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White bowl of ham and bean soup with thyme garnish.
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5 from 5 votes

Ham and Bean Soup

Ham and Bean Soup is a delicious no-frills soup that's loaded with hearty beans, chunks of ham and vegetables, and is both easy and budget-friendly!
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time3 hours
Total Time3 hours 10 minutes
Course: Soup
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 8

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

Calories: 332kcal | Carbohydrates: 40.5g | Protein: 27.6g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 2.4g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 665mg | Fiber: 13g | Sugar: 2.6g | Calcium: 124mg | Iron: 4mg

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