Print

Hearty Ham and Bean Soup from a Leftover Ham Bone

Close-up of a steaming white bowl filled with hearty Ham and bean soup, topped with shredded ham and carrots.
Print Recipe
Save Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

No reviews

Make a soul-satisfying ham and bean soup using your leftover holiday ham bone. This navy bean stew is a classic post-holiday recipe that turns scraps into a comforting meal.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 large leftover ham bone (with meat attached)
  • 1 pound dried navy beans or Great Northern beans, rinsed and picked over
  • 8 cups water or low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 large yellow onion, chopped
  • 2 carrots, chopped
  • 2 celery stalks, chopped
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt (adjust after removing ham meat)

Instructions

  1. If you did not soak the beans overnight, place the rinsed beans in a large pot and cover them with water. Bring to a boil for 2 minutes, then remove from heat, cover, and let stand for 1 hour. Drain the beans. (If you soaked them overnight, simply drain them.)
  2. Place the ham bone, drained beans, water or broth, onion, carrots, celery, bay leaves, thyme, and pepper into a large stockpot or Dutch oven.
  3. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low, cover the pot partially, and simmer for 2 to 3 hours, or until the beans are completely tender. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.
  4. Remove the ham bone from the pot. Let it cool slightly, then pull off all the usable ham meat, discarding the bone and any large pieces of fat or rind. Shred or dice the ham meat.
  5. Return the shredded ham meat to the soup. Taste the broth and add salt as needed, remembering the ham bone adds saltiness.
  6. Continue to simmer for another 15 minutes to allow the flavors to combine. For a thicker soup, mash about 1 cup of the beans against the side of the pot or blend them briefly with an immersion blender, then stir back into the soup.
  7. Remove the bay leaves before serving. Serve your ham and bean soup hot, perhaps with cornbread.

Notes

  • Soaking the beans overnight significantly reduces the cooking time for this navy bean stew.
  • If you do not have a ham bone, you can substitute 1 pound of dried beans with 1 pound of cubed smoked ham and 6 cups of chicken broth, reducing the initial simmer time.
  • This leftover ham bone soup freezes well for later meals.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://yummagnet.com/ham-and-bean-soup-leftover-ham-bone-recipe/