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Hearty Ham and Navy Bean Soup

A close-up of a white bowl filled with homemade bean soup featuring white beans, diced ham, carrots, and celery.
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Make this classic ham and bean soup using navy beans for a comforting, budget-friendly meal perfect for cold weather. This recipe uses leftover ham for deep, savory flavor.

Ingredients

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  • 1 pound dried navy beans, rinsed and picked over
  • 8 cups water or low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 pound smoked ham hock or leftover ham bone
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 large yellow onion, chopped
  • 2 carrots, peeled and diced
  • 2 celery stalks, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste after removing ham)
  • 1 cup diced cooked ham (optional, for extra meatiness)

Instructions

  1. Place the navy beans in a large pot and cover with water. Soak overnight, or use the quick-soak method: cover beans with water, bring to a boil for 2 minutes, remove from heat, cover, and let stand for 1 hour. Drain the beans.
  2. In a large Dutch oven or stockpot, combine the drained beans, 8 cups of water or broth, and the smoked ham hock or bone. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1.5 to 2 hours, or until the beans are tender.
  3. While the beans simmer, prepare the vegetables. Heat the olive oil in a separate skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery. Cook until the vegetables soften, about 5 to 7 minutes.
  4. Add the minced garlic to the skillet and cook for 1 minute more until fragrant.
  5. Once the beans are tender, remove the ham hock or bone from the pot. Discard the bone and shred any usable meat from the hock. Remove the bay leaf.
  6. Add the sautéed vegetables, thyme, pepper, and salt (if needed) to the bean pot. If using, stir in the diced cooked ham.
  7. Continue to simmer the soup, uncovered, for another 20 to 30 minutes, allowing the flavors to combine and the soup to thicken slightly. Stir occasionally.
  8. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed before serving. Serve hot with cornbread.

Notes

  • For a thicker soup, mash about 1 cup of the cooked beans against the side of the pot with a spoon and stir them back in.
  • If you do not have leftover ham, use 1/2 pound of smoked ham hock or 1/4 cup of diced smoked bacon cooked at the start with the vegetables.
  • This soup freezes well for future easy weeknight dinners.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://cookingbycarla.com/best-bean-soup-hearty-ham-navy-recipe/