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Ham and Bean Soup

5 from 257 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

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 ham leftovers.

Ham and beans are often called ham and bean soup or navy bean soup. The reason this soup is so popular is because it's absolutely divine! When you slow cook a leftover spiral ham bone with white beans, it unlocks so much flavor – it's smoky, savory, and even has 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 Antonovich
5 from 257 votes
Print Pin

Ingredients 

  • 1 (16-oz bag) Dried Navy Beans about 2 ½ cups, sorted and rinsed
  • 1 Ham Bone or smoked ham hock
  • ½ large Onion diced (1 cup)
  • 1 large Celery Rib diced (1 cup)
  • 5 cloves Garlic minced
  • 1 teaspoon Dried Thyme or 3 fresh sprigs
  • 1 teaspoon Sea Salt or to taste
  • ½ teaspoon Black Pepper
  • 6 cups Water
  • 1 large Carrot diced (1 cup)

Equipment

Instructions

  • (recommended) Soak beans overnight in 8 cups water. Then drain and discard the liquid. See footnote for unsoaked beans.

Crockpot Instructions (see stove instructions below)

  • Add NAVY BEANS, HAM BONE, ONION, CELERY, GARLIC, THYME, SALT, and BLACK PEPPER to a slow cooker.
  • Add enough WATER to cover the beans by 1 inch.
    Note: You can always add more water later if you like ham and beans with extra broth.
  • Set the slow cooker on LOW heat for 6 hours.
    *ATTN: Timing may vary. Please see recipe footnote about final cook time.
  • At around the 5 hour mark, stir in CARROTS and continue cooking another hour (or more as needed) until carrots and beans are soft to your liking.
  • When beans are done, transfer ham bone out of the pot and strip any edible ham from it. Sift and discard any small bone pieces or gristle from the soup.
  • If you prefer a creamy soup, use a potato masher to mash some of the beans right in the pot. This will immediately thicken the broth. Add shredded ham back to the soup and serve warm.

Final step

Click stars to vote. Please visit 'Comments' below for reviews.

5 from 257 votes

Video

Recipe Notes

* ATTN: Final cook time will depend on the age of the beans, which can be unpredictable. So, I recommend blocking more time for the process, especially for the slow cooker LOW setting. If beans aren't noticeably soft at the 5-hour mark, consider switching to the higher heat setting and monitoring as needed until beans are soft.
____________________________________
Stove instructions for ham and bean soup
  1. Heat 2 tablespoons OLIVE OIL in a 4-quart soup pot over medium-high heat.
  2. Add ONIONS, CELERY, and GARLIC. Saute until tender, stirring as needed.
  3. Add NAVY BEANS, HAM BONE, THYME, SALT, PEPPER, and 6 cups WATER to the pot. *See footnote for cook times using unsoaked beans.
  4. Bring soup to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 2 hours covered with a loose-fitting lid. Note: While cooking, add water as needed to keep the liquid line right above the beans to promote evenly cooked beans.
  5. Add CARROTS 20-30 minutes before serving and continue cooking, stirring as needed
  6. Continue with step #5 above.
____________________________________
Cook times for unsoaked beans
  • Low heat Crockpot for unsoaked beans = 9 hours minimum
  • Stove simmer for unsoaked beans = 4 hours minimum
Did you make this recipe? I'd love to see it!Follow @thekitchengirl on Instagram, snap a photo, and tag #thekitchengirl. This always makes my day!

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
Course Soup
Cuisine American
Diet Gluten Free
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Comments

  1. Kristine W says

    5 stars
    My husband and I love love love this recipe! I make the crock pot version and found it to be simple and absolutely delicious. I always make extra to freeze which heats up beautifully.

    Reply

    • Traci says

      Yay! I'm so glad you went for it! We have some in our freezer right now lol - and we always make cornbread with it 🙂 Thank you so much for sharing your experience. I really appreciate it. Enjoy!!

  2. rob svendsen says

    Just a little note if using old beans that wont soften. Try adding a teaspoon of baking soda and simmer for an hour. This always softens old beans but I must warn you that when you add the soda it will look like a science experiment gone bad but will cook off in no time and it wont alter the flavor any. Also, adding salt in the beginning can keep beans from softening as well as using hard water will too.

    Reply

    • Traci says

      Yes, these are popular tips. I've heard the same things but haven't taken them into the test kitchen. Thanks for sharing! 🙂

  3. Sarah says

    5 stars
    What if I accidentally chopped the carrots up and put them in at the beginning with all the other stuff? Will it still turn out ok?

    Reply

    • Traci says

      Hiya, not to worry. They'll just be extremely soft. They might even fall apart and become undetectable. If you have extra, you can always add them when the recipe calls for them 🙂 Let me know if I can answer any more questions. Enjoy!

  4. Jayne M says

    5 stars
    This is a wonderful, classic recipe and my favorite! I thicken mine a bit before serving by running about a cup of the cooked beans through my food processor to puree and then stir them back in.

    Reply

    • Traci says

      Thanks for sharing your experience and tip, especially for lovers of creamy ham and bean soup. The thickening option is already in my recipe and I usually use a potato masher for this, but a food processor will certainly do the job too! Thanks again!

  5. Jordan says

    Soup was wonderful. Did kick up the heat on the crock pot after reading comments. Beans were cooked perfectly. Only down side was I was making this with ham hocks and I got enough meat for maybe two whole bowls of soup. I'll definitely revisit this recipe when I have an entire ham bone to use.

    Reply

    • Traci says

      Hiya! Glad you found the best setting and enjoyed 🙂 Yeah, ham hocks are like that sometimes and I do prefer a spiral ham bone. However, if the hocks are what's available, I recommend adding some chopped deli ham to the soup after it cooks. Hope this helps. Thanks for sharing your experience. Enjoy!

  6. Julie says

    5 stars
    Made this (almost) exactly per stovetop recipe, no bone but saved sliced ham from holidays, we loved it! Two people alone devoured it in two days. Next I’m trying the cream of mushroom soup.
    Thank you!

    Reply

    • Traci says

      Oh awesome, Julie! I'm so glad you went for it and enjoyed it! Thank you for letting me know. I appreciate knowing you'll be trying other recipes here too. I'm here for questions anytime. 🙂 Thanks again

  7. R cook says

    Ugh, left the stove on low setting and thought it would be slow cooked. Got up early and it’s cold - of course I had everything in it but carrots. Do I throw out?

    Reply

    • Traci says

      Hiya! Per food safety guidelines, I do not recommend consuming it under your circumstances. Let me know if I can help you with anything else 🙂

  8. Desiree Eddleman says

    5 stars
    I loved how easy and delicious this recipe was to make.
    This is a keeper for my family 💕

    Reply

    • Traci says

      Yayy! I'm so glad you loved this one as much as we do 🙂 Thank you for the feedback xoxoxo

  9. Tim says

    5 stars
    Great recipe like my Aunt makes. I added 2 cans of crushed tomatoes which really enhances the flavor in my opinion. Cut back on water added by a couple cups. Also used the 15-Bean Mix as I enjoy the variety of beans. Now I look forward to a spiral ham at holiday time...so I can make this soup during the winter.

    Reply

    • Traci says

      Yay! Glad you're enjoying and sounds like you really personalized it 🙂 Thanks for taking the time to comment. Cheers!

    • Diana Jackson says

      6 hours in nowhere near done when on low. turned it up to high now waiting for dinner. presoaked 12 hours

    • Traci says

      Hi Diana, this is not common, but I can empathize from experience. Sometimes we unknowingly use aged beans that take longer to cook. Unfortunately, we have no control over this and I have included ATTN notes about timing in the recipe card. Thanks for taking the time to comment and I hope you are able to enjoy your ham and beans. Let me know if I can clarify anything else for you 🙂

  10. Richard Jones says

    5 stars
    I have made ham & beans for new year's day for many years. But this year we had a boneless ham for Christmas. So without a ham bone I used two tablespoons of ham base instead. Otherwise I did not deviate from your recipe. It turned out great! Definately five stars!

    Reply

    • Traci says

      Awesome!! So glad to hear you enjoyed it just as much without the ham bone 🙂 Thanks so much for taking the time to let me know. Happy New Year!!

  11. kenny v says

    5 stars
    Had a ham bone in freezer waiting for a good recipe. This soup turned out very good.

    Reply

    • Traci says

      Yayy! I'm honored and so glad you went for it 🙂 Thanks so much for letting me know! Enjoy!

  12. Kathleen Clifford says

    this recipe is so much like my mom's ☺️. thank you so much for sharing 😌.

    Reply

    • Traci says

      You are so welcome and I'm so glad to hear it. Let me know if you have any questions. Enjoy!!

  13. Rick says

    I add 2 medium diced potatoes an hour before serving and about 2 cups of chunked Ham (pulled off of the bone after boiling)

    Reply

    • Traci says

      Sounds great! I love potatoes in ham and beans too 🙂

  14. kenny v says

    Hi,
    I have found the bean and ham soup recipe.
    I cannot find a way to just bring up the recipe and print it out,
    except for having to download some advertisement maybe.
    I would like to get just a printed version of the recipe without
    having to download some advertisement.

    thank you

    kenny v

    Reply

    • Traci says

      Hi Kenny, you can print here. Let me know if you have any more questions. Thanks so much and enjoy! 🙂

  15. Debbi says

    can I replace water with chicken broth ?

    Reply

    • Traci says

      You sure can! Any broth can be used. I do recommend adding the salt (to taste) since broth will likely have salt. Enjoy!

  16. John says

    5 stars
    Ham and bean soup delicious and easy to put together

    Reply

    • John says

      5 stars
      It’s going to be one of my favorite soup recipes for leftover ham

    • Traci says

      Lol yes!!! Us too! It's so good with the ham bone leftover from my spiral ham recipe 🙂 Thanks so much for the feedback - I'm glad you're enjoying this one!

    • Traci says

      Yay! So glad you're enjoying this one! Thanks for taking the time to comment 🙂

  17. Scott says

    I'm going to use your recipe today, I'm adding cabbage to mine, but overall this seems like a solid recipe. Thank you.

    Reply

    • Traci says

      Awesome! One of my favorite soups! Hope you love it like we do 🙂

  18. Kim says

    can I use canned beans? I didn't write dried beans on the list so I got canned by accident.

    Reply

    • Traci says

      Hiya, you can use canned beans and reduce the time to a few hours. But realize that you won't get the benefit of the long slow cook of the ham bone, so I recommend a smoked ham hock. Let me know if you have more questions 🙂 Enjoy!!

    • Karen says

      This looks so yum! Got a late start and have to do it in the crock pot. Can I cook it on high?

    • Dan says

      Hi!
      yes you may use canned beans but my recommendation would be to add the beans the last hour since they are already cooked and just need to be heated up with the other ingredients.

  19. Diana says

    5 stars
    Did this receipe in the instant pot for 15 min and slow release for 20. It was amazing didn’t change anything.

    Reply

    • The Kitchen Girl says

      Yesss! Love the IP version of it too! So glad you enjoyed ... thanks for taking the time to leave feedback 🙂

  20. Jeff says

    5 stars
    These ham and beans are absolutely divine, I almost can't stop eating them. Your cornbread is a must! Thanks for knocking another one out of the park. We'll be making this with every holiday ham from now on!

    Reply

    • The Kitchen Girl says

      I'm glad you feel the same way about this recipe. Honestly, I'll look even more forward to holiday ham knowing this is happening right behind it LOL. Cheers to that! 🙂

  21. Heather says

    5 stars
    Saving this recipe to use with my leftover ham from Easter. Looks so good!

    Reply

    • The Kitchen Girl says

      Yay! Glad to hear it and hope you enjoy! 🙂 Thanks!

    • KAT says

      Will soup still taste just as good without the bone? I unfortunately tossed it out. Thanks

    • Traci says

      Hello and yes! You can substitute a smoked ham hock, smoked turkey wing or leg, or add chopped ham near the end of the cook cycle if you have it. Otherwise, you can follow this recipe without any ham or ham bone and it'll still be tasty because white beans are naturally comforting and delicious. Let me know if I can answer any other questions for you 🙂 Enjoy!!

  22. Carrie Robinson says

    5 stars
    This is one of my favorite dishes to make with leftover Easter ham! 🙂 Such great comfort food.

    Reply

    • The Kitchen Girl says

      Yes! Us too! Always look forward to holiday ham leftovers 🙂 Thanks!

  23. Tara says

    5 stars
    Oh yum! This soup looks so comforting and I love those flavors. It definitely is a fantastic use for leftover ham.

    Reply

    • The Kitchen Girl says

      Thanks! Yes, it's crazy good and I look forward to leftover ham LOL 🙂

  24. Elaine says

    5 stars
    I love old fashioned recipes. This soup is a great example why. Fantastic instructions and great result!

    Reply

  25. Ieva says

    5 stars
    Your ham and bean soup is our absolute favourite to use up leftover ham! Ridiculously delicious! 🙂

    Reply