Hearty, simple, and completely delicious, Ham and Bean Soup is a must-make this season! Loaded with tender chunks of smoky ham, white beans, and vegetables, this budget-friendly soup is one you’ll make again and again!
When it comes to soup, you can’t go wrong with combining some type of legume or bean with ham.
We have several soup recipes here that combine the two, such as Tuscan white bean soup with roasted garlic, and split pea soup, but this simple ham and bean soup is the most basic (in the best way possible)!
It’s hearty enough to be a meal on its own, but also great when served in a cup alongside a grilled cheese sandwich and simple green salad.
Recipe Ingredients
All ingredients for this recipe are shown in the pic below and special notes are made in this bulleted list to assist you.
- Ham. Pictured above is 1 smoked and 2 unsmoked ham hocks, however, I recommended using a smoked ham shank since it has more meat. If using smoked hocks, smoked ham steak can be added to increase the amount of ham during the last 45 minutes of cooking.
- Beans. Using dried beans will make this dish even more budget friendly, just be sure to soak them overnight and follow the instructions in the FAQ on softening dried beans. You can speed up the process by using canned beans if desired. Cannellini and great northern beans can both be used here with similar results.
- Stock. I recommend using homemade chicken stock for best results, or you can use a stock made from a low-sodium chicken base, such as Better Than Bouillon brand.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to make it
Each number corresponds to the numbered written steps below.
- To a large pot add a ~2 pound smoked ham shank along with 3 cups of water, 4 cups of low-sodium chicken stock, 4 sprigs of thyme, and 2 large bay leaves and bring the mixture to a boil. Note: if using smoked ham hocks instead of a ham shank, extra cooked ham or chopped smoked ham steak can be added during the last 30-45 minutes of cooking.
- Once boiling, turn the heat down and simmer for 2 hours with the lid slightly cracked, skimming the scum from the top of the broth every 30 minutes.
- Dice 1 medium onion, 3 celery ribs, 1 large carrot, and mince 6 cloves of garlic. In a large pan over medium heat, add 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil along with the onions, carrots, and celery, and cook until moderately soft, about 5 minutes, then add the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes.
- Remove the scum from the ham pot once more and add the vegetables.
- Add 1 pound of dried cannellini beans that have been soaked overnight and softened to the soup. Note: in place of the dried beans, you can use 4 16-ounce cans of cannellini or great northern beans.
- After the beans and vegetables have been added, simmer with the lid cracked for 45 minutes, or until the beans are tender, then taste test and season with salt and pepper to taste. If the soup is too thick, add more water or stock; if it’s too thin for your liking, smash some of the beans against the side of the pot with a wooden spoon.
- Remove the ham bone from the pot and remove all of the meat, making sure to discard any bits of far or grizzle.
- Return the shredded meat to the pot and add 1/4 cup of minced parsley. Serve the ham and bean soup as a full meal or alongside your favorite salad or sandwich and enjoy.
The best way to soften dried beans is to soak them overnight. Then in the morning, rinse the beans and place them in a pot, add water about an inch higher than the beans, and bring to a moderate simmer for 10 minutes. Then, turn the burner to low and cover the pot. Allow them to sit on low heat for an hour or so and check every 30 minutes for tenderness. If your beans are old, they may never soften so make sure the beans you’re using aren’t expired.
Top tips
- Use a smoked ham shank. Ham shanks have more meat and will yield the best possible results. If you can’t find smoked ham shanks, you can use smoked ham hocks but you’ll likely need to use a chopped ham steak (or leftover meat from a spiral ham) to make up the amount of meat.
- Brighten up the soup. Feel free to add greens such as escarole, baby spinach, or kale to brighten up the soup, These can be added toward the end of the cooking process.
- Make ahead. As with most soups and stews, this ham and bean soup is better the next day and it also freezes well so make in advance if possible. It’s still really good the same day too.
More budget friendly soup recipes
Here are just a few more of our favorite soups that are easy on the wallet!
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Ham and Bean Soup
Ingredients
- 2 pound (908g) smoked ham shank see notes below
- 3 cups (720ml) water
- 4 cups (1L) low sodium chicken stock plus more for thinning
- 4 sprigs thyme
- 2 large bay leaves
- 3 tablespoons (45ml) extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion diced
- 3 ribs celery diced
- 1 large carrot diced
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 1 pound (454g) dried great northen or cannellini beans soaked overnight and softened, or 4 16-ounce cans
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup minced flat-leaf Italian parsley
Instructions
- Add the ham shanks, water, chicken stock, thyme, and bay leaves to a large pot and bring to boil. Once boiling, turn the heat down to a simmer for 2 hours with the lid slightly cracked, skimming the scum from the top of the broth every 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat a large pan to medium heat with the olive oil. Add in the celery, onion, and carrots along with a spinkle of salt and cook until moderately soft (about 5 minutes). Add the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes.
- Add all of the vegetables and beans to the pot and simmer for 45 minutes or until the beans are tender with the lid cracked. Taste test and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- If the soup is too thick, add more water or stock. If the soup is too thin for your liking simply smash some of the beans against the side of the pot with a wooden spoon.
- Remove the ham bone from the pot and remove all of the meat and return it back to the soup. Mix in the parsley and serve. Enjoy!
Notes
- This recipe assumes that the dried beans have been soaked and softened. See the FAQ above on how to soften beans for more information. You can also use canned beans which are already soft and require no prep other than draining.
- If using smoked ham hocks instead of smoked ham shanks, extra cooked ham or chopped smoked ham steak can be added to the soup during the last 30-45 minutes of simmering.
- Escarole, spinach, kale or other greens can be added to brighten up the soup.
- Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days and can be reheated on the stovetop or in the microwave.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
It’s a great recipe. I had to adjust cooking times as I forgot to personal my dried beans. I did a quick soften then cooked them with the other ingredients for a longer amount of time. I added extra veggies, a couple of tablespoons of red wine vinegar, some cayenne, salt free cajun seasoning, etc
We’re happy you enjoyed, Michele!
Made this for the first time and I’ll make again!
I used canned cannellini beans and added spinach and mushrooms at the end.
delicious. thanks for a great recipe.
We’re so happy you enjoyed, Edna!
Love your recipes!!
So happy to hear that!
Made this for the first time. It was delicious. I use quite a bit of your recipes. I am so impressed with your descriptions and the ease of making the best tasting recipes. Thank you
We’re so happy you enjoyed it, Linda!
So many of your recipes call for wine (white or red). I am on prescription medicines that require that I avoid alcohol. Is there a non-alcoholic substitute for the forbidden wine?
Hi Rita, depending on the recipe, you can omit the wine completely, substitute with stock, or use a bit of a different acid, such as vinegar or lemon juice. It really does depend on the recipe though. There is no wine in this particular recipe, however.
Exelant recipes and easy to follow.
We’re so happy to hear that, Bill!