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White Bean and Ham Soup l SimplyScratch.com #leftover #ham #hambone #soup #whitebean #bean #homemade #fromscratch

Ham and White Bean Soup

Print Recipe
In this from-scratch Ham and White Bean Soup, great northern beans are soaked overnight and then cooked with herbs, onions and a leftover ham bone in broth for a simple, comforting and flavorful soup. Yields 4 bowls or 6 smaller cups.
Course Soups, Stews & Chilis
Cuisine American
Keyword ham, leftover, one pot, soup, white bean
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours
Additional Time 6 hours
Total Time 8 hours 5 minutes
Servings 4 servings
Calories 141
Author Laurie McNamara

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 1 pound great northern beans
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion diced
  • kosher salt
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • 4 sprigs thyme
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 leftover ham bone
  • 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth (or 2 quarts)
  • black pepper freshly ground, to taste
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

THE NIGHT BEFORE:

  • Sort through 1 pound dry great norther beans, discarding any debris or broken beans. Pour 6 cups of cool water over top and let them soak for 6 to 8 hours or overnight. They should double in size.

THE DAY OF:

  • Drain beans, rinse and set off to the side.
  • Heat a dutch oven over medium heat and add in olive oil and onion with a pinch of kosher salt. Stir and cook for 5 to 8 minutes.
  • Add in garlic, thyme sprigs and bay leaf. Stir and cook 1 minute.
  • Next add in the ham bone and broth. Cover and bring to a boil, reduce to medium-low and simmer for 30 minutes.
  • Add in the beans and simmer, with the lid cracked for 1 hour and 30 minutes to 2 hours or until beans are soft and tender.
  • Remove ham bone, bay leaf and thyme stems. Use a potato masher and smash some of the beans to thicken the soup.
  • Pick ham from bone (if it didn't come off already) and add the ham to the soup.
  • Season with salt and black pepper to taste. For me it was 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.

Notes

  • If the soup reduces too much, you can add 1 to 2 extra cups of broth.
  • I prefer using a leftover ham bone instead of a ham hock. However, if you are using a ham hock know that this soup will be more smoky.
  • If reheating, add a splash or two of broth (as needed) or water to thin out the soup a tad.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 141kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 16mg | Sodium: 625mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 1g