite-sized pieces and discard and skin, fat and bone, along with the bay leaves.

Put the ham meat back in there and cook for 5 minutes, adding more thyme and/or pepper if needed.

Just about any hot soup is ideal for those chilly days but ham and bean soup is in a league all of its own. This rich-flavored soup is gorgeous served with cornbread muffins, or even crusty buttered bread.

Storage Instructions:

Leftovers will keep for up to 3 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. You can also freeze it for up to 2 months, thawing in the refrigerator overnight.

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