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Ham and Bean Soup

4.98 from 448 votes
Total 6 hours 5 minutes
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This old-fashioned ham and beans recipe pairs tender white beans with smoky ham for true, homemade comfort. It’s an easy, delicious way to use leftover holiday ham.

Bowl of ham and bean soup with spoon, with buttered cornbread in background

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After you’ve made a tasty, gorgeous spiral ham, the next question is: What will you do with the bone? This slow-cooker ham and bean soup will make the most of the ham bone and any leftovers.

Ham and beans are often called ham and bean soup or navy bean soup. This soup is so popular because it's absolutely divine! Slow-cooking a leftover spiral ham bone with white beans unlocks so much flavor—it's smoky, savory, and even sweet.

The best part, it only takes a few steps to make this hearty, budget-friendly ham and bean soup. Your whole family will thank you.

Table of Contents hide
1) Ingredient notes
2) How long can you keep a ham bone to make soup?
3) How to make ham and bean soup
4) Recipe tips
5) What to serve with ham and bean soup
6) How to store and reheat leftovers
7) Can this recipe be frozen?
8) More soup recipes
9) 📖 Recipe
10) Ham and Bean Soup

Ingredient notes

This is the best ham and bean soup for any cooking level because it’s just so simple. Here’s what you’ll need to make it. Ingredient amounts are in the recipe card below.

  • dried navy beans - Or small white beans or great northern beans.
  • ham bone with meat – I used the bone from my orange-glazed spiral ham, but a smoked ham hock from any grocery store will work too. You can even use chopped ham from deli meat.
  • onion - Any large onion will work with ham and bean soup.
  • celery - This adds a nice texture and flavor to this classic recipe.
  • garlic - I prefer to use fresh garlic, but granulated would work too.
  • thyme - Dried or fresh thyme.
  • sea salt and black pepper
  • water - You can use broth, but the bone flavors the water so nicely after a long, slow cook. So, save your money and keep this one budget-friendly.
  • carrots - These go in during the last hour to prevent overcooking.
Overhead view of ham and beans ingredients with labels

How long can you keep a ham bone to make soup?

A cooked ham bone will last up to a week in the refrigerator, or it can be frozen for several months. So don’t worry, you can relax the day after your holiday instead of spending it making soup.

If you're looking for more ways to use leftover ham, be sure to check out my Ham and Pea Pasta recipe, too!

Do you need to soak navy beans before cooking?

Soaking navy beans for ham and bean soup is optional, however doing so greatly reduces the cook time. I did a side-by-side slow cooker test and found that the overnight-soaked navy beans slow cooked perfectly in 6 hours. The unsoaked beans took closer to 9 hours in the slow cooker. So, that's a pretty big difference to take note of when you're planning your soup strategy.

White beans soaking in large pitcher

How long should you soak navy beans before cooking? 

I prefer to soak navy beans for 8 to 12 hours. To soak beans, first rinse and drain them. Then, place in a large bowl or pot and add enough water to cover the beans by 4 inches because they will double in size. You can refrigerate or not during the soaking process. Once beans are soaked, rinse, drain, and they're ready to cook.

What can I use instead of a bone?

If you don’t have a leftover bone to make this recipe, you can use smoked ham hocks instead. They're usually available year-round at most grocery stores in the meat department. You'll want to add chopped ham steak or deli ham to your soup near the end because ham hocks have very little ham on them.

How to make ham and bean soup

Here are instructions to make ham and beans in the slow cooker or stove.

Slow cooker ham and bean soup

Start the soup. Add the beans, bone, onion, celery, garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper to the slow cooker. Add enough water or broth to cover the ingredients by at least an inch. Cook on low for 6 hours (for soaked beans) or 9 hours (for unsoaked beans).

Ham bone in slow cooker with beans and aromatics
Ham bone in slow cooker with other soup ingredients

Add the carrots. At the 5-hour mark, stir in the carrots. Continue to cook the soup until the beans are tender.

Ham and bean soup in slow cooker with large spoon

Finish. Remove the bone from the cooker. Cut off the ham, chop it, and add it back to the beans before serving, discarding the gristle and bone. I was shocked by how much ham we were able to get from the bone – it was plenty!

Ham being shredded in enamelware pan

To make ham and bean soup on the stove

Sauté the vegetables. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a 4-quart soup pot over medium high heat. Add the onions, celery, and garlic; sauté until they're tender.

Bring to a boil. Add the beans, bone, thyme, salt, pepper, and 6 cups of water to the pot. Bring the mixture to a boil.

Simmer. Once the soup has come to a boil, cover it with a loose-fitting lid and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for 2 to 3 hours, stirring occasionally and adding more water as needed.

Add the carrots. Stir in the carrots during the last 20 to 30 minutes of simmering.

Finish. Once the beans and carrots are tender, remove the bone from the pot. Cut off the meat, shred it, and add it back to the soup. Discard the gristle and bone before serving. 

Recipe tips

Here are a few additional pointers for perfect ham and bean soup.

  • About the beans. I like using navy beans because of their size and relatively quick cooking time. Cannellini, great northern, or small white beans can be used too.
  • Not enough leftover meat? If you have a bone without any (or much) meat on it, you can still use it to make ham and bean soup. Additional ham, even deli ham, can be added at any point during the cooking time.
  • Water vs. broth. Some recipes for ham and beans call for chicken broth. I find that the bone adds more than enough flavor, which is why I use water. You're welcome to use any broth, or even turkey stock, if that interests you.
  • Ham and bean soup will naturally thicken once it cools down from initial cooking. It will loosen up during reheat, but if you want it less thick after that, you can always add more broth.
Ham and beans in white bowl with spoon

What to serve with ham and bean soup

I'm always up for a nosh of homemade French bread with ham and bean soup. I'll take it straight from the loaf or toasted and slathered with melted butter. The sweetness of cranberry walnut bread also complements the savory ham in the soup. Cornbread or cornbread muffins are always welcome and, if I'm honest, a first choice. It's so Southern and so crave-worthy!

How to store and reheat leftovers

Allow the ham and beans to cool, then transfer to an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, then reheat in a microwave or stovetop.

Can this recipe be frozen?

Ham and bean soup is a great recipe for freezing! Allow it to cool, transfer it to an airtight container or freezer bag, and freeze it for up to 3 months. Let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight and reheat on the stove or in the microwave.

More soup recipes

📖 Recipe

Ham and beans in white bowl with spoon

Ham and Bean Soup

Old-fashioned ham and beans recipe made with navy beans and smoked ham using a crockpot or stove for true, homemade comfort. Ham & bean soup is an easy, delicious way to use leftover holiday ham or smoked ham hock.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time6 hours
Total time6 hours 5 minutes
Yield 10 cups
Author Traci
4.98 from 448 votes
Print Pin it for later 📌

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Video

Note about scaling

When scaling, the light gray ingredient notes after the comma don’t change. Adjust as needed.

Ingredients 

  • 1 (16-oz bag) Dried Navy Beans (or other white beans), about 2 ½ cups, sorted and rinsed
  • 1 Ham Bone, or Ham Hock
  • ½ large Onion, diced (1 cup)
  • 1 large Celery Rib, diced (1 cup)
  • 5 cloves Garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon Fresh Thyme, or ¼ teaspoon dried
  • 1 teaspoon Salt, Add to taste if using salted broth
  • ½ teaspoon Black Pepper, or to taste
  • 6 cups Water, or broth
  • 1 large Carrot, diced or thinly sliced (1 cup)

Optional

  • ½ pound Ham (or Ham Steak), diced or shredded

Instructions

  • (Optional) Soak the beans overnight in 8 cups of water, then drain and discard the liquid. Alternatively, you can use unsoaked beans. I've included cooking times for both.

Crockpot Instructions (see stove instructions below)

  • Add NAVY BEANS, HAM BONE, ONION, CELERY, GARLIC, THYME, SALT, and BLACK PEPPER to a 5-quart slow cooker.
  • Add enough WATER (or BROTH) to cover the beans by about 1 inch.
    Note: During cooking, you may need to add more liquid to keep the liquid level slightly above the beans at all times.
  • Set the slow cooker on LOW for 6 hours (for soaked beans) or 9 hours (for unsoaked beans). *See footnote about the final cook time.
  • During the last hour of cooking, stir in the CARROTS and continue cooking until both the carrots and beans are tender.
  • Once the beans are fully cooked, remove the ham bone along with any bones or gristle.
    For a creamier soup, as you see in some of my recipe photos, use a potato masher to mash some beans in the pot to thicken the broth.
  • Stir in (optional) LEFTOVER HAM, warm it through, serve, and devour.
  • To store, cool the leftovers to room temperature and refrigerate in airtight containers for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Did you make this? We'd love your feedback!!Please rate and review it here or below ⤵️

Recipe Notes

White bean variety: Use any white bean, including navy, cannellini, or great northern. Smaller beans like navy usually cook a bit faster, but bean age and soaking can affect the timing.
Water vs. broth: If you’re using a ham bone, water works well since the bone adds plenty of flavor. If you’re not using a ham bone, chicken broth or turkey stock will add great flavor. If using broth, skip the listed salt amount and season to taste.
No ham bone? If you’re making the soup with only leftover cooked ham, use broth instead of water for extra flavor. You can still use either the slow cooker or stovetop method, but wait to add the leftover ham until the last 30 minutes to keep it tender and prevent overcooking.
Final cook time may vary: The listed cook time is a general guide. Bean age, size, and whether they’re soaked can affect how long they take to cook, so the beans may be done sooner or need extra time. Check them occasionally by tasting a few. If they’re still firm in the center, increase the heat briefly to give them a boost and monitor as needed.
Want thicker soup? Per step 6 above, if the beans are fully cooked and the soup isn’t thick to your liking, mash some beans or give it a few quick pulses with an immersion blender.
If using canned beans: Reduce the broth to 4 cups (you can add more later if needed). Use 4 (15-ounce) cans of white beans, rinsed and drained. For the best texture, add them during the last hour in the slow cooker or the final 30 minutes on the stovetop so they don’t fall apart.
____________________________________
Stove instructions
Heat 2 tablespoons of OLIVE OIL in a 4-quart soup pot over medium-high heat. Sauté the ONIONS, CELERY, and GARLIC until tender. Add the BEANS, HAM BONE, THYME, SALT, PEPPER, and 6 cups of WATER. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 2 hours (for soaked beans) or 6 hours (for unsoaked beans), covered with a loose-fitting lid. During the process, add enough WATER to keep the liquid just above the surface of the beans. During the last hour, add the CARROTS and continue cooking until they soften, stirring as needed. Proceed with step #5 above.

Equipment

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 163kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 254mg | Potassium: 603mg | Fiber: 12g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 2061IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 83mg | Iron: 3mg

Nutrition facts are estimates and may vary based on brands, ingredients, and portions.

Course Soup
Cuisine American
Diet Gluten Free
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Traci

About Traci

I’m the recipe author, photographer, and videographer behind The Kitchen Girl food blog established in 2013. I test and share all of my original recipes here so you can make great food with simple ingredients for everyday meals and special occasions.

Reader Interactions

Comments

    4.98 from 448 votes (350 ratings without comment)

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  1. Shannon says

    I’d just like to confirm that even if using canned beans, the broth ratio is still the same, right?

    Reply

    • Traci says

      Great question! If you’re using canned beans, reduce the broth to 4 cups. I’ve added a note in the recipe footnotes with those details as well. Let me know if you have any other questions and hope you enjoy the recipe! 🙂

  2. Stacey says

    4 stars
    The “jump to recipe” button doesn’t work, and by the time you get to the actual recipe the whole page refreshes and starts you back up at the top.. repeatedly. The recipe isn’t helpful if you can’t actually get to it and read it.

    Reply

    • Traci says

      Hi Stacey, yes, it's a technical glitch affecting many websites on mobile, esp IOS. I'm frustrated about it too, but there isn’t a quick fix yet.

      You can refresh the page or open it in a different browser to get to the recipe, and I really want that to happen 🙂 Thanks so much for letting me know, and I appreciate your patience.

  3. Amanda Riecke says

    5 stars
    I have never in my life eaten or made a ham and bean soup but my husband requested it so I used this recipe. I used a ham hock because I wasn’t sure where to find a ham bone. I was so skeptical as I hardly ever eat ham; however, it was absolutely delicious. My 1 year old and 3 year old absolutely loved it, too. I made an account just to say thank you (:

    Reply

    • Traci says

      This made my day! Thank you for taking the time to share it. I love that you gave my recipe and that it worked so well for you. The fact that you made an account to leave feedback and that your little ones loved it too is truly the best compliment. 😊 💟

  4. Cher Neufer says

    5 stars
    It is great! I always add one 14.5 oz. can of diced tomatoes. I am sure it is still delicious without it.

    Reply

    • Traci says

      So glad you're enjoying it and that's a classic add-in right there. YUM with or without indeed 🙂 Thanks for taking the time to share feedback!

  5. Darlene says

    5 stars
    My husband really likes this soup. I have made bean soup for years but never used garlic and thyme. Adds a little extra flavor. Will make your recipe from now on.

    Reply

    • Traci says

      Yes! Love those aromatics really do elevate the flavor. I'm so glad you enjoyed it 🙂 Thanks for trying my recipe and for sharing this feedback!

  6. Deb says

    5 stars
    Don't do what I did and use sweetened spiral ham leftovers in your soup ! My common sense went out the window the last time I made this and because of the sweetness of the ham, I ruined a delicious pot of soup! There was absolutely no way to fix it.

    Reply

    • Traci says

      Ahhh, I haven’t run into this before. Spiral hams are typically cured with some form of sugar unless they’re labeled unsweetened or dry-cured, so a mild sweetness is expected. It’s possible the ham you used was on the sweeter side compared to others. Thanks for commenting—I appreciate you sharing your experience 🙂

  7. Jan says

    5 stars
    This is the best navy bean soup I ever made. I was skeptical about raw veggies in the crock pot but I did it anyways and oh wow!! Amazing. I used four cups of low sodium chicken broth and two cups of water and a tsp of Better than Bouillon Roasted Chicken base. I was going to share this soup with a friend, but now I'm thinking that I won't share.

    Reply

    • Traci says

      Thank you so much for making my recipe and for sharing this 🧡 I’m so glad you trusted the process with the raw veggies—and I love that it changed your mind. Your broth combo sounds delicious. And I totally get not wanting to share… that might be the best compliment of all 😄

  8. Becky says

    5 stars
    This ham and bean soup is exactly as my mom used to make! Brought back memories of my mom and all the foods she used to make from scratch! I made as directed on the stove and soaked the beans overnight, like my mom did also. Did use all water, no broth and the spiral cut ham bone leftover from the holiday. The ham gave the soup so much flavor. I did add an extra stalk of celery and an extra carrot. Perfect, very delicious!
    Thanks for the extra info in your recipe, very helpful.

    Reply

    • Traci says

      Thank you so much for making my recipe and for taking the time to share this 🧡 I'm glad you found it helpful and I love that it brought back memories of your mom and her from-scratch cooking. Enjoy!!

  9. Debbie says

    5 stars
    I made this yesterday in the crockpot. Followed directions exactly using half chicken broth and half water. It turned out delicious.

    Reply

    • Traci says

      Yay! Love the half broth and water idea. Thank you for making my recipe and for taking the time to let me know 🙂 So glad you enjoyed it!

  10. Amber says

    5 stars
    making this tomorrow!!! can I add more carrots, celery and onion??? should I add a bay leaf at start of cooking (not sure what they do hahha).... I make many soups and deep freeze stay good for very long time!!!

    Reply

    • Traci says

      Yes, absolutely. You can add more carrots, celery, and onion. You can also add a bay leaf at the start if you’d like. It adds a light, savory background flavor, just remember to remove it before serving. And you’re right, this soup freezes really well. Thanks so much for making it and hope you enjoy!

  11. Julia Candis Guthrie says

    5 stars
    Thank you! Great recipe, I'm going to make cornbread to serve with, new family favorite 😍

    Reply

    • Traci says

      Yay!! I'm thrilled to hear it's your new family favorite. If you need a recipe, I have this homemade cornbread but stay tuned as I have a honey cornbread coming soon! 🙂 Enjoy!

  12. Kay says

    5 stars
    Do you have any idea how many ounces your ham bone + extra meat left on it was approximately? I'm going to make this soup in 2 days, but I have anxiety so unspecified things are very hard for me.

    Reply

    • Traci says

      Great question. A ham bone from a spiral-cut ham can weigh 1–3 pounds and can have roughly 8–16 ounces of usable meat on it, so it can vary. You’ll cook the soup with the bone, then chop the ham off later and add it back in. The recipe is very forgiving, but please reach out with any more questions. Enjoy! 🙂

    • Cheri says

      5 stars
      I’m actually making this right now! I used my leftover spiral ham bone and probably got at least 3 cups of ham off the bone. It was plenty to provide a nice ratio of ham per bowl.

    • Traci says

      Thank you for chiming in, Cheri 🙂 That's been my experience too! Enjoy your ham and bean soup and all the leftovers.

  13. Sheri says

    How easy would it be to adjust this recipe to make servings for only 1-2 people? Or is it even possible?

    Reply

    • Traci says

      Yes, it’s very easy to cut this recipe in half for 1–2 people. Just halve the ingredients and use a small ham hock instead of a full-size ham bone. The cooking method stays the same, and it turns out just as flavorful. Let me know if you have further questions. Hope you enjoy! 🙂

  14. Noah says

    5 stars
    This is a great recipe, especially if you take the optional step of using a potato masher to make it creamier.

    My mistakes: I added the ham with everything else, which, as the author warns, resulted in tougher bits of ham. Still totally fine, but I regret not reading more carefully. I also soaked my beans in too little water (I usually use canned beans, but used dry navy beans here), maybe I used just 5 cups. If you make this mistake as well, no worries: you can just cook it longer and everything will turn out fine. It took maybe an extra 2.5 hours for me.

    I used a cured ham, which is rather salty. I also used chicken broth (God bless Better Than Bouillon). I want to thank you for the instruction to wait to add any salt until after cooking. This is insightful, as the ham and broth provided most of the salt needed.

    Finally, I'd really like to highlight the top of eating this with cornbread. It's a perfect accompaniment to the soup and really reminds me of eating this when I was younger.

    In all, I have no recommended adjustments. This is a great recipe.

    Reply

    • Traci says

      Thank you Noah for making my soup and for taking the time to leave this feedback 🙂 I love that you found all of my tips helpful—and I'm a long-time user of BTB instead of packaged broth. And I 1000% agree about the cornbread with with soup! Thank you again and Happy New Year to you!

  15. Christine Griffin says

    5 stars
    I made this Ham and Bean Soup today in the crockpot exactly as stated in the recipe and it was the best Ham and Bean I’ve ever made! I will definitely be making it again and sharing with others. Thanks so much for sharing the deliciousness! 🩷

    Reply

    • Traci says

      Thank you for making my recipe part of your holiday weekend and for your kind words. Hearing that it’s the best you’ve ever made is such a compliment and I love knowing you’re inspired to share the recipe. ❤️ Enjoy!!

  16. Carol J Allenbaugh says

    Sounds amazing! Can you include a version with canned beans? I have leftover ham, a ham bone all your ingredients and canned beans. thanks!

    Reply

    • Traci says

      Hi Carol, you got it! I have added footnotes to the recipe card with instructions for using canned beans. Thanks so much for asking and let me know if you have any questions! Enjoy 🙂

  17. Jen says

    5 stars
    Fabulous! We loved this recipe so much!

    Reply

    • Traci says

      Wonderful!! I'm so glad you used my recipe for your holiday weekend soup! Thank you for taking the time to come back and share this. 🙂

  18. Kim says

    5 stars
    Made it in my crock pot with the remainder of a salted caramel spiral ham and large luma beans. Turned out awesome.

    Reply

    • Traci says

      Yum! That sounds absolutely divine! Thank you for trying my recipe and for taking the time to come back and share this. Happy holidays!! 🙂

  19. Ashley says

    5 stars
    I used canned beans and more ham, 2 cups of carrots, and extra thyme with no ham bone and my family loved it! Great recipe!

    Reply

    • Traci says

      Nice!! You inspired me to include instructions for using canned beans. Thanks for trying my recipe and for taking the time to let me know. Happy holidays!! 🙂

    • Jennifer Carter says

      did you adjust the cooktime since the beans were already canned? and did you use the crockpot or stovetop method?

      thanks!

  20. Tammy Taber says

    5 stars
    i made this today. It was delicious and perfect for a very cold winter day!!

    Reply

    • Traci says

      Yay! I love hearing that! This is one of my favorite soups for cold winter days. Thanks for making it and for taking the time to let me know 🙂

  21. Lola says

    5 stars
    Delicious! A nice hearty soup!!

    Reply

    • Traci says

      Thank you, Lola! I'm glad you're enjoying my recipe 🙂

  22. Lola says

    5 stars
    Delicious!

    Reply

    • Traci says

      Thank you! So glad you're enjoying it! 🙂