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    You Are Here Home » Soup and Stew Recipes

    Published: Feb 9, 2023 Updated: Feb 9, 2023 by Hilda Sterner | This post may contain affiliate links 2 Comments

    Ham and Beans Soup

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    ham and bean soup pin

    This ham and beans soup recipe is hearty, filling, and easy to make! Warm and comforting, 13 bean soup is perfect to snuggle up to on a cold day. I'm including both stove top, crock pot, and Instant pot instructions. Serve with crackers or Jiffy cornbread with creamed corn.

    beans and ham soup in a white bowl with crackers

    I recently received a bag of Bob's Red Mill 13-bean soup from Scott's cousin, Marguerite. After noticing that the beans had to soak overnight, she decided to pass them along to me.

    The timing was perfect because I had a large ham taking up way too much room in my refrigerator. I don't know about you, but when life hands me a ham and a bag of 13 bean soup mix, I figure the universe wants me to create a ham and beans soup recipe. How can I refuse?

    Jump to:
    • 🧐 Why This Recipe Works
    • 🛒 What Goes Into This Recipe
    • 🔖 Recipe Ingredients & Substitutions
    • 🫘 How to Make Ham & Beans Soup
    • 🤷🏻‍♀️ FAQs
    • 👩🏼‍🍳 Pro Tips
    • 🥘 Related Recipes
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Comments

    🧐 Why This Recipe Works

    • This is a hearty soup with an amazing flavor that everyone will love.
    • The recipe that makes enough soup for 10 servings! This makes it great for potlucks or when feeding a large crowd.
    • If you're like me, you'll love having ham and bean soup leftovers for easy lunches the rest of the week. Or, maybe you can share with family and friends?
    • This bean soup recipe also freezes well so you can always freeze some for later!

    🛒 What Goes Into This Recipe

    beans and ham soup ingredients, labeled

    🔖 Recipe Ingredients & Substitutions

    • Beans: You'll need a ½ package or ½ lb of Bob's Red Mill 13 bean soup. If you need to, substitute other dried beans including navy beans, white beans (Great northern beans), or dried cannellini beans.
    • Ham: Use ham hocks, ham shanks, or a leftover ham bone to make this soup. You'll also need 2 cups of diced ham.
    • Vegetables: I added onion, garlic, carrots, celery, and tomatoes. Other great options would be peas and corn.
    • Spices: Sea salt, black pepper, cayenne, or paprika.
    • Herbs: I added bay leaves, dried oregano, and basil. Fresh herbs would also be great including thyme, sage, and Italian seasoning.
    • Tomato Sauce: If you don't have tomato sauce, substitute 3 ounces of tomato paste.
    • Oil: You'll need a tablespoon or two of oil to sauté the onion. I used avocado oil but you can substitute olive oil.
    • Water: Instead of using chicken broth I used water and allowed the hambone do its magic!
    • Optional: Serve with a dollop of sour cream, crackers, or bread.

    🫘 How to Make Ham & Beans Soup

    Step 1: Pick through the beans and remove any debris then cover with 2 quarts of cold water and soak for 8 hours or overnight. Drain and rinse the beans before adding them to the soup.

    a bowl of dry beans, and one soaking in a bowl of water

    Pro Tip: The longer the beans soak the less time it will take to cook the beans before they're tender. For this reason, cooking time may need to be extended.

    Step 2: Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a large stockpot. Add diced onion and sauté for a few minutes. Add minced garlic and sauté for one more minute. 

    Step 3: Add drained beans, ham bone, bay leaves, oregano, and basil. Cover with 8 cups (2 quarts) of cold water. Bring to a boil over medium high heat then cover with a lid and simmer for one hour or until the beans are tender, stir occasionally.

    Step 4: When the beans are tender, remove the ham bone and shred or dice the meat off of it. Add the ham to the soup along with diced veggies, tomato sauce, seasoning, and 2 cups cubed ham. Cover and simmer for another 30 minutes.

    Serve bean and ham soup in a bowl with a dollop of sour cream, shredded cheese, chili sauce, tortilla chips, crackers, quick and easy beer bread, or sourdough bread.

    13 bean soup being served out of the pot

    Crock Pot Cooking Instructions

    If you prefer to cook the soup in a crockpot, add all your ingredients to the crockpot or slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 hours. 

    Instant Pot Instructions

    To make this beans and ham soup in an Instant pot, sauté the onions and garlic in your pressure cooker the add the remaining ingredients except for the carrots, celery, and tomato. Place the lid on, and cook on high pressure for 55 minutes. Quick release pressure. Add the vegetables to the soup and pressure cook for an additional 5 minutes. Quick release and enjoy!

    🤷🏻‍♀️ FAQs

    How long should I soak beans for ham and beans?

    Beans should be soaked for a minimum of 8 hours, preferably overnight. The longer they soak the less time they'll need to cook. Make sure to rinse the beans with fresh cold water before adding them to your soup.

    13 bean soup mix soaking in water

    Why do you soak beans for ham and beans?

    Soaking beans before cooking them allows the beans to soften so that they cook faster. Another benefit is that soaked beans are easier to digest.

    Do you have to soak beans for ham and beans?

    You can technically skip soaking the beans overnight but the cooking time will have to be extended. If you forgot to soak the beans overnight, you can use the quick soak method by boiling the beans and soaking them for an hour prior to adding them to the soup.

    What kind of beans do you put in ham soup?

    What beans you use in ham and bean soup will depend on your preferences. Some great options include 13 bean soup mix, 15 beans soup mix, great northern beans, or kidney beans.

    What to serve with ham & bean soup

    Ham and beans soup is quite filling and doesn't really need a side. However, crackers, crusty bread, or a light salad are all great options.

    How do you thicken ham and beans?

    Ham and beans soup will naturally thicken as it reduces while cooking. However, if you've added too much liquid and you need to thicken the soup, a great option is to stir a can of refried beans into the soup.

    👩🏼‍🍳 Pro Tips

    • One serving of this ham and bean soup recipe equals 1 ½ cups.
    • If you forgot to soak the beans, just use the quick soak method. To do this, cover the beans with a few inches of water and bring to a boil. Next, turn the heat off and soak the beans for an hour before adding them to the soup.
    • If the soup is too thick, feel free to add additional water or broth, no more than one cup at a time until you reach the desired consistency.
    • If you prefer a smoother texture, use an immersion blender to give the soup a creamy texture.
    • Store soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Freeze for longer storage.
    13 bean soup with ham being scooped out of a pot

    🥘 Related Recipes

    • turkey soup
      Creamy Turkey Soup
    • cream of mushroom soup with toast
      Vegan Cream of Mushroom Soup
    • poblano soup on a red napkin
      Poblano Soup (Crema De Poblano)
    • chicken lemon coriander soup
      Lemon Coriander Soup With Chicken

    Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟rating in the recipe card below & a review in the comments section further down the page.

    Stay in touch with me through social media @ Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok, and Facebook. Don't forget to tag me when you try one of my recipes!

    📖 Recipe

    bean and ham soup in a white bowl

    Ham and Beans Soup

    A hearty and filling 13 bean and ham soup perfect for a large group or for meal prep!
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: dinner, entree, lunch
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
    bean soaking time: 8 hours
    Total Time: 9 hours 45 minutes
    Servings: 10 servings
    Calories: 172kcal
    Author: Hilda Sterner

    Ingredients

    • 2 cups 13 bean soup bean mix (½ lb)
    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • 1 large yellow onion
    • 4 cloves garlic
    • 1 ham bone with meat (plus 2 cups cubed ham)
    • 2 bay leaves
    • 1½ teaspoon dried oregano
    • 1½ teaspoon dried basil
    • 8 cups water (2 quarts)
    • 1 15 oz canned tomato sauce
    • 2 medium diced carrots (7 ounces)
    • 1 cup diced celery (4 ounces)
    • 1 large diced tomato
    • 1 teaspoon sea salt
    • 1 teaspoon black pepper
    • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

    Instructions

    • Pick through the beans and remove any debris then cover with 2 quarts of cold water and soak for 8 hours or overnight. Drain and rinse the beans before adding them to the soup.
    • Add drained beans, ham bone, bay leaves, oregano, and basil. Cover with 8 cups (2 quarts) of cold water. Bring to a boil over medium high heat then cover with a lid and simmer for one hour or until the beans are tender, stir occasionally.
    • When the beans are tender, remove the ham bone and shred or dice the meat off of it. Add the ham to the soup along with diced veggies, tomato sauce, seasoning, and 2 cups cubed ham. Cover and simmer for another 30 minutes.
    • Serve bean and ham soup in a bowl with a dollop of sour cream, shredded cheese, chili sauce, tortilla chips, crackers, or sourdough bread.

    Notes

    • Crockpot & Instant pot instructions are included in the body of this post. 
    • The longer the beans soak the less time it will take to cook the beans before they're tender. For this reason, cooking time may need to be extended.
    • One serving of this ham and bean soup recipe equals 1 ½ cups.
    • If you forgot to soak the beans, just use the quick soak method. To do this, cover the beans with a few inches of water and bring to a boil. Next, turn the heat off and soak the beans for an hour before adding them to the soup.
    • If the soup is too thick, feel free to add additional water or broth, no more than one cup at a time until you reach the desired consistency.
    • If you prefer a smoother texture, use an immersion blender to give the soup a creamy texture.
    • Store soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Freeze for longer storage.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1.5cups | Calories: 172kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 0g | Cholesterol: 30mg | Sodium: 1054mg | Fiber: 13g | Sugar: 9g
    Tried this Recipe? Please leave A Star Rating!Mention @HildasKitchenBlog or tag #HildasKitchenBlog!

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    1. Kelly Methey says

      February 09, 2023 at 11:22 am

      5 stars
      I’ll be making this as soon as I go to the store!!! Sounds so delicious and easy! Yum!

      Reply
      • Hilda Sterner says

        February 09, 2023 at 11:23 am

        Thanks, Kelly! We really enjoyed it too!

        Reply

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