Print

Hearty Ham and Bean Soup from a Leftover Ham Bone

Close-up of a white bowl filled with rich Ham and bean soup, topped with shredded ham and visible carrots.
Print Recipe
Save Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

No reviews

Make a soul-satisfying ham and bean soup using your leftover holiday ham bone. This navy bean stew is simple, comforting, and perfect for a post-holiday meal.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 large leftover ham bone with meat attached
  • 1 pound dried navy beans or Great Northern beans, rinsed
  • 8 cups water or low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 large yellow onion, chopped
  • 2 carrots, chopped
  • 2 celery stalks, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • Salt, to taste (use sparingly due to ham saltiness)

Instructions

  1. If you did not soak the beans overnight, place the rinsed beans in a large pot, cover with water, bring to a boil for 10 minutes, then remove from heat and let stand for 1 hour. Drain the beans. (If you soaked them overnight, simply drain them.)
  2. Place the ham bone, drained beans, water or broth, onion, carrots, celery, bay leaf, and thyme into a large stockpot or Dutch oven.
  3. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low, cover the pot partially, and let it simmer.
  4. Simmer for 2 to 3 hours, or until the beans are very tender and the meat on the ham bone is falling off. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.
  5. Remove the ham bone from the pot. Once cool enough to handle, shred all the meat from the bone and discard the bone. Return the shredded ham meat to the soup.
  6. Stir in the black pepper. Taste the broth and add salt only if necessary.
  7. For a thicker soup, mash about 1 cup of the beans against the side of the pot with a spoon, or use an immersion blender briefly to thicken the broth slightly.
  8. Remove the bay leaf before serving your leftover ham bone soup. Serve hot with cornbread.

Notes

  • Soaking the dried beans overnight significantly reduces the cooking time for this navy bean stew.
  • If you do not have a ham bone, you can substitute 1 pound of cubed smoked ham and reduce the overall cooking time to about 1 hour after the beans soften.
  • This recipe freezes well for future easy meals.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://littlekitchendiary.com/ham-and-bean-soup-comfort/