Easy Ham and Bean Soup with Ham Bone You’ll Make on Repeat

Easy Ham Soup With Beans and Ham Bone

Easy ham and bean soup with a leftover ham bone is one of the simplest and most comforting meals you can make. I grew up making ham and bean soup with my grandma — it was the thing to eat when staying over.

This ham and bean soup is made with a leftover holiday ham bone, which gives the broth deep flavor without complicated ingredients

Can You Free a Ham Bone for Later?

Yes. You can freeze a leftover ham bone until you’re ready to make soup. Wrap it tightly and store it in the freezer for up to 2–3 months.

How Do You Cook A Leftover Ham Bone?

I don’t thaw the ham bone.  It is going to bee cooking for at least an hour, it was already cooked. I put a little water in the bottom of a pan and turn it, letting it cook on all sides. While it is cooking, I’m gathering my ingredients, chopping the extra ham I have.

How Do You Add Flavor To Your Ham Soup Recipe?

We use left over ham from a baked ham. We make ham a few different ways, orange glaze, honey glazed, pineapples and cherry glazed. Each ham has the flavors from what we glaze and cook with and it’s added into the ham. So don’t discount glazing your ham with a fruit and rum.

How Can You Add Flavor to Ham And Bean Soup?

Using leftover ham that was glazed adds flavor.  Instead of using water, use a can of chicken broth/stock.  This will add some flavors as well.  You could also use vegetable stock as well. Don’t forget to season with pepper to your taste.

In addition to the ham that falls off the ham bone, we add chopped ham. For a crunch, you could add diced/chopped celery.

How Do You Thicken Soup?

We mash the beans with a potato masher. You don’t want to mash all the beans, but you will want to smash around 1/3 of them, so that they open and thicken the soup. You will need to also cook the soup for about an hour (longer in the slow cooker) so that it will thicken. Make sure the lid is off the pot.

Why Do You Put Vinegar in Bean Soup?

Add some into your bowl of soup, or add in while cooking. It helps break down the sugars and helps digestion.

What Kind of Beans Can Be Used in Bean with Ham Soup?

You can use white beans (also called navy beans or great northern beans) or pinto beans. You can use dry beans, but they will need to be soaked, drained and soaked again for a few hours.

Print Recipe

5 from 2 votes

Hearty Ham and Bean Soup with Ham Bone

So full of flavor and great after the holidays. Make a ham soup with beans from a delicious ham bone. It will add flavor to your bean soup.

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Total Time1 hour hr 40 minutes mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings: 8 people

Author: Regina Sober

Equipment

• Dutch Oven Pot
• Ladle
• Knife
• Cutting board

Ingredients

• 1 ham bone
• 2 cans navy, white beans, great northern beans or pinto beans
• 1 can chicken broth
• water
• pepper to taste
• 2 cups cubed cooked ham

Instructions

• Add a half cup water to pot and add the ham bone.
• Cook the ham bone on medium heat, turning, especially if it was frozen.
• Add 1/2 teaspoon of pepper.
• Add 2 cans of navy beans.
• Pour in can of chicken stock.
• Add additional chopped ham into pan.
• Liquid should just cover beans. If not, add water.
• Cook for 30 minutes covered, stirring on and off.
• Remove the ham bone.
• Continue to cook uncovered, stirring for 30-40 minutes.
• The liquid should reduce.
• Take a potato masher and mash some of the beans, this will help thicken the soup. Do not crush all the beans, just about a 1/3 of them.

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