Traditional Ham with Bean Soup
Is there a more hearty, filling, and inviting soup on a chilly winter day than a classic ham and bean? This is my take on one of the most traditional soups there is.
Jump to RecipeUsing a big, meaty ham bone and a whole bunch of other ingredients, this is hands-down the best I’ve ever tasted.
So many ham soups come from cherished family recipes, and they’re as unique as the families they come from. My recipe wasn’t handed down to me, but it’s so good that I want to pass it on to all of you!
Traditional Ham with Bean Soup
6
servings45
minutes3
hours30
minutes4
hours15
minutesIngredients
1 lb dry Great Northern beans
4 cups chicken broth
6 cups water
3 ham hocks
1 ham bone with some meat still on it
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion
2 cups chopped carrots
1 cup chopped celery
3 cloves minced garlic
1 teaspoon dry thyme
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
3 bay leaves
Directions
- Rinse the beans thoroughly, and place into a pot of boiling water. The beans should be completely submerged. Turn the heat off and cover. Let soak for 1 hour.
- Heat olive oil and butter over medium heat in a large stock pot. Add onions, carrots, and celery and cook until onions are translucent but not brown.
- Add minced garlic and cook for another couple minutes.
- Pour in chicken broth and 6 cups of water.
- Add thyme, mustard, black pepper, seasoned salt, paprika, nutmeg, and bay leaves.
- Add ham hock and ham bone (with some meat still on it).
- Bring everything to a boil and then reduce heat to a low simmer. Cook on a low simmer for 1 hour.
- Strain the beans and then add to the soup pot. Stir, and simmer for an additional 2 hours.
- Turn off heat and discard ham hocks and bay leaves. Remove ham bone from pot and separate meat. Roughly chop any larger hunks of meat, and then return the ham meat to the pot.
- Allow the pot to cool enough to safely place the entire pot, covered, in the refrigerator. Leave undisturbed for 12-18 hours. This will cause a lot of fat to rise to the top and solidify. Don’t skip this step, or you will have an extremely greasy soup.
- Using a spoon, skim off the thick layer of fat and discard.
- Now just heat up the soup on the stove, and serve.
