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Hearty Ham and Bean Soup with Leftover Ham Bone

Close-up of a white bowl filled with rich Ham and Bean Soup, showing shredded ham, white beans, and sliced carrots in broth.
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Make a soul-satisfying ham and bean soup using your leftover holiday ham bone. This recipe creates a rich, smoky broth and tender beans for a classic comfort meal.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 large smoked ham bone (with meat attached if possible)
  • 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 cup diced leftover ham (optional, for later)

Instructions

  1. If you have time, soak the dried beans in water overnight. Drain them before starting the soup. If not soaking, you will need to increase the simmering time.
  2. Place the ham bone, rinsed 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, then immediately reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot partially.
  4. Simmer the soup gently for 2 to 3 hours, or until the beans are completely tender. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.
  5. Remove the ham bone from the pot. Once cool enough to handle, pull off any remaining meat and chop it into bite-sized pieces. Discard the bone and bay leaves.
  6. Return the chopped ham meat to the pot. If the soup is too thin, remove about 1 cup of beans, mash them, and stir the mash back into the soup to thicken it slightly.
  7. Continue to simmer for another 15 minutes to allow flavors to blend. Taste and add salt only if needed, as the ham bone often provides enough sodium.
  8. Serve your leftover ham bone soup hot, perhaps with cornbread.

Notes

  • Soaking the beans overnight reduces the cooking time significantly.
  • For a creamier texture, remove a few scoops of beans near the end, mash them with a fork, and stir them back into the navy bean stew.
  • This recipe freezes well for future easy meals.

Nutrition

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