Easy Ham and Bean Soup

Ham and Bean Soup is hearty, comforting and perfect for the cold weather! Not only is it delicious, but it is also nutritious with its protein and fiber content!

This season, cold dishes are out and warm ones are in! It just feels so comforting to be sipping a warm bowl of soup in this weather. Check out our soup recipes for tomato, sweet potato, and cabbage! Try them all out as they are all so delicious!

Ham and Bean Soup Recipe

This comforting recipe is one of those that has many ingredients but is still very easy to cook. It is nice to have these two main proteins combined in one dish as they are both flavorful and add great texture.

I enjoy this dish with cornbread or some biscuits to sop it with. And it just gives me that cozy and warm feeling! I grew up with this dish being served at home and I feel nostalgic just by smelling this as it cooks in the kitchen.

Nothing beats this dish as a meal served after Thanksgiving or Christmas. It has all the elements that I look for in a dish – simple, nutritious, and comforting.

How to Make Ham and Bean Soup:

• Sauté: In a pot or Dutch oven, sauté the aromatics and cubed ham in olive oil. Sauté the vegetables as well.
• Boil: Add the broth and the rest of the ingredients except for the garnish. Let it cook and simmer until it thickens. Check the taste and season accordingly.
• Serve: Garnish and serve while still hot.

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How do you thicken ham and bean soup?

You can perform any of these steps:

• You can mash some of the beans to thicken it. Or, put the water that comes with them in the can.
• Add a slurry made by mixing water and cornstarch towards the end of the cooking if you must.
• Let it simmer without the lid on to evaporate some of the liquid.

Can I use leftover ham to make this soup?

Sure! Use leftover baked ham or ham bone in this dish. Using leftover ham bone will simply add another step.

When the dish has simmered enough and the meat becomes so tender that it falls off the bone, take it out of the pot. Then, separate the meat from the bone with a fork and put it back to the soup.

With this additional step, using the cubed ham is way quicker.

How long is a ham bone good for?

It should be consumed within 5 days from the day it was first served. On the third day, you can freeze it to extend its shelf life. Put it in a freezer bag and squeeze out the air. Then, seal it properly and freeze.

Can you freeze Ham and Bean Soup?

Yes, you can! Let it cool, put it in quart bags, and squeeze out the air and seal. And then, freeze the bags for up to 3 or 4 months. To reheat, thaw first overnight and then, heat in a pot on the stove or use the crockpot.

Recipe Variations:

You can use the Instant Pot for this recipe, check it out!

Recipe Tips:

• Serve it with some crusty bread for a hearty meal!
• You can put in any vegetable that you like aside from those found in this recipe. Try adding tomatoes, sweet potatoes, and butternut squash in it. You can add more flavor by putting tomato sauce.
• To make it spicy, you can add in hot sauce.
• You can also prepare the ingredients ahead and freeze. Slice and mix everything inside a freezer bag and freeze. Then, when you are ready to cook, simply thaw the frozen ingredients and add to a crockpot.

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5 from 5 reviews

Ham and Bean Soup

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Author: Catalina Castravet Serves: 6 servings
Prep time: 20 minutes Cook time: 50 minutes Total time: 1 hr 10 mins

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil 
• 3 cups cubed ham 
• 1  yellow onion  (diced)
• 4 cloves garlic  (minced)
• 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley 
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano 
• 1 teaspoon Kosher salt 
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 
• 1 1/2 cups carrots  (diced)
• 2 cups celery  (diced)
• 2 cans  (15 ounces each) white cannellini beans  (drained and rinsed)
• 3  bay leaves 
• 3 cups chicken broth  (more if needed)
• 2 cup half and half 

Roux Mixture:

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter 
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 
• 1 cup half and half 

Garnish:

•  Parsley 

Instructions

1. Place a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high heat.
2. Add olive oil, once hot add the cubed ham and brown for about 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Add the diced onion, stir and cook for 2-3 minutes.
4. Add the garlic, dried parsley, and oregano. Stir and cook for 30 seconds.
5. Add carrots and celery, stir and cook for about 5-7 minutes.
6. Add rinsed beans, season with salt and pepper. Add chicken broth, half and half and bay leaves. Stir and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium, cover and simmer for 30-40 minutes.

Roux Mixture:

1. Add butter to a medium saucepan over medium heat and melt. Whisk in the flour until completely combined and gradually add in the half and half, whish until smooth.
2. With the heat on low, let the mixture cook until it starts to simmer and is getting thicker, stir occasionally.
3. Immediately add the flour mixture to the pot and stir to combine.
4. If the soup is too thick, add more chicken broth. Taste and adjust for salt and pepper.

5. Cover and continue cooking the soup on low heat for 15 minutes. If you added more liquid, make sure to let the soup simmer for a few minutes. Discard bay leaves.

6. To make the soup thicker, mash some of the ingredients.
7. Serve topped with chopped parsley.

Calories: 383 Carbohydrates: 16 Protein: 16 Fat: 29 Saturated Fat: 14 Cholesterol: 95 Sodium: 1727 Potassium: 480 Fiber: 2 Sugar: 4 Vitamin A: 6169 Vitamin C: 14 Calcium: 174 Iron: 1

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