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A white bowl served with ham and bean soup garnished with fresh parsley.

White Bean and Ham Soup Recipe

A hearty and flavorful classic white bean and ham soup recipe with veggies, herbs, and a ham bone or ham hocks. It can be prepped ahead of time, and leftovers can be frozen for later!
5 from 1 vote
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Author Kori Butler
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Course Soup Recipes
Cuisine American
Servings 8
Calories 424 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup dry navy, great Northern, or cannellini beans
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil (butter can also be used)
  • 1 large onion (chopped)
  • 4 stalks celery (sliced)
  • 3 medium carrots (peeled and sliced)
  • 3 medium parsnips (peeled and sliced ½" thick)
  • 4 cups chicken broth (4 cups of water and the equivalent of bouillon granules may be used)
  • 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
  • 1½ pounds meaty pork hocks or ham bone
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • ½ teaspoon dried marjoram
  • 1 bay leaf
  • ½ teaspoon salt (plus extra to taste)
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper (plus extra to taste)

Instructions
 

To Prepare Beans

  • Bring 4 cups of water and dried beans to a boil in a 4-quart saucepan. Reduce heat and simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Cover and let stand for 1 hour. Alternatively, you can cover the beans with 4 cups of water and let them soak overnight. Drain, rinse, and set aside until ready to use.

To Make The Soup

  • Heat olive oil in a dutch oven over medium heat. Add onions, celery, carrots, and turnips. Saute until tender, about 5 to 8 minutes.
    Sauteeing the ham and bean soup vegetables in a cast iron soup pot.
  • Stir in beans, ham hocks or bone, thyme, salt, pepper, bay leaf, white wine vinegar, and chicken broth.
    Adding broth, seasonings, and ham bones to the bean and ham soup.
  • Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to simmer. Simmer for 1 to 1½ hours or until the beans are tender.
    Simmering ham and bean soup in a large cast iron dutch oven.
  • Remove hocks or bone. Pull any meat off the bone, then add it back to the soup. Discard the remaining bone and remove the bay leaf. Adjust seasoning to taste with additional salt and pepper if needed.
    Removing the ham bone and then replacing ham meat into the ham and bean soup.

Kori's Tips

Don't miss all of our helpful hints, substitution ideas, cooking tips, and other delicious recipes that can be found in our post. Check it out!
TIPS: Adjust the salt at the end of cooking since ham and bouillon can be quite salty. If the soup thickens as it sits, simply stir in a little extra water or broth when reheating.
VARIATIONS: Use about 2 cups of diced leftover ham in place of the ham bone or hocks. For a shortcut, substitute 3 cans of drained and rinsed white beans for the dried beans and shorten the cooking time. You can also use vegetable broth and add extra beans for a simple vegetarian bean soup.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS: Serve hot with a sprinkle of fresh herbs and a slice of crusty bread, cornbread, or a side salad for a complete meal.
 

Nutrition

Calories: 424kcalCarbohydrates: 22gProtein: 29gFat: 24gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 93mgSodium: 432mgPotassium: 875mgFiber: 7gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 3918IUVitamin C: 14mgCalcium: 81mgIron: 3mg
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