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Easy Leftover Ham and Bean Soup with Ham Bone: Best Comfort Food

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This creamy, rich ham and bean soup is made entirely by accident but has become a purposeful favorite. It’s the perfect way to use up leftover ham, requiring minimal active prep and delivering deep, smoky flavor from the ham bone.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 leftover ham bone (with some meat still attached, if possible)
  • 1 pound dried navy beans (or great northern beans)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 large yellow onion, diced (about 2 cups)
  • 3 medium carrots, peeled and diced (about 1½ cups)
  • 3 celery stalks, diced (about 1 cup)
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth (or water)
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • Optional: 2 cups chopped leftover ham
  • For serving: fresh parsley, chopped; crusty bread or cornbread; a squeeze of lemon juice

Instructions

  1. Rinse and pick over the beans (5 minutes). Place the dried beans in a colander and rinse them under cold water. Pick through them to remove any small stones or shriveled beans. Do not soak them.
  2. Sauté the vegetables (8-10 minutes). Heat the olive oil in your Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the diced onion, carrots, and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft and the onion is translucent—about 8 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant.
  3. Add the ham bone and beans (2 minutes). Place the ham bone in the center of the pot. Pour in the rinsed beans, arranging them around the bone.
  4. Pour in the broth and seasonings (1 minute). Add the chicken broth, bay leaves, dried thyme, and black pepper. Give everything a gentle stir. The liquid should cover the beans by about 2 inches. If it doesn’t, add a bit more broth or water.
  5. Bring to a boil, then simmer (2-3 hours). Turn the heat to high and bring the soup to a boil. Once it’s boiling, reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and let it simmer gently. After about 1 hour, check the beans. After 2 hours, they’ll be creamy and tender.
  6. Remove the ham bone and shred the meat (10 minutes). Using tongs, carefully remove the ham bone from the pot. Let it cool on a plate for a few minutes. Once cool enough to handle, pick off any remaining meat and shred it with your fingers or two forks. Discard the bone and any gristle or fat.
  7. Add the shredded ham back to the pot (1 minute). Stir the shredded ham back into the soup. If you’re using additional leftover ham, add it now. Taste the broth and adjust seasoning.
  8. Optional: Blend for creaminess (5 minutes). If you like a thicker, creamier soup, use an immersion blender to partially blend the soup. I usually blend about half of it, leaving some beans whole for texture.
  9. Finish and serve (2 minutes). Remove the bay leaves. Ladle the soup into bowls, garnish with fresh parsley, and serve with crusty bread. A squeeze of lemon juice right before serving really brightens everything up.

Notes

Don’t skip the sauté step—it builds flavor. Use low-sodium broth because the ham bone adds salt. Watch the simmer; a gentle simmer is key. Skim foam if desired during the first 30 minutes. This soup tastes even better the next day. For a slow cooker version, sauté vegetables first, then cook on low for 8-10 hours. To fix salty soup, add a peeled raw potato and simmer for 20-30 minutes.

Nutrition

Keywords: ham and bean soup, leftover ham, ham bone soup, comfort food, easy soup, dried beans, navy beans, slow cooker soup, freezer-friendly

Find it online: https://forkifyfun.com/easy-leftover-ham-and-bean-soup-with-ham-bone-best-comfort-food/