Enjoy this frugal and delicious ham and bean soup. Cook up this hearty, satisfying meal in the slow cooker, Instant Pot, or on the stovetop – it’s perfect for cold winter days!
Growing up, my parents cooked most dinners at home. I remember very few meals that I didn’t like, but there are definitely a few meals that have stood out as my favorites.
Pot of beans – or more commonly known as northern bean and ham soup – is one of them.
I confess, there was a several year gap while I was in college when I didn’t have much of anything resembling a home-cooked meal. So, when I visited my mom one night and she cooked a pot of northern bean soup with ham, it was like a rewind to my childhood.
And it was utterly amazing.
Just like I have my own food memories, I want my kids to grow up and remember me making their favorite dishes. My daughter has grown VERY fond of my Tomato Basil Soup – or tomato sauce soup, as she affectionately calls it.
My son is a little on the tricky side. He’s a HUGE fan of fruits and vegetables, but a bit peculiar with certain textures. However, he does like ham, so I’m hoping to win him over.
This ham and bean soup might do the trick!
HAM AND BEAN SOUP
My favorite part of ham bean soup is the little pieces of ham that are hidden among the beans. It’s like finding a gem among a beach of grey rocks, and the more the merrier! This ham soup with beans is also:
- Hearty. It has a consistency of thick stew (it’s SO good served with my No-Knead Artisan Bread), which makes it perfect for colder temperatures outside.
- Versatile. It can be served alone as a stew, over rice (I like to make Instant Pot Rice), or over my Cast Iron Skillet Cornbread!
- It makes a big pot. I love sitting down to a big pot of soup for dinner, knowing that there’s plenty of leftovers for lunch or dinner the next day.
- And it freezes well. This savory soup tastes even better the next day, or you can freeze the extra for a future easy meal.
See? I told you it was amazing…
HAM SOUP WITH BEANS INGREDIENTS
At first, it may seem like it’s a lot of ingredients, but trust me, ham soup with beans is so quick and easy to put together, especially if you prep the veggies ahead of time.
- Northern beans, soaked overnight
- Olive oil. For sautéing the veggies.
- Veggies. Carrots + celery + onion + garlic
- Dried herbs. Italian seasoning + thyme + sage
- Chicken stock. Try this easy Instant Pot Chicken Stock or Chicken Broth.
- Ham hock. The ham hock, also called the pork knuckle, is the bone that connects the pig’s foot and leg. Ham hocks are full of collagen and add lots of salty umami flavor to dishes like ham beans.
- Chopped ham (optional) If the budget is tight, you can omit the additional chopped ham and just use the ham hock. You’ll still get plenty of wonderful meat from the ham hock. The chopped ham is just a bonus!
Since the ham imparts the natural saltiness to this dish, I didn’t include any added salt. You can add salt and pepper to taste. YUM!
Note: I have seen some other recipes that call for bay leaves, which I haven’t added to this recipe, but I definitely think it would add another depth of flavor – if you have bay leaves on hand.
SOAK BEANS FOR BEAN & HAM SOUP
I think soaking the beans overnight is the easiest way to do it, but at a minimum, soak them for 6-8 hours beforehand. You can learn about how to soak and de-gas beans here.
For this bean & ham soup, the dried beans should be soaked but not par cooked. Par-cooking them will yield a soup texture instead of stew, which is fine if that’s what you prefer. But I like stew, and in order to get that, the beans need to literally cook with the ham hock and as they do, they’ll shed the outer coating which will break down into the stock and create a thick, creamy sauce. YUM!
HOW TO MAKE HAM AND BEAN SOUP RECIPE: SLOW COOKER SOUP INSTRUCTIONS
This ham and bean soup recipe is great because you can toss all of the ingredients together, set the slow cooker, and GO – that is, of course, after you give the veggies a quick sauté, which deepens the natural flavors and makes them even more delicious!
Step 1. Drain the soaking liquid from the beans, rinse, and set the beans aside.
Step 2. In a skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, celery, carrot, and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 3-5 minutes.
Step 3. Add cooked vegetables, beans, and all other remaining ingredients to the slow cooker.
Step 4. Cook on low for 6-8 hours, until the beans are cooked through.
Step 5. Ladle hot slow cooker ham and bean soup into bowls and serve warm.
Store leftover ham soup with beans in an airtight container or jar in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or freeze for up to three months. Once cooled, if you portion the crockpot ham soup into freezer bags and lay them flat, you’ll save a lot of space in the freezer, with more room for freezer meals like these easy dinners and these breakfast plans.
HOW TO MAKE NORTHERN BEAN AND HAM SOUP ON THE STOVETOP
Making this ham and bean soup recipe on the stovetop is similar to the slow cooker.
Step 1. In a large pot, sauté the vegetables until fragrant. Add the seasonings and sauté another minute (this deepens their flavor).
Step 2. Add the soaked and drained beans, and all the remaining ingredients into the pot.
Step 3. Bring to a boil and then turn down to a simmer on medium-low for 1 ½ – 2 hours, or until the beans are tender.
Step 4. Add salt and black pepper to taste, and ladle into bowls.
HOW TO MAKE NORTHERN BEAN & HAM SOUP IN THE INSTANT POT
Step 1. Use the sauté function to sauté the vegetables in the olive oil in the Instant Pot until fragrant, then add the seasonings to the vegetables for another minute (this deepens their flavor).
Step 2. Add the soaked/drained beans, ham hock, and all the remaining ingredients.
Step 3. Lock the lid and make sure the release lever is turned to ‘sealing.’
Step 4. Cook the bean & ham soup on manual high pressure for 40 minutes.
Step 5. Allow a natural pressure release for another 20 minutes.
Step 6. When you remove the ham bone, you may have to cut the meat off the bone and then stir the meat back in.
Step 7. Add salt and black pepper to taste, and ladle into bowls.
SERVE WITH HAM AND BEAN SOUP
Ham bone soup is delicious ladled over a scoop of Instant Pot White Rice, Brown Rice, or a slice of Cast Iron Skillet Cornbread.
Or serve it with one of these yummy breads on the side:
RECIPE HAM SOUP BEAN FAQS
What are Great Northern beans? Are navy beans the same as northern beans?
Why does my ham and bean soup taste bland?
I’m not sure but try this ham and bean soup recipe! You get the salty umami flavor from the ham hock. Sautéing the carrots, celery, onion, and garlic gives you plenty of rich aromatic flavor, and adding the seasonings for a minute before stirring in the rest of the soup ingredients helps really bring out their flavor as well. Using dried beans that cook in the broth also adds a richer flavor than using canned beans or previously cooked beans. If you still feel your soup is bland after cooking, add some additional salt and black pepper.
What makes ham and bean soup thicken?
As the beans cook, they absorb some of the broth, resulting in a thicker, stew-like soup. They also shed their outer coating, which breaks down in the stock and creates a slightly thicker, creamy sauce. No need for flour or cornstarch here!
Why do people put vinegar in ham beans?
Some people add vinegar toward the end of the cooking time to help break down the beans and brighten their flavor. With this ham and bean soup recipe, we’ve built up enough flavor that vinegar isn’t really necessary.
MORE EASY SOUP RECIPES
Fight Inflation Workshop!
Sign up for my FREE Fight Inflation Workshop and learn simple strategies to save money, even with rising food costs!
Northern Beans and Ham Soup
Enjoy this frugal and delicious ham and bean soup. Cook up this hearty, satisfying meal in the slow cooker, Instant Pot, or on the stovetop – it’s perfect for cold winter days!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 hours
- Total Time: 8 hours 15 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Soup & Salad
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: American
Instructions
Slow Cooker
- Drain soaking liquid from beans and set beans aside.
- In a skillet, heat olive oil over medium. Add onion, celery, carrot, and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 3-5 minutes.
- Add cooked vegetables, beans, and all other remaining ingredients to a slow cooker.
- Cook on low for 6-8 hours, until beans are cooked through.
- Serve over prepared white rice or cornbread.
Stovetop
- In a large pot, sauté the vegetables until fragrant. Add the seasonings and sauté another minute (this deepens their flavor).
- Add the soaked and drained beans, and all the remaining ingredients into the pot.
- Bring to a boil and then turn down to a simmer on medium-low for 1 ½ – 2 hours, or until the beans are tender.
- Add salt and black pepper to taste, and ladle into bowls.
Instant Pot
- Use the sauté function to sauté the vegetables in the olive oil in the Instant Pot until fragrant, then add the seasonings to the vegetables for another minute (this deepens their flavor).
- Add the soaked/drained beans, ham hock, and all the remaining ingredients.
- Lock the lid and make sure the release lever is turned to ‘sealing.’
- Cook the bean & ham soup on manual high pressure for 40 minutes.
- Allow a natural pressure release for another 20 minutes.
- When you remove the ham bone, you may have to cut the meat off the bone and then stir the meat back in.
- Add salt and black pepper to taste, and ladle into bowls.
Notes
- Ham and Bean Soup freezes very well (and you can freeze it for up to three months). Once cooled, if you portion the soup into freezer bags and lay them flat, you’ll save a lot of space in the freezer – with more room for freezer meals like these dinner plans and these breakfast plans!
- I have seen some other recipes that call for bay leaves, which I haven’t added to this recipe, but I definitely think it would add another layer of flavor – if you have bay leaves on hand.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 225
