Heartwarming, hearty, and delicious are just a few ways to describe this Ham and White Bean Soup. Filled with flavor from using ham hocks or ham shanks (or even leftover ham) and dried beans makes this an easy-to-make from-scratch soup. The whole family will love it.
The temperatures don’t ever dip too low in Charleston but once the mornings start to turn crisp I love making a hearty soup for dinner. Some of the best filling soups are ones like this northern beans and ham soup that is also filled with healthy vegetables.
Last year one of my most popular recipes was this Pumpkin White Bean Chili which also happens to be one of my favorites. So this year I wanted to try something similar when the seasons started to change.
I like to think of this soup as the French version of Tuscan White Bean Soup with herbs de Provence and Fleur de Sel as seasonings.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Don’t let the “from-scratch” label scare you off from preparing this soup. It’s very easy to make and for the most part, doesn’t require much effort outside of chopping the vegetables.
- So much flavor. This really is a heartwarming and hearty soup. The majority of the ingredients are simple and the others such as the ham can be found in your meat section of the grocery store and the herbs on the spice aisle.
- Packed with protein and healthy vegetables. You’ll easily be full after a bowl of this soup and it has plenty of healthy vegetables with tons of benefits.
- Uses up leftover ham. Whether you’ve made a ham for Christmas or Easter, or just have some leftovers this is a great soup for using what you have. Try this instead of ham sandwiches.
Ingredients Needed
Ingredient Notes
- White Beans – This recipe uses dried beans and you can use great northern beans, navy beans, or even cannellini beans.
- Ham – You can use either ham hocks or ham shanks. For a meatier soup, I recommend using ham shanks, but you can also use leftover ham, diced ham, or cut up a ham steak.
- Vegetables – You will need diced onion, celery, and carrots for this great northern bean soup recipe. Often you can find these vegetables already diced in what’s called a mirepoix in the produce section of your grocery store.
- Seasoning – My two favorite seasonings to include in soup are Fluer de Sel and herbs de Provence. They add such an incredible flavor to this soup, but can also be swapped out for something like Italian seasoning or fresh herbs such as thyme and oregano.
How to Make Northern Beans and Ham Soup
I prefer to make this white bean ham hock soup from scratch but you can also use a few shortcuts such too. Below are some tips on how to prepare it so you get the best flavor possible.
- Soak the beans. Place the beans into a large pot and fill it with water making sure the beans are covered. Put the pot over high heat and bring it to a boil. Turn off the heat and then let the beans soak for 2 hours.
- Simmer the ham. As the beans soak, place the ham shanks or ham hocks into a separate large pot and add 2 quarts of water. Put the salt and herbs de Provence in the pot and heat over high heat until the water begins to simmer. Reduce the heat to low and cover partially. Let simmer for 1 hour.
- Sauté the onions. In a small skillet heat the olive oil over high heat and add the onions. Sauté until the onions become fragrant and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and continue to cook for 1 more minute.
- Add the soup ingredients to the pot. Drain the beans and add them to the pot with the ham shanks along with the onions and garlic, celery, and carrots.
- Continue to cook the soup. Cook for an additional 40 minutes, uncovered until the vegetables are soft and the meat pulls easily from the bone. Remove the bones and discard.
Storage and or Freezing Instructions
- Leftovers – any leftovers can be placed in an air-tight container and stored in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
- Freezing Instructions – allow the soup to cool completely before placing it into a freezer-safe container or zip-top bag. It can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the fridge overnight before planning to reheat it the next day.
- Reheating Instructions – to reheat pour the contents into a pot and place it on the stove over medium heat. Stir it occasionally until heated through. Depending on the amount it could take 5 to 10 minutes.
Recipe Notes and Tips
- If you would like a meatier soup with more ham and can’t find ham shanks, then used some diced ham or cut up a ham steak. Pair this with 1 to 2 pounds of ham hocks instead of 3.
- To cut down on the cooking time use canned white beans such as great northern beans or cannellini beans instead of dried beans.
- Before adding any additional seasoning taste the soup, then season accordingly. Ham, especially if using ham hocks can be very salty.
FAQS
You only need a simple blend of spices such as thyme, oregano, and rosemary with some salt and pepper for ham and bean soup. Seasoning blends such as Italian seasoning or Herbs de Provence also work well.
For a thicker ham and bean soup create a slurry using 2 tablespoons of flour or cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of water. Mix it together until there are no lumps and add this to the soup. Allow the soup to continue to cook and as it does the consistency will thicken.
When making it from scratch you will need dry beans that need to be soaked before adding them to the soup. If making the quick version canned beans will work. Some of the best options are navy beans, cannellini, great northern beans, and even black-eyed peas.
Related Recipes
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Ham and White Bean Soup
Equipment
- Large Dutch Oven or Stockpot
Ingredients
- 1 lb Dry White Beans or 2½ cups
- 2 quarts Water
- 2 – 3 lbs Ham Shanks or ham hocks
- 2 teaspoons Herbs de Provence
- ½ teaspoon Fleur de Sel or sea salt
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 large Onion diced
- 1 cup Celery chopped
- 2 medium Carrots peeled and chopped
- 3 Garlic Cloves minced
- Fresh Parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Place the beans into a large pot and fill it with water making sure the beans are covered. Put the pot over high heat and bring it to a boil. Turn off the heat and then let the beans soak for 2 hours.
- As the beans soak, place the ham shanks or ham hocks into a separate large pot and add 2 quarts of water. Put the salt and herbs de Provence in the pot and heat over high heat until the water begins to simmer. Reduce the heat to low and cover partially. Let simmer for 1 hour.
- In a small skillet heat the olive oil over high heat and add the onions. Sauté until the onions become fragrant and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and continue to cook for 1 more minute.
- Drain the beans and add them to the pot with the ham shanks along with the onions and garlic, celery, and carrots.
- Cook for an additional 40 minutes, uncovered until the vegetables are soft and the meat pulls easily from the bone. Remove the bones and discard.
Notes
- If you would like a meatier soup with more ham and can’t find ham shanks, then used some diced ham or cut up a ham steak. Pair this with 1 to 2 pounds of ham hocks instead of 3.
- To cut down on the cooking time use canned white beans such as great northern beans or cannellini beans instead of dried beans.
- Before adding any additional seasoning taste the soup, then season accordingly. Ham, especially if using ham hocks can be very salty.
Storage and or Freezing Instructions
- Leftovers – any leftovers can be placed in an air-tight container and stored in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
- Freezing Instructions – allow the soup to cool completely before placing it into a freezer-safe container or zip-top bag. It can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the fridge overnight before planning to reheat it the next day.
- Reheating Instructions – to reheat pour the contents into a pot and place it on the stove over medium heat. Stir it occasionally until heated through. Depending on the amount it could take 5 to 10 minutes.
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