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Pre-soak the beans the night before to make this classic, a super easy and delicious soup packed with fibre and protein.
Our Ham & Bean Soup is a hearty, filling, and tasty, and is super easy to make. It’s one of a few I make for great meals after long days, or lunches during the week. Just make a pot on the weekend, portion it out, freeze all but a couple, and take out what you need the night before. Soups often allow you to make use of leftover meats and vegetables, extending the life of those foods than might otherwise go to waste.
My Ham & Bean Soup is classic and super simple, the perfect comfort food. For such simple ingredients, it really is delicious! Include my Dinner Rolls for the perfect meal.
Deliciously Simple Ham & Bean Soup
Pre-soak the beans the night before to make this classic, a super easy and delicious soup packed with fibre and protein.
Ingredients
Soak the beans
- 2 cups navy beans dry, uncooked
- 6 cups cold water
Making the Soup
- 1 tbsp bacon fat or other oil
- 1 onion medium, diced
- 1 tbsp garlic minced
- 2 celery stalks large, diced
- 2 carrots large, diced
- soaked navy beans
- 2-3 cups leftover ham chopped
- 2 tbsp Better than Bouillon Chicken
- 4-8 cups water
- 1 tsp salt*
- 1 tsp black pepper
Instructions
To do the night before: soak the beans
- Measure out 2 cups navy beans into strainer or colander and rinse with cold water.
- Toss out out any non-bean bits and pour remaining beans into a medium bowl. Add enough cold water to cover beans plus about an inch.
- Cover and refrigerate for 8-24 hours.
- Before using, drain and gently rinse softened beans.
Soup instructions
- Add bacon fat (for optimal flavour) or oil to soup pot, turn heat to medium. Add onion, garlic, celery, and carrots. Stir and cook until onions soften, about 5 minutes.
- Add beans, ham, 4 cups water, Better than Bouillon, salt, and black pepper, stir. Add more water if needed. Cover and let come to a simmer.
- Lower temp so just above a simmer and cook for 2 hours or more, adding more water as needed.
Notes
*If you opt to substitute ham hocks or other high salt ham, leave the salt out until the soup has cooked for an hour, then taste and salt to taste.
Nutrition
Calories: 114kcalCarbohydrates: 13gProtein: 10gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 20mgSodium: 934mgPotassium: 208mgFiber: 4gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 2043IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 39mgIron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Blog Author and Co-owner at Owl Creek Farm
wife + mom to 4 humans, 1 disabled rottweiler/giant fluff (2021), 1 husky/german shepherd (2021), and 2 cats. into homesteading and self sufficiency. introvert. scatterbrained. loves reading, gaming, cooking/baking.
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