Easy Ham and Bean Soup Recipe

This easy Ham And Bean Soup Recipe mingles nutty cannellini beans with tender chunks of smoky ham for an old-fashioned hearty soup favorite. It’s quick, comforting, and a great way to use leftover holiday ham.

If you’re looking for another delicious, creamy homemade soup, try making Creamy Chicken And Wild Rice Soup, Broccoli Cheddar Soup, or, Old Fashioned Vegetable Beef Soup. There are few things heartier than a steamy bowl of Bacon Potato Soup or Creamy Chicken Gnocchi Soup, especially on a chilly day.

Why We Love This Ham And Beans Recipe

This comforting ham soup is full of flavor and matchless on a cold winter day with a side of cornbread.

• Easy – It’s a great way to use up leftover ham or use store-bought ham steaks to make it a really simple soup that doesn’t take much time to prepare.
• Convenient – This ham and beans recipe is not a soup that you have to plan a whole day to make! It’s ready in under an hour, making it a great weeknight meal.
• Versatile – Since ham and beans is a hearty soup with protein, vegetables, and beans, it can be a whole meal or you can serve smaller bowls and have it with a side salad or as a starter.

Ingredients for Hearty Ham and Beans Soup

You can quickly combine these simple ingredients to make this filling, savory ham and bean soup.

For specific amounts, please refer to the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.

• Cooked ham – We like to use ham steak because it is the easiest to cut into cubes but you can choose the cut you prefer or use leftover ham.
• Olive oil – Use your favorite that you typically like to saute vegetables in.
• Yellow onion – Be sure to dice the onion into uniform pieces so that they cook evenly.
• Carrots – Peel the carrots before slicing or dicing them into even pieces.
• Celery – Chop the celery into small pieces — it helps to slice the celery lengthwise and then chop both halves simultaneously into smaller pieces.
• Minced garlic – You can mince a fresh garlic clove or use the jarred variety.
• Cannellini beans (canned) – While you can use other varieties, these add a nuttiness to the soup.
• Chicken broth – Use boxed or jarred chicken stock from the grocery store or your own homemade broth.
• Black pepper – Fresh cracked black pepper gives the soup the best flavor.
• Fresh thyme sprigs – You can tie the thyme sprigs together with kitchen twine to make it easier to remove them.

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How to Make East Ham Soup with Beans

With this easy recipe, you’ll have a hot pot of the best ham and beans soup simmering on the stovetop in nearly no time. Grab a dutch oven or soup pot and soup ladle and let’s get cooking!

When you are making this recipe, you’ll want to use the full recipe at the bottom of the page.

1. Add the oil to a large dutch oven or soup pot with the diced ham and saute.
2. Transfer the browned ham from the pot to a clean plate.
3. Add the onions, carrots, celery, and garlic to the pot and saute.
4. Pour the beans as well as the juice from the can into a blender or food processor and blend.
5. Drain the juice from the remaining cans of beans and add those, with the blended beans to the vegetable mixture in the pot. 
6. Pour the broth into the vegetable and bean mixture along with the pepper and thyme.
7. Stir the ingredients together and bring the mixture to a boil.
8. After boiling, remove the thyme sprigs and add the ham back into the broth. stir together.
9. Add pepper to taste, then serve.

Variations on Ham and White Bean Soup

• Country ham – For salty flavor and a slightly different texture, try using country ham.
• Kielbasa – Smoked kielbasa is a great swap to try something new.
• Dried thyme – Use a ¼ teaspoon of dried thyme instead of the fresh sprigs of thyme.
• Acid – Add just a splash of lemon juice or vinegar to add brightness to the soup. 
• Bay leaf – To add more depth to the flavor profile, add a bay leaf. Just be sure to discard any bay leaves before serving.
• Crockpot Slowcooker – You can also adapt this recipe to make it in a slow cooker, pressure cooker, or Instant pot.
• Dry beans – To make it even more economical, you can soak dry beans overnight before using them for this recipe.
• Fresh parsley – Roughly chop fresh parsley and use it as garnish to add bright color.
• Broth – Instead of regular chicken broth you can cut some of the salt by using a low-sodium chicken broth. You can also substitute vegetable broth.
• Hot sauce – If you like spicy food you can add a few dashes of hot sauce or cayenne pepper.

Serving Suggestions

• Bread – Serve soup with a side of cornbread, garlic cheese bread, Irish soda bread, or any crusty bread.
• Side salad – A simple Italian salad is an easy side dish.
• Sandwich – Make an easy chopped Italian sandwich or a grilled cheese.
• Oyster crackers – Sprinkle seasoned oyster crackers on top.