Description
A hearty and comforting Ham and Bean Soup featuring tender navy beans slow-cooked with a flavorful ham bone, aromatic vegetables, and herbs. This soup offers a rich, savory broth perfect for a warming meal, easily customizable with leftover ham or different white beans.
Ingredients
Scale
Beans and Meat
- 1 (16-oz bag) Dried Navy Beans (or other white beans), about 2 ½ cups, sorted and rinsed
- 1 Ham Bone, or ham hock, ham steak, or leftover ham
Vegetables
- ½ large Onion, diced (1 cup)
- 1 large Celery Rib, diced (1 cup)
- 5 cloves Garlic, minced
- 1 large Carrot, diced (1 cup)
Herbs and Seasonings
- 1 teaspoon Fresh Thyme, or ¼ teaspoon dried
- 1 teaspoon Sea Salt, Add to taste if using salted broth
- ½ teaspoon Black Pepper, or to taste
Liquids
- 6 cups Water, or broth
Instructions
- Optional soaking: Soak the beans overnight in 8 cups of water, then drain and discard the liquid to reduce cooking time and improve texture. Unsoaked beans can be used but will require longer cooking.
- Combine ingredients: Add the sorted and rinsed navy beans, ham bone, diced onion, diced celery, minced garlic, thyme, salt, and black pepper to a 5-quart slow cooker. Do not add any leftover ham at this point to keep it tender.
- Add liquid: Pour in enough water or broth to cover the beans by about 1 inch. During cooking, add more liquid if necessary to keep the beans covered.
- Cook low and slow: Set the slow cooker to LOW and cook for 6 hours if using soaked beans, or 9 hours if using unsoaked beans. This slow cooking process allows the beans to become tender and the flavors to meld.
- Add carrots: During the last hour of cooking, stir in the diced carrots. Continue cooking until both the carrots and beans are fully tender.
- Finish soup: Once the beans are cooked, carefully remove the ham bone along with any bones or gristle. For a thicker soup, use a potato masher to mash some of the beans directly in the pot, creating a creamier texture.
- Add leftover ham: Shred or dice any leftover ham and stir it back into the soup during the last few minutes to warm without overcooking.
- Serve and store: Serve the soup hot. Cool leftovers to room temperature and refrigerate in airtight containers for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Notes
- Use any white bean variety such as navy, cannellini, or great northern. Smaller beans cook faster but soaking and age affect timing.
- If using a ham bone, water is sufficient for flavor. Without a ham bone, use chicken broth or turkey stock and reduce added salt accordingly.
- If only using leftover cooked ham, substitute broth for water and add the ham at the end to keep it tender.
- Cooking times vary due to bean size, age, and soaking; taste beans before finishing and adjust time as needed.
- For thicker soup, mash some beans or pulse briefly with an immersion blender after cooking.
- With canned beans, add rinsed beans in the last hour of slow cooking to prevent overcooking.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 210
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 650mg
- Fat: 5g
- Saturated Fat: 1.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 28g
- Fiber: 7g
- Protein: 15g
- Cholesterol: 35mg
