Ham and Bean Soup
Updated Oct. 19, 2023
- Total Time
- 2 hours, plus soaking
- Prep Time
- 10 minutes, plus soaking
- Cook Time
- 1 hour 50 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 3tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 3large celery stalks, diced
- 2large carrots, scrubbed or peeled, diced
- 1large yellow onion, finely chopped
- 3garlic cloves, chopped
- Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal) and black pepper
- 1pound dry navy or great Northern beans, sorted, rinsed and soaked overnight (see Tip)
- 4thyme sprigs or ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 2bay leaves, fresh or dry
- 1ham hock or smoked ham shank (1½ to 1¾ pounds)
- 12ounces (about 2 cups) cooked ham, shredded or diced into ½-inch cubes
- Lemon, for serving
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)
423 calories; 15 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 9 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 35 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams dietary fiber; 5 grams sugars; 38 grams protein; 1891 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium. Add the celery, half of the carrots, onion and garlic. Season lightly with salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened, 10 to 12 minutes.
- Step 2
Drain and rinse the beans, then add to the pot along with the thyme, bay leaves, 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Stir and cook for 1 minute. Add the ham hock and cover with 7 cups of water. Stir, partially covered, increasing the heat to bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the beans are tender, about 1 hour. (Add more water, if necessary, to keep the beans covered.) Taste for seasoning as the soup simmers and add more salt and pepper as needed; be mindful that the cooked ham, added later, is salty.
- Step 3
Discard the ham hock, bay leaves and thyme sprigs; transfer 2 cups of the soup to a blender and process until creamy; return to the pot. (Alternatively, you can use an immersion blender.) Add the cubed ham and remaining carrots, partially cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the carrots are slightly softened, about 10 minutes. Taste for seasoning and serve with extra pepper and a squeeze of lemon, if you like. The soup will thicken substantially over time, so thin out with water and adjust seasoning when reheating.
- Place the beans in a medium bowl and cover with 3 inches of cold or room temperature water. Soak for at least 6 hours and up to 12 hours.
Private Notes
Comments
This is a wonderful and warming bowl of tasty beans and ham. Step 1 is poorly written based on the instructions in step 3. I understood "Add the celery, half of the carrots, onion and garlic." to mean add all of the celery and ONLY HALF of the carrots, onion and garlic. In step 3 when finishing the soup one is directed to "Add the cubed ham and remaining carrots", no mention of remaining onion and garlic. Maybe change step 1 to Add the celery, onions, and garlic, and half the carrots?!?
This recipe gives the long soak method instead of the short soak method for the beans. The short soak method removes most of the complex sugars that cause gas. Place the beans in a pot, cover with water, bring to a boil for 3 minutes. Remove from heat, cover, and let stand 4 hours minimum. Can be left up to 24 hours and it won't make a difference. Your stomach will notice the difference. No gas. I learned this years ago from the free Bulk Basics booklets at Whole Foods.
Throw away the ham hock? There's A LOT of meat on it. Don't throw it away.
Didn't have dry beans. Used 2 cans. Perfectly fine! And my local market didn't have ham hock. Cooked some bacon in the dutch oven instead, pouring off much of the fat, then added in a bit of EVOO. Also threw some chard in there. Tasty!!
Terrific recipe, but who knew that a bean soup would bring out the Oxford comma 'enthusiasts'.
Used half chicken stock, half water and a leftover very meaty ham bone instead of hocks, as that is what sent me looking for recipes in the first place. Took awhile longer than one hour for beans to get tender, but when they got there it was perfection. So delicious-- ideal antidote for a chilly, rainy day. Definitely will make again.
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