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Hearty Ham and Bean Soup from a Leftover Ham Bone

Close-up of a white bowl filled with rich Ham and bean soup, topped generously with shredded ham.
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Make a soul-satisfying ham and bean soup using your leftover holiday ham bone. This recipe creates a rich, smoky broth and tender beans for a classic, comforting meal.

Ingredients

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  • 1 leftover ham bone (with meat attached)
  • 1 pound dried navy beans or Great Northern beans, rinsed and picked over
  • 8 cups water or low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 large yellow onion, chopped
  • 2 carrots, diced
  • 2 celery stalks, diced
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt (adjust after removing ham meat)

Instructions

  1. If you have time, soak the dried beans overnight in water. Drain them before starting the soup. If you skip soaking, you will need to increase the simmering time.
  2. Place the ham bone, rinsed beans, water or broth, onion, carrots, celery, bay leaves, thyme, and pepper into a large stockpot or Dutch oven.
  3. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low, cover the pot partially, and let it simmer.
  4. Simmer for 2 to 3 hours, or until the beans are completely tender. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.
  5. Remove the ham bone from the pot. Let it cool slightly, then shred all the usable ham meat from the bone and return the meat to the soup. Discard the bone and bay leaves.
  6. Taste the soup. Add salt as needed, keeping in mind the ham bone adds natural saltiness.
  7. For a slightly thicker consistency, mash about 1 cup of the cooked beans against the side of the pot with a spoon, then stir them back into the soup.
  8. Simmer for another 10 minutes to heat through before serving your navy bean stew.

Notes

  • Serving this leftover ham bone soup with warm cornbread makes a complete meal.
  • If the soup becomes too thick while simmering, add a little more water or broth to reach your preferred consistency.
  • This recipe freezes well for future easy meals.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://chefsily.com/ham-and-bean-soup-recipe/