Ham and Bean Soup

Diving into a bowl of comforting soup loaded with ham and beans.

This rich and comforting soup, loaded with white beans, veggies, and ham, delivers a comforting hug in a bowl. The perfect way to use up leftover ham from the holidays!

Course Soup

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 50

Soaking Time 6

Total Time 7 10

Servings

Calories 340kcal

Author Imma

Ingredients

1 pound (450g) dried great northern beans, cleaned and rinsed (6 cups canned beans)
1 cup (150g) leftover ham
1 cup (130g) chopped smoked turkey
½ medium onion, chopped
1 tablespoon (15g) minced garlic
2-3 teaspoons (4-6g) minced fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
⅓ cup (30-35g) chopped celery
1 teaspoon (4g) Creole seasoning
3-4 cups (700-940ml) unsalted chicken stock
1 cup (130g) carrots, sliced thick
ham bones or turkey bones (optional)
salt and pepper to taste (see notes)

Instructions

Soak the dry beans for 6-8 hours or overnight in cold water, then drain and rinse.
Place the beans in the pot, add about 5 cups of water (enough to cover), and bring to a boil. Simmer until the beans are tender (1½-4 hours, depending on the beans and altitude). You can do this in 30-50 minutes in a pressure cooker.
Brown the chopped ham and smoked turkey in a Dutch oven over medium heat (6-10 minutes).
Add the onions, garlic, thyme, bay leaves, celery, and Creole seasoning, and sauté for 3-5 minutes.
Pour in about 3 cups of chicken stock, add the ham and turkey bones (if using), scrape browned bits from the bottom of the pot, and bring to a boil.
Add the beans and carrots, and continue simmering until the broth thickens (30-45 minutes, depending on how you like your beans).
Remove the bones, adjust seasonings to taste with salt and pepper, and adjust the consistency. If it's too thick, add broth; if it's too thin, puree a cup or so of the beans and simmer for another 10 minutes with the lid off. Serve hot with crusty bread.

Notes

Add a teaspoon of salt, a crushed clove of garlic, and a smashed quarter of an onion to the bean soaking water for more flavor.
Ham and smoked turkey already have salt. So do a taste test, and if you can taste the seasonings, you have enough salt. If it tastes bland, stir in a pinch of salt, wait a minute, then repeat until it tastes right.
Measurements are suggestions. Feel free to add more or less ham.
If you don't have smoked turkey, leftover Thanksgiving turkey will work fine. Add a teaspoon or two of smoked paprika for the smokiness.
Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on the products used.

Nutrition