Old-fashioned ham and bean soup recipe. Use a leftover ham hock, add some beans, veggies, and herbs. And end up with a delicious (and cheap) meal.
I was first served this recipe at my mother-in-law’s house. I was young (maybe 20). And had rarely had soup that wasn’t out of a can or box. I filled my spoon and lifted it to my mouth. And an entire new world of soup opened up to me. She shared the recipe with me and started me on my own adventures in soup-land.
After I got the recipe, I mentioned it to my dad. He turned and looked at me, and said “What? Is this the Great Depression?” Soooo…..I”m assuming he’s not going to be a fan should I get around to making it for him. I didn’t ask, but I’m guessing he ate a lot of it growing up in backwoods Iowa. (Nothing wrong with backwoods Iowa! I grew up there too.)
For the rest of us, though, this is a great, old-fashioned recipe. And it’s easy! One of the best parts is that the ham comes from a meaty ham bone. So I make the soup with the leftovers from a ham dinner. (The ham recipe I use is my Maple-Glazed Ham with Cider-Raisin Sauce. I use the rest of the leftover ham to make Cheesy Ham & Potato Casserole). Then I take the bone and extra ham and make soup a couple of days later. Another way to save money.
If you think this recipe looks good, you should check the absolutely most fabulous soup you’ll ever eat: Chicken & Wild Rice Soup.
Hearty Ham & Bean Soup
Ingredients
- 2 & 1/2 C. dry navy beans
- 3 lb. meaty ham bone
- 12 C. water
- 1 & 1/2 C. potatoes peeled & chopped
- 1 C. celery chopped
- 1 C, carrots chopped
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. thyme
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 3-4 dashes tabasco sauce
Instructions
- Rinse the beans and pull out any bad/shriveled ones. Place in a large dutch oven with ham bone and water.
- Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 3 to 3 & 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.
- Remove the ham bone and any large chunks that fall off. Don’t worry about small ones. Allow to cool. Pull meat off bone & break into bite-size pieces. During the same time the ham is cooling, fat will form on the top of the bean/broth mixture. As it “hardens” skim it off.
- Add the shredded ham back into the pot. Add celery, carrots, potatoes, and spices. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and allow to simmer for 20 to 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
Wrapping it up
I hope you enjoyed this recipe for ham and bean soup. If you liked it, could you do me a favor? And leave a 5-star on the recipe box above? Thanks!
Heaven says
This soup looks mouth-watering. My mother-in-law makes a great one with a bit of this and a bit of that. I’ve made my own but haven’t settled on any one recipe. I’ll have to try yours. Pinned! Thanks for stopping by my blog. I answered your question there. 🙂
Jennie says
Heaven,
I actually got some good comments on reddit that I’m thinking about incorporating in. So I guess the quest for the “best” is never done…but I guess I already knew that.
Thanks for stopping by! I appreciate it.
Jennie