Ham and Bean Soup Recipe

This flavorful ham and bean soup will warm you up on a chilly day. Packed with tender, smoky ham, and hearty beans, it is a satisfying and comforting dish for the whole family.

For more flavorful soup recipes, try my split pea soup, chicken noodle soup, and chicken tortilla soup.

Recipe Science

Simmering ham with beans releases the collagen and flavors from the ham, enriching the broth with a savory, smoky taste and a silky texture.
The starches from the beans naturally thicken the soup as they cook, creating a hearty, creamy consistency without the need for additional thickeners.
Cooking the beans low and slow allows them to absorb the flavors of the ham and seasonings, resulting in a more cohesive and flavorful soup.

Featured Comment 2

“Made it just like this. It was AMAZING!”—JP

Why It Works

This recipe for ham and bean soup is one of my favorite ways to use leftover meat from a baked ham. Don’t throw out that ham bone! I use it to give the soup an even richer taste. I’ll show you how to develop layers of flavor using simple saute and simmering techniques.

I use canned cannellini beans for convenience to make this a quick meal. But you can use dried beans if you have more time to prepare the dish. Each serving is loaded with hearty vegetables, legumes, and savory pork. It’s a perfect, cozy meal that cooks in just 30 minutes!

Ingredients You’ll Need

Ingredients needed to make this ham and bean soup recipe.

Ham: Use leftover baked ham or slow cooker ham; you’ll need 2 cups of chopped pieces or 10 ounces. You can also use diced ham steak from the grocery store if you didn’t make a large roast. If you saved the ham bone, add it to the simmering pot. The extra fat, meat, and bones add more body to the soup. A cooked ham hock is a delicious alternative.
Vegetables: Use a classic mirepoix, combining diced onions, carrots, and celery. They add a natural sweetness to the soup when lightly browned in olive oil.
Seasoning: Fresh thyme and bay leaves add an herbaceous note to the stock. Salt and pepper enhance the savory taste.
Liquid: Add unsalted chicken broth or stock as the soup base. Water or vegetable stock are good swaps. If using a salted stock, omit the added salt, then taste and adjust the seasoning level after simmering. The pork can be very salty, so adding more later is easy.
Beans: For the fastest option, use canned beans. For the bean and ham soup recipe, I used two 15.5-ounce cans of cannellini beans or 2 ½ cups. I like to rinse and drain them so they aren’t so salty. However, if you want a richer soup, you can add some of the starchy liquid to the dish.

See the recipe card below for all ingredients and measurements (US and metric).

Ingredient Substitutions

This ham and bean soup recipe is easy to customize! Try these tasty variations for your next batch:

Pork: Add a smoked ham hock to the stock, simmer for 1 hour, then cut the meat off the bone and add it to the soup. Saute bacon strips, cook the vegetables in the grease, then add the chopped pieces to the soup. Add diced ham steak for a fast substitution if you don’t have leftover meat.
Beans: If using dried white beans, cook 1 ½ cups to yield about 3 cups. Other types of beans can be used, like pinto beans, red kidney beans, or black beans.
Spices: Add smoked paprika, cumin, coriander, or spicy chipotle and cayenne. Sprinkle in some of my cajun seasoning for a kick of heat!
Herbs: Add fresh or dried oregano, marjoram, basil, thyme, or rosemary.
Vegetables: Add corn kernels, diced potatoes, butternut squash, zucchini, green beans, zucchini, red bell pepper, diced tomatoes, or mushrooms. Saute them with the mirepoix before simmering the soup.

How to Make Ham and Bean Soup

A mirepoix of diced onions, celery, and carrots.

Step 1: Saute the Vegetables

Saute the diced onions in hot oil until lightly browned, stirring occasionally. Then, add the sliced celery and carrots.

Seasonings tossed in a pot over the vegetables.

Add the minced garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper. Briefly cooking the herb in the hot fat infuses more fat-soluble flavor compounds into the stock later.

Ingredient Chemistry: The onions and carrots have natural sugars, which can be coaxed to the surface. Once the mirepoix has some color, it signals the caramelization of the sugar.

Ham bone in the center of a pot with stock and vegetables after simmering.

Step 2: Simmer the Soup

Add the ham bone, stock, and bay leaf to the pot of sauteed vegetables. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce to a simmer. Cover the pot to create a pressure cooker-like environment that melts any fat from the bone and converts collagen into gelatin.

The minimum cooking time is 10 to 15 minutes, which also tenderizes the root vegetables. Alternatively, you can simmer for longer over low heat for 1 hour. The additional time creates a more flavorful ham stock for the soup.

Metal spoon mixing white beans in a pot of liquid.

Step 3: Add the Beans and Ham

Remove the large ham bone and bay leaf from the pot.

Chopped pieces of ham meat tossed into a pot of soup.

The canned white beans and ham are already cooked, so reheat over low heat for about 5 minutes to keep the beans intact and prevent the meat from drying out.

Large stockpot of soup with chunks of ham, white beans, and vegetables.

Step 4: To Serve

I garnish with parsley and sliced green onions before serving. They add a lovely freshness to the savory soup.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do white beans have different names?

It can be a little confusing at the grocery store because white beans are a general term. They may also be labeled more specifically as cannellini, great northern beans, or navy beans. They slightly differ in size. Navy beans are the smallest, being more oval. Northern and cannellini have a kidney bean shape.

What are the best beans to use for ham soup?

White beans like cannellini, navy beans, or great northern beans are typically used. Cannellini is larger in size. These have a creamy texture and mild flavor. Use pinto or red kidney beans or a blend for a more colorful mix.

How to thicken the ham and bean soup

There are a few ways to thicken the consistency of the soup. Add the starchy liquid from the canned beans to replace some stock. Puree a portion of the beans, then add it more for texture. Create a roux with butter and flour, or add a cornstarch slurry. Adding cream will add richness to the soup. Simmer the ham bone for at least an hour to extract and convert as much collagen into gelatin for a fuller body.

Can I freeze leftover ham and bean soup?

The soup can be cooled and refrigerated for up to 7 days. Freeze individual portions for up to 2 months.

Can I substitute dried beans for canned beans?

Substitute 1 ½ cups of dried cannellini or navy beans for the two 15.5 ounces of canned beans. This should yield about 2 ½ to 3 cups of cooked beans. I highly recommend quick-soaking the beans to cut down cooking time dramatically. Instead of having to soak them overnight, the process takes 1 hour. Then simmer the beans with the stock and ham bone for 60 to 90 minutes until tender and creamy. Add more liquid as needed.