Published November 27, 2020.This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
You won’t be able to resist this absolutely delicious and easy to make ham and bean soup recipe that is jam-packed with flavor.
Soup is my first love, so I make it and eat it all year long. If you’re a big soup fan as well, then definitely try my Split Pea or Zuppa Toscana.
Ham and Bean Soup
Ham and Bean is such a hearty tasty soup that is simple to make and uses mostly household ingredients that are easily accessible. My absolute favorite time to make this is immediately following a holiday where I have quite a bit of leftover ham.
Doing this is an easy way to use up everything without losing out in the flavor department. You definitely do not need leftover ham to make this recipe as you can simply use a ham hock and diced ham. I definitely encourage you to make this, you won’t regret it.
What Kind of Beans Can I Use?
The most classic bean to use in this soup is navy beans. With that being said there are several other beans you can use, especially if you don’t have navy beans on hand. Here are some great options to substitute in:
- Cannellini
- Kidney
- Great Northern
- Lima
- Bean Blend
How to Make Ham and Bean Soup from Scratch
Follow these simple instructions for how to make this tasty recipe:
Place the beans in a container and fill it with water 4” over the top of the beans, cover it and let it sit at room temperature overnight. When ready to make the recipe the next day, drain, rinse, and set aside.
Add the onions to a large pot over low heat with butter and cook until well caramelized, which takes about 30-40 minutes.
Next, add in the carrots, celery, and garlic and sweat the vegetables over low-medium heat for 4-5 minutes.
Deglaze with wine and cook until there are only 2 to 3 tablespoons of liquid left in the pot.
Place in the diced ham, ham bone, beans, chicken stock, parmesan rind, and fresh thyme. Cover with a lid and cook over low heat for 90-120 minutes or until the beans are cooked and the soup is thick.
Finish the soup with white wine vinegar, salt, and pepper, and serve.
How to Make it Thick
This soup can go from thin to thick very quickly with the breakdown of the beans as it cooks. If for some reason your ham and bean soup stays thin and brothy even with the beans being cooked, there are a few things you can do to help make it thick.
- Blend It: Take out about ½ of the soup and blend it in a blender until thick and creamy and then add it back to the soup to help thicken it.
- Add a Slurry: In a small bowl mix together 3 tablespoons of corn starch with 3 tablespoons of water and stir it into the soup and cook until the soup becomes thick.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Make-Ahead: While excellent to serve and eat as soon as it’s finished, you can make this recipe up to 2 to 3 days ahead of time, just reheat when ready to serve.
How to Reheat: Place your desired amount of soup into a small size pot and cook over low heat until hot. You can also place your desired amount of soup in a microwave-safe bowl and heat it in a microwave until hot.
How to Store: Cover and keep in the refrigerator for up to 6 days. It will freeze well covered for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator for 1 day before reheating.
chef notes + tips
- You do not only have to use a leftover ham bone in this recipe. You can just use cut up ham or cut up ham with a ham hock for extra flavor. The bone will help add in quite a bit of flavor.
- Substitute with canned beans if you do not have dried beans.
- To accelerate the bean soaking process, cover the beans in boiling water, and let it sit for 1 hour before using.
More Delicious Soup Recipes
- Ribollita
- Corn Chowder
- Chicken Noodle
- Italian Wedding Soup
- Chicken and Wild Rice
Be sure to follow me onFacebook,YouTube,Instagram,andPinterest,and if you’ve had a chance to make this then definitely drop me a comment and a rating below!
Video
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Amazing Ham and Bean Soup Recipe
5 from 47 votes
You won’t be able to resist this absolutely delicious and easy to make ham and bean soup recipe that is jam-packed with flavor.
Servings: 10
Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours hours
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds navy beans
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 large peeled and small diced yellow onion
- 2 peeled medium diced carrots
- 3 medium diced celery stalks
- 3 finely minced cloves of garlic
- ½ cup chardonnay white wine
- 2 pounds of medium diced ham
- 1 ham bone
- 64 ounces chicken stock
- 1 parmesan rind
- 8-10 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 ½ tablespoons white wine vinegar
- sea salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Add the beans to a large container and fill it with water until it is covering the beans by about 4 inches. Cover and set aside at room temperature overnight or for up to 24 hours. Drain, and set aside.
Place the butter in a large pot over low heat and cook the onions for 30-40 minutes or until well caramelized. Stir often.
Next, add in the carrots, celery, and garlic and cook over low-medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes.
Deglaze with wine and cook it until there are only about 2 to 3 tablespoons of liquid left in the pot.
Add in the ham, ham bone, beans, chicken stock, parmesan rind, and thyme, cover with a lid and cook over low heat for 90-120 minutes stirring occasionally until beans are cooked and the soup is thickened naturally.
Finish by stirring in the vinegar, salt, and pepper, and serve.
Notes
Chef Notes:
- Make-Ahead: While excellent to serve and eat as soon as it’s finished, you can make this recipe up to 2 to 3 days ahead of time, just reheat when ready to serve.
- How to Reheat: Place your desired amount of soup into a small size pot and cook over low heat until hot. You can also place your desired amount of soup in a microwave-safe bowl and heat it in a microwave until hot.
- How to Store: Cover and keep in the refrigerator for up to 6 days. It will freeze well covered for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator for 1 day before reheating.
- You do not only have to use a leftover ham bone in this recipe. You can just use cut up ham or cut up ham with a ham hock for extra flavor. The bone will help add in quite a bit of flavor.
- Substitute with canned beans if you do not have dried beans.
- To accelerate the bean soaking process, cover the beans in boiling water, and let it sit for 1 hour before using.
Nutrition
Calories: 434kcalCarbohydrates: 27gProtein: 30gFat: 21gSaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 71mgSodium: 1349mgPotassium: 787mgFiber: 8gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 2192IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 73mgIron: 3mg
Course: Soup
Cuisine: American, southern
Author: Chef Billy Parisi
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83 comments
- Blane Beebe
Easy and amazing! My family usually never eats leftovers, but they devoured this! Making a second batch!
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- Rose Roberson
I make this recipe often. We all love it!
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- Melissa
Oh my goodness!! Hands down the best Ham soup I’ve ever had. I made a few adjustments for my diabetes. I didn’t use carrots and used about 1/4 of the beans. Seriously I’ve never had such a perfect ham soup. Thank you as always for keeping it simple and basic. You’re turning me into a great chef. I’ve yet to try a recipe of yours that hasn’t been the BOMB.
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- Crawford
The Best soup I’ve made in the last 50 years! I used a bag of mixed beans soaked overnight, definitely a keeper recipe 😋
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- Yes
Best Ham & Bean soup I have ever made!!
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- Karen Kastler
Made this after Thanksgiving and everyone loved it. The caramelized onions added such a depth of flavor!
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- Rose F.
Leeks always add a lot of extra flavor to such soups also.
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- Maria
So darn good!!
Husband is kind delicate with Ham soup. He loved!
He took second portion of.
Thanks chef Billy Parisi!!- Reply
- Jacalyn Bellerive
When I saw your recipe for Hearty Ham & Bean Soup I just had to make it! I have all ingredients to do just that!:)*♡
Thank you Chef Billy for sharing this wonderful & delicious recipe! Can’t wait to make it!
😊❤️- Reply
- Jennifer Rosage
I made this ham and bean soup with my Christmas ham bone and basically the scraps. The only thing I changes was dried thyme instead of fresh. The soup is so flavorful I can’t wait to share it with my son and daughter-in-law. My son thinks soup can’t be a meal. Well this one might just change his mind.
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- sue 😁
Thank you Chef Billy for your fabulous soups love em … thank you for your help with phone being able to be able to enjoy your creative recipes thank you for the gift it works yay 🥳 😁😋🤩👋
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- Jen
This soup is excellent and easy to make. I used canned beans and added a potato. Perfect for leftover holiday ham.
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- Diana Perez Vega
Has become my go to soup
Packed with flavor- Reply
- Patricia
I have made this recipe 3 times, and my husband and I absolutely love all the flavors, and everything about this soup! I’m Italian so i make a large pot of your bean soup, even if its for just me and my husband, It freezes fantastic and the leftovers are just as tasty if not tastier heated up! So much delicious food!! Thank you Chef
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- Karen
This soup is absolutely delicious! I served it for my girls pinochle day and also reheated for my sister. They all loved it! I served it with cornbread!
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- Jenn
This was the first Billy Parisi recipe that I found and made for our family. It turned out to be the first of many. I was trying to use leftover ham and this soup was so delicious. I think the parmesan rind is genius.
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so good!!
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- David
I added the leftover ham gravy as well. Didn’t want to waste it!
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- Deborah Short
Absolutely delicious!! Made with our leftover Honeybaked Ham from Thanksgiving and served with cornbread. So yummy!!
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so good!!
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- Richard Wray
Very strait forward. For some reason I ha to cook my beans longer to get them tender. It is great I froze some. Love it!
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- Gaylon Buck
Am I understanding to cook the onions for 30 to 40 minutes? That seems like a long time.
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that’s what you need to do. Good cooking takes time.
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- Hutsell
Took awhile to get the consistency that I wanted , but this soup is worth the time. Thank you.
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- Dink
Excellent, always made bean soup but never added the touch of garlic. Sure gave the soup that little extra something. We have soup in our house on a regular basis . Thanks
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- Loretta Mach
DELICIOUS! My go to recipe I’ve made for years! Comfort food with warm corn bread! 😋
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- Chef Billy Parisi
Awesome, thanks for trying it!
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- sue
I. Love soup hubbyNot so much shall see if I can covert him a bit 😁👋😋🤩
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- Chef Billy Parisi
Hopefully he will get onboard!
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- William Paul Biddle
Made this tonight and it is fabulous. Love all your recipes.
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- Nick Shimmin
Love beans, love ham – heaven in a bowl
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- Sandra
Made this recipe with Ham & Cannellini beans and it was so flavorful.
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Nice!
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- Paula Richardson
This recipe is so good! I will definitely make it again. Thank you!
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My pleasure!
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- A
I’d give this 10 stars if I could, it’s just that good. My brother asked for a vat of this for Christmas last year.
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- Lisa Warner
This was the 1st time that I made this soup it was so delicious and easy to make
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Excellent!
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- Teri
First time making ham and bean soup. Every year I make a ham for Easter and Christmas and I throw the bone away. That will no longer happen! This was sooo good! I did not have a Parmesan rind, but threw some freshly grated Parmesan in. Thanks Chef!
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Excellent!
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- Ron Penkala
Best ham and bean soup I have ever made…
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Excellent!
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- Sara
So, so good and a great way to use up leftover ham!
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Thank you!
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- Cindi Bernius
I had a Honey Baked Ham for Easter and needed to make a soup with the Ham bone and I have to say…this recipe is the best ham and bean soup I have ever had. I did use canned white beans….three different kinds and it could not have turned out better. I can’t wait to share this recipe with my family as we all love bean soup! This is definitely a 5 star recipe.
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Awesome, thank you!
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- Denise Auletto
I made this soup and it absolutely delicious!!! One of my favorite soups!! Thank you for a great recipe!!!
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My pleasure!
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- Rosemary Hellene
I love soup and this one was AWESOME!!!
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excellent!
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- Kim Funderburk
I’ve made this multiple times and it’s always a hit!
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Excellent, thank you!
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- Paula R.
I made this soup and it was delicious! Thank you for sharing your recipe.
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Amazing. Thank you!
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- Grammy B
I followed the recipe and added some fresh rosemary and some leeks, as Chef Billy suggested. The whole house smells wonderful! Very, very good! It is snowing and blustery outside today. This soup is perfect comfort food for a day like this.
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- Jody
Made this last weekend. Husband said it was the best he’s ever had. My new go-to recipe for ham and bean soup.
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- Christa
Just finished making this soup. Outstanding!! Followed the recipe, used a parmigiana regg rind and fresh thyme. This is first class. I love your recipes and the way you present them.
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- Nicole
I’m currently in the middle of making this now. However, I drank the wine and didn’t have any left for the deglazing. Will this make a difference?
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You’ll lose a little flavor sure. It’s ok though.
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- David
This was my first try at making this soup. The directions were easy to follow, and the soup is very tasty. I did as you suggested, I blended up a few cups in a blender in order to thicken it a bit. Thanks Chef!
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- Anne
I cooked it in my instant pot. I had 2 16 oz bags of navy beans so instead of just using 1/2 of a package I put both in…. And boy did it come out beany! I added a little more water, and puréed about 1.5 cups to add thickness and what else can I say.. so dang good!
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- Judy Wallace
why do I have to sign up and download the app, to print my recipe??? I tried and didnt find Billys recipes there??? B4 I just printed and sized my amounts?? What am I doing wrong??? I dont want the app if it doesnt have his recipes I can Print.
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Judy, we’re so sorry about that! Always use the “Print” button near the recipe picture. We are working with our ad company to remove the link you’ve been clicking on. We don’t require you to install anything to print our recipes.
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- Dave
I love that you take the time to properly caramelize the onion. The little things all add up to a deeper flavor.
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- jean m nielson
Absolutely wonderful!! Followed the recipe, except I didn’t have a ham bone, but, leftover ham. I’m from the south, where we would simmer a ham bone with pinto beans in water. This recipe is so delicious! Thank you !!!
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- Jean
Recipe saved, and making tomorrow. Just what I needed to use up this beautiful ham and one! I’ll look for a pea soup recipe you might have as well.
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- Roxanne Kopke
I’m trying this very soon! Thank you, Billy, live your recipes!!
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- Vickie
Do I drain the canned northern beans ?
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always
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- Allison J
How would you adjust these directions for preparing in an instant pot?
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Sorry I don’t mess with instant pot’s very much.
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- Rebecca
Is that a typo 30-40 minutes to caramelize the onions ?
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no typo
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- Maria Orozco
I have made this dish 5x for friends and family. WE LOVE IT. Easy recipe and easy to follow. Chef Billy Parisi is the best Chef around I have many so many other dishes from him. Tonight Chicken Caccitorie
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- Deborah
You use yellow onions for your recipes, I always buy Visalia onions. Is there anything I should be doing differently to the recipes with the change of onions?
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vadalia are fine, yellow’s are just cheaper.
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- Mary Kahler
Delicious!!
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- Antoinette
Your recipes are spot on and so good. Thank you for sharing
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- Tatjana
Omg! I seen this recipe on FB, and I had to try it after having large amounts of ham with bone leftovers. My kitchen is smelling AMAZING and the soup……to die for. So easy, so flavorful. I cheated and used canned white beans and the carrots are multicolored organic but this is one wonderful, hearty soup. Served with rustic warm kalamata olive bread and butter.
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- BILL
What is an acceptable substitute for the parmesan rind?
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There is none, I would just forgo that step.
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- Rehab
Yummy! I’ll make it soon, I love it.
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