🍲 Ham and Bean Soup
Ham and bean soup is a hearty soup made with ham, beans, vegetables, and seasonings. It’s a traditional comfort food in many places and is often cooked using leftover ham.
🧾 Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked ham, diced
- 1½ cups dried white beans (such as Navy beans or Great Northern beans)
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 2–3 cloves garlic, minced
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ tsp black pepper
- Salt to taste
- 1 tbsp olive oil
👨🍳 Instructions
- Soak the beans
- Rinse dried beans and soak them in water for 6–8 hours or overnight.
- Cook vegetables
- Heat olive oil in a large pot.
- Sauté onion, carrots, celery, and garlic for 4–5 minutes.
- Add soup ingredients
- Add soaked beans, diced ham, chicken broth, bay leaf, and pepper.
- Simmer
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 60–90 minutes until beans are tender.
- Season and serve
- Add salt if needed and remove the bay leaf.
🌟 Optional Add-Ins
- Potatoes
- Tomatoes
- Spinach or kale
- A pinch of Paprika for extra flavor
🍽️ Serving Ideas
Serve hot with:
- Cornbread
- Garlic bread
- Fresh salad
✅ Tip: The soup becomes thicker and more flavorful the next day after refrigeration.
If you’d like, I can also show you:
- A quick 30-minute ham and bean soup (no soaking beans) ⏱️
- A slow cooker version 🍲
- A smoky restaurant-style ham and bean soup recipe.
