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A rustic bowl of thick ham and bean soup with creamy navy beans, diced ham, carrots and celery, garnished with parsley and served with a slice of crusty bread

Hearty Ham and Bean Soup

Creamy navy beans, smoky ham and vegetables simmered with a leftover ham bone into a thick, comforting soup.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours 10 minutes
Soaking 8 hours
Total Time 10 hours 25 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Main Course, Soup
Cuisine: American
Calories: 300
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 pound dried navy beans rinsed and sorted (450 g)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 large yellow onion diced
  • 2 carrots diced
  • 2 ribs celery diced
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 meaty ham bone or 2 smoked ham hocks
  • 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth (1.4 L)
  • 2 cups water plus more as needed (480 ml)
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 cups diced cooked ham (300 g)
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • salt to taste
  • 2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped

Method
 

  1. Cover the beans with 3 inches of cold water and soak for 8 to 12 hours. Drain and rinse.
  2. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook the onion, carrots and celery for 6 to 8 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
  3. Add the beans, ham bone, broth, water, bay leaves, thyme, smoked paprika and pepper.
  4. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer with the lid ajar for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, stirring occasionally, until the beans are tender.
  5. Remove the ham bone and bay leaves. Pull off any meat, chop it and return it to the pot. Discard the bone.
  6. Mash about 1 cup of the beans against the side of the pot to thicken the soup.
  7. Stir in the diced ham and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the vinegar, season with salt to taste and garnish with parsley.

Notes

No soak: Unsoaked beans need about 3 to 3 1/2 hours of simmering and extra water.
Storage: Refrigerate up to 4 days or freeze up to 3 months. Reheat to 165°F (74°C).
Nutrition is an estimate per serving and will vary with the saltiness of your ham.