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Home » Ham and Bean Soup

Ham and Bean Soup

April 11, 2020

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This Ham and Bean Soup is hearty, full of flavor and packed with nutrient-rich ingredients!  Its flavor is even better the next day, making it perfect for leftovers.  And it freezes well too!

ham bean soup recipe best vegetableI’ve teamed up with Aneto to bring you this post.

Soups and stews are among my most favorite types of meals.  Whether thick and creamy or thin and brothy, I love them all.  One of the things I love about them is that they’re the perfect vehicle for packing in a bunch of healthy ingredients, including an endless variety of vegetables.  And with many soups you can use whatever veggies/beans/grains/pasta you happen to have on hand.  This Ham and Bean Soup recipe is a great way to use up leftovers (such as an Easter or Christmas ham) along with a variety of seasonal vegetables.  This hearty soup includes protein-rich ham and beans with fiber- and nutrient-dense veggies for a one-pot complete meal.  It was a family hit and even my kids asked for seconds!

You have a lot of options with this bean and ham soup.  You can either keep it brothy or you can puree a cup or two at the end for a thicker, creamier texture – whichever you prefer.  You can also add other veggies of your choice (e.g., broccoli, cauliflower) or omit others (e.g., kale).  You can use white beans such as great northern, navy, cannellini, etc.   You can also substitute a ham bone or smoked ham hock.  If you don’t have any of those you can slice up some flavorful sausages.

This Ham and Bean Soup tastes even better the next day after the flavors have had more time to meld.  I like to make a double batch so there’s enough for leftovers.  This soup also freezes well.

ham bean soup recipe best vegetable

Ham and Bean Soup Recipe

Let’s get started!

Heat the oil in a stock pot over medium high heat and cook the onion for 4-5 minutes until soft and translucent.  Add the celery, carrots and garlic and cook for a further 4-5 minutes.

cooking vegetables

Add the ham and the spices.

preparing soup

Add the beans and the chicken broth.  I’m using my favorite brand, Aneto, that’s 100% natural and made with real, free-range chicken and real whole vegetables.  No additives, flavorings, yeast extracts, powders, preservatives…nothing but pure, wholesome, REAL ingredients.  To learn more about this exceptional broth company, check out our article about our tour of their factory.  Aneto is based in Spain just outside of Barcelona and you can find their broths and paella cooking bases in some stores throughout the U.S. (see store locater) as well as here on Amazon.

Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium, cover and simmer for 25 minutes.

If you prefer a brothy soup you can add the kale or whatever other veggies you want at this point and cook until the veggies are done.

adding aneto chicken broth

If you prefer a creamier soup, remove one or two ladlefuls of veggies and puree them in a blender.  Then add the puree back into the soup.

ham bean soup recipe best vegetable

Add the kale.  Let it simmer just until softened and wilted, about 5 minutes.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

ham bean soup recipe best vegetable

Serve with a salad or some crusty bread.

Enjoy!

ham bean soup recipe thick chunky best aneto

For more delicious bean soups and stews from around the world try our:

  • Indian Curried Lentil Soup
  • Mexican Pozole Rojo
  • Moroccan Harira
  • German Pea Soup
  • French Lentil Soup
  • Indian Masoor Dal 
  • Tuscan White Bean and Sausage Soup
  • Southern Sausage, Kale and Black-Eyed Pea Soup

 

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ham bean soup recipe thick chunky best aneto

 

ham bean soup recipe best thick chunky vegetable aneto

Ham and Bean Soup

Kimberly Killebrew
Hearty, full of flavor and packed with nutrient-rich ingredients, this Ham and Bean Soup tastes even better the next day, making it perfect for leftovers!
Print Recipe
4.94 from 15 votes
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 40 mins
Total Time 50 mins
Course Main Dish, Soup
Cuisine All
Servings 6 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 2 tablespoons butter or oil
  • 1 medium onion , chopped
  • 1 large carrot , diced
  • 2 ribs celery , diced
  • 3 cloves garlic , minced
  • 2 cups diced ham (can also use a ham bone or smoked ham hocks)
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 4 cups quality chicken broth (we use and love Aneto)
  • 4 15 ounce cans of white beans , rinsed and drained (e.g., cannellini, navy, great northern) ***Can use one pound dried beans instead (soak overnight and increase cooking time)
  • 1 bunch kale , chopped (optional, can use other veggie of choice or omit entirely)

Instructions
 

  • Heat the oil in a stock pot over medium high heat and cook the onion for 4-5 minutes until soft and translucent.  Add the celery, carrots and garlic and cook for a further 4-5 minutes.  Add the ham, beans and spices.  Add the chicken broth.  Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium, cover and simmer for 25 minutes.
    If you prefer a brothy soup you can add the kale or whatever other veggies you want at this point and cook until the veggies are done.
    If you prefer a creamier soup, remove one or two ladlefuls of veggies and puree them in a blender.  Then add the puree back into the soup.
    Add the kale.  Let it simmer just until softened and wilted, about 5minutes.
    Add salt and pepper to taste.
    Serve with a salad or some crusty bread.

Notes

SLOW COOKER METHOD:  Use one pound of dried beans  instead (soaked overnight) and cook on HIGH for 4-5 hours or until the beans are tender. Add the kale during the last 20 minutes or so.
Keyword Ham and Bean Soup
Tried this recipe? We'd love to see it!Mention @daringgourmet or hashtag #daringgourmet

Disclosure:  I’ve teamed up with Aneto to bring you this post.

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Filed Under: Affiliate, All Recipes, By Course, By Ingredient, By Type of Dish, Disclosure, Food, Gluten Free, Main Dishes, Meat, Soups & Stews Tagged With: aneto, bean, cannellini, carrots, celery, chicken broth, great northern beans, ham, kale, navy beans, soup, stew, vegetable, white beans

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36 Responses

  1. Brittney says

    November 28, 2020 at 4:57 pm

    I made this recipe with lots of leftover ham, added the kale- it was SOO delicious!!! Even my picky 6 year old loved it 👌🏻 Freezing the rest! Thank you!

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      November 28, 2020 at 5:35 pm

      Wonderful, Brittney, I’m happy your family enjoyed it, thank you!

      Reply
  2. Jordan K. says

    April 20, 2020 at 9:12 am

    Thanks for this! I used celeriac in place of celery and it was delicious!

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      April 20, 2020 at 11:33 am

      Fantastic, Jordan, thanks so much!

      Reply
  3. David Polk says

    April 19, 2020 at 10:40 am

    This is better than ham and pea soup!

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      April 19, 2020 at 1:38 pm

      I won’t argue that, David! :)

      Reply
  4. Brenda Taylor Johnson says

    April 16, 2020 at 11:53 pm

    What a great tasting soup using up my Easter ham during our “stay at home”. My husband is not fond of soup, but he really enjoyed this recipe. The kale was really delicious with all the ingredients and added lots of flavor. I used dried Great Northern beans and added the ham hock for the smoked flavor. I served some flat bread cut into wedges for dipping. It made a lot of soup for just the two of us, so I decided to do some canning with the left overs to eat at a later date for a quick meal. You can’t buy this taste in a can at the grocery store! It tasted even better the next day too and I did remove the light layer of fat caused by the ham hock. This soup is a real keeper! Oh, your ingredients list is missing how much onion. I used one medium onion. Thanks for posting.

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      April 17, 2020 at 12:03 am

      Wonderful, Brenda, I’m so glad you and your husband enjoyed this, thanks so much for the feedback! And thanks for catching the missing onion :)

      Reply
  5. peggy hakanson says

    April 16, 2020 at 12:56 pm

    Thank you, Kimberly! This is a very nice version…like your suggestion on pureeing the veg for a thicker version! I fortunately had plenty of home-made turkey stock in my freezer…used this for the broth. I also used some squash and bok choy since I didn’t have the greens or carrots on hand. In the past, I’ve used smoked turkey wings instead of ham…I improvise a lot, LOL!

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      April 17, 2020 at 7:54 am

      Wonderful, Peggy, thank you! Yes, I improvise a ton as well, using whatever I have on hand – it makes for fun and creative cooking :)

      Reply
  6. Arpita Patel says

    April 15, 2020 at 6:05 am

    I recently was making vegetarian wontons. I weighted firm tofu for a half hour, then crumbled. I mixed it with a strong version of (pretty much) a dipping sauce so it would have some flavor then added to the rest of the recipe. It worked great!!

    Reply
  7. Mary says

    April 15, 2020 at 4:24 am

    I sort of made your soup. There were a few things not available and some other different things that were. So I went with your idea and some of my own and the result was hearty and filling. Thankyou for the idea. It was lovely. :))

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      April 15, 2020 at 9:23 am

      Wonderful, Mary, I’m glad were able to use what you had on hand to create a delicious soup!

      Reply
  8. Sara Welch says

    April 14, 2020 at 7:06 pm

    Made this for dinner tonight and it has easily become a new family favorite meal! Looking forward to leftovers tomorrow!

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      April 14, 2020 at 8:35 pm

      Awesome, Sara, I’m so glad it was a family hit, thank you!

      Reply
  9. Catalina says

    April 14, 2020 at 11:54 am

    A delicious soup is exactly what I need right now! So hearty and delicious!

    Reply
  10. Haley D Williams says

    April 14, 2020 at 11:27 am

    Such a comforting dish! I have to make it with the weather still chilly!

    Reply
  11. Patricia says

    April 14, 2020 at 9:21 am

    Can you make this soup in a crock pot?

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      April 14, 2020 at 9:28 am

      Hi Patricia, absolutely. Use one pound of dried beans (soaked overnight) and cook on HIGH for 4-5 hours or until the beans are tender. Add the kale during the last 20 minutes or so.

      Reply
  12. Allyson Zea says

    April 14, 2020 at 8:10 am

    This soup is so hearty and delicious!!!

    Reply
  13. Anlin says

    April 14, 2020 at 7:57 am

    Perfect timing for this recipe! Made it last night. It was delicious.

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      April 14, 2020 at 9:02 am

      I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Anlin, thank you!

      Reply
  14. katerina says

    April 14, 2020 at 7:49 am

    Such a hearty and delicious soup!! I can’t wait to try this!

    Reply
  15. Erin says

    April 14, 2020 at 12:33 am

    This Ham and Bean soup looks so good!

    Reply
  16. David says

    April 13, 2020 at 2:35 pm

    How can I adapt this to a slow cooker?

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      April 14, 2020 at 9:28 am

      Hi David, use one pound of dried beans instead (soaked overnight) and cook on HIGH for 4-5 hours or until the beans are tender. Add the kale during the last 20 minutes or so.

      Reply
  17. Mike Keiser says

    April 13, 2020 at 1:09 pm

    This looks delicious. Would it work using dry beans instead of canned?

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      April 13, 2020 at 8:15 pm

      Hi Mike, yes absolutely and I’ll add a note about that in the recipe. You’ll need one pound of dried beans.

      Reply
      • Mike Keiser says

        April 14, 2020 at 10:49 am

        Thank you! Much appreciated. Will be making this today.

        Reply
  18. Jim D says

    April 13, 2020 at 12:52 pm

    I have been reading your recipes for a few years. I have some connection to Europe too, mostly the UK, Ireland. I just wanted to compliment you on your website, the great recipes you present and the outstanding pictures, recipe descriptions. I don’t think any one could hold a candle to you in the chef game. You make your own, sausage, etc. I don’t know who does awards for food websites but you should be in the contest.

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      April 14, 2020 at 9:10 am

      Thank you for that very generous compliment, Jim, and thank you for your ongoing support! :) Warm regards, Kimberly

      Reply
  19. STELLA BOWMAN says

    April 13, 2020 at 12:50 pm

    I made this with Black Eyed Peas.

    Reply
  20. wilhelmina says

    April 13, 2020 at 10:28 am

    This soup is so hearty and delicious! It was the perfect thing for lunch today, I even used up some of our leftover Easter ham!

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      April 13, 2020 at 12:47 pm

      Perfect timing, Wilhelmina, I’m so glad you enjoyed it, thank you!

      Reply
  21. Alisha says

    April 13, 2020 at 9:40 am

    I’ve got some leftover ham from Easter…this will be perfect. Thank you!

    Reply
  22. Allyson Zea says

    April 13, 2020 at 9:21 am

    This soup was sooooooooo hearty!

    Reply

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kimberly killebrew the daring gourmet

Welcome!  I’m Kimberly and I share delicious originals, revitalized classics and authentic dishes from around the world.  Come travel the world through your taste buds!

Amazon Affiliate Disclosure:
The Daring Gourmet is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.  As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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