Ham and Bean Soup

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.

After you’ve made spiral ham for your holiday dinner, 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 holiday ham leftovers.

Ham and beans are often called ham and bean soup or navy bean soup, but don’t let the simple names fool you. It's absolutely divine! When you slow cook a leftover ham bone with white beans, it unlocks so much flavor, from smoky to savory and even a touch of sweetness. 

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

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!

What you’ll need

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 color will work with ham and bean soup.
• celery - adds a nice texture to this classic recipe.
• garlic - I prefer to use fresh garlic, but granulated would work too.
• thyme - dried or fresh
• sea salt and black pepper
• water - the ham bone flavors the water so nicely after a long, slow cook. You can always use any broth or stock if you want even more flavorful soup.
• carrots - these go in last to prevent overcooking.

Do you need to soak navy beans before cooking?

No, you don't need to soak navy beans for ham and bean soup, but doing so significantly reduces the cook time. I did a side-by-side slow cooker test and found that the 8-hour soaked navy beans were perfectly cooked in 6 hours. The unsoaked beans took closer to 9 hours in the slow cooker. It's really up to you as to which way you go.

How long should you soak navy beans before cooking? 

I prefer to soak navy beans 8 - 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 ham bone?

If you don’t have a spiral ham 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 beans

Here are instructions to make ham and beans in the crock pot or stove.

To make ham and beans in a slow cooker

Start the soup. Add the beans, ham 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, then cook on low for 6 hours (for soaked beans) or 9 hours (for unsoaked beans).

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

Finish. Remove the ham bone from the pot; cut off the ham, chop it, and add it back to the beans before serving, discarding the gristle and bone.

To make Ham and Beans 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, ham 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 ham bone from the pot. Cut off the meat, shred it, and add it back to the soup. Discard the gristle and bone before serving. 

Tips for Success

Here are a few additional pointers for perfect ham and beans:

• 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 ham 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 ham 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.

Serving Suggestions

I like to serve this soup with bread on the side. This way I can dip the bread into my soup and also wipe the bowl clean to get every last bite into my belly! This homemade french bread would be wonderful with ham and bean soup, either straight from the loaf or toasted and slathered with a bit of melty butter. These cornbread muffins would also be a super combo - they're quick to make and full of Southern flavor.

How to store and reheat leftovers

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

Can this recipe be frozen?

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