This Ham Bone and Navy Bean Soup is the perfect way to use up a leftover holiday ham bone. Simmered in rich chicken stock, this smoky, hearty classic is pure comfort in a bowl and the ideal meal for any chilly winter day or cozy weekend at home.
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🥕 The Ingredients
This recipe combines fresh aromatics, savory stock, and hearty pantry staples to transform smoky holiday leftovers into a deeply flavorful and comforting masterpiece. Find ingredient notes (including substitutions and variations) below.
📝 Ingredients Notes, Substitutions, and Variations
- Ham Bone: This is the soul of the soup. If you don’t have a leftover holiday bone, smoked ham hocks, or even a smoked turkey wing are fantastic substitutes for that deep, smoky flavor.
- Navy Beans: These small white beans are classic for their creamy texture. If you can’t find them, Great Northern beans or Cannellini beans are excellent alternatives that hold up well during simmering.
- Chicken or Turkey Stock: While homemade chicken stock, chicken broth, or roasted turkey stock provides the best body and richness, you can use store-bought low-sodium broth or even water (though you may need to increase the seasonings if using water).
- Aromatics: The combination of onion, carrots, and celery (mirepoix) creates the flavor base. For a twist, try adding leeks or parsnips for extra sweetness.
- Diced Ham: Adding extra diced ham at the end ensures every bowl is meaty and filling, especially if your ham bone was trimmed closely.
- Greens Variation: For a nutritional boost and a pop of color, stir in a few handfuls of fresh baby spinach or chopped kale during the last five minutes of cooking until wilted.
- Spicy Kick: If you like a little heat, add a pinch of red pepper flakes or a dash of hot sauce to your individual bowl before serving.
Refer to the recipe card (with video) below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
📌 Tips and Tricks for Perfect Classic Ham and Beans Soup
- Don’t skip the soak: For the most even cooking and best texture, soak your navy beans overnight. If you’re short on time, use the “quick soak” method: bring the beans to a boil for two minutes, remove from heat, and let them sit covered for one hour before draining.
- Hold the salt: Ham bones and stock are naturally rich in salt. Wait until the beans are fully tender and the soup is nearly finished before tasting and adding any additional salt to avoid over-seasoning.
- The “Mash Method” for creaminess: If you prefer a thicker, creamier base, use a potato masher or an immersion blender to lightly mash about a cup of the beans directly in the pot toward the end of cooking.
- Simmer, don’t boil: Keep the soup at a gentle, low simmer. A rolling boil can cause the beans to break apart and become mushy before the flavors have fully melded.
- Clean the bone: Once the soup is done, remove the ham bone and let it cool slightly. Be sure to shred off any remaining tender bits of meat and stir them back into the pot so nothing goes to waste.
- Brighten at the finish: A small splash of apple cider vinegar or a squeeze of fresh lemon juice added right before serving cuts through the richness of the ham and makes the savory flavors pop.
- Make it ahead: Like most soups, this one tastes even better the next day after the flavors have had more time to develop in the refrigerator.
👩🏼🍳 How to Make Classic Ham and Bean Soup
- Step 1: Soak the beans in water overnight (see NOTES for Quick Soak).
- Step 2: Drain the beans and add them to a large pot with the ham bone, vegetables, chicken stock, and seasonings.
- Step 3: Cover and simmer on low for 2½ hours.
- Step 4: Remove the ham bone from the soup.
- Step 5: Cut meat away from the bone.
- Step 6: Stir in the chopped ham and serve nice and hot.
Expert Tip: The Quick Soak Method
If you didn’t have time to soak your navy beans overnight, don’t worry—you can still make this soup today! Simply place the beans in a large pot and cover them with at least two inches of water. Bring to a rolling boil for 2 minutes, then remove the pot from the heat and cover it with a tight-fitting lid. Let the beans sit for one hour, then drain and rinse them thoroughly before starting the recipe. This mimics an 8-hour soak in a fraction of the time!
🍽️ How to Serve
- Ladle into deep bowls: Serve the soup steaming hot, ensuring every bowl gets a generous portion of tender beans and diced ham.
- Pair with homemade cornbread: This is the quintessential side dish! Serve a warm wedge of cornbread on the side, or do the “pro move” and crumble it directly into the soup.
- Add a pop of freshness: Top each bowl with a sprinkle of freshly chopped parsley or sliced chives to brighten the savory, smoky flavors.
- A splash of acidity: For those who like a little tang, offer a small splash of apple cider vinegar or a squeeze of fresh lemon juice at the table to cut through the richness of the ham.
- Bring the heat: Serve with your favorite hot sauce on the side for guests who want to add a spicy kick to their bowl.
- Crusty bread alternative: If you don’t have cornbread, a thick slice of country white bread or homemade focaccia bread is perfect for soaking up every last drop of the flavorful broth.
- Make it a meal: Pair a smaller bowl of soup with a crisp green salad tossed in a light vinaigrette for a perfectly balanced lunch or dinner.
🙋🏽♂️ Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, but you will need to reduce the simmering time significantly. Since they are already cooked, add them toward the end of the process just to heat them through and allow them to absorb the smoky flavors of the broth.
Place any remaining portions in an airtight container and keep them in the refrigerator for up to four days. This dish actually tastes even better the next day as the savory flavors continue to meld.
Absolutely. Once cooled completely, transfer to freezer-safe bags or containers. It will maintain its quality for up to three months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating on the stovetop.
You can easily substitute with two or three smoked ham hocks or even a smoked turkey wing. These will provide that essential smoky depth and tender meat needed for a rich, hearty result.
This usually happens if the beans are quite old or if salt was added too early in the cooking process. To ensure they soften properly, make sure your dried beans are fresh, and be sure to let them simmer until they are tender.
Yes. After soaking and rinsing, add all ingredients to the crockpot and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours or on high for 4 to 5 hours until the legumes are soft and the meat is falling off the bone.
🍲 Other Amazing Soup Recipes
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Classic Ham and Bean Soup (With Navy Beans)
Video
Equipment
- 1 Large pot 4 to 6-quart is best
Ingredients
- 1 lb navy beans dried, see NOTES
- 1 ham bone leave the meat chunks on it
- 1 large onion white or yellow, chopped
- 3 stalks celery sliced or chopped
- 3 medium carrots peeled and sliced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 8 cups chicken stock or water, see NOTES
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- Kosher salt see NOTES
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 bay leaves dried or fresh
- 1 cup cooked ham chopped, optional
- cornbread or baguette, for serving
Instructions
- Place the navy beans in a large bowl, cover with water by a couple of inches, and soak them overnight. The next day, drain and rinse the beans. See NOTES for Quick Soak method.1 lb navy beans
- In a large pot, add the ham bone, soaked beans, onion, celery, carrots, garlic, chicken stock (or water), thyme, salt (start with ½ tsp), pepper, and bay leaves.1 ham bone, 1 large onion, 3 stalks celery, 3 medium carrots, 3 cloves garlic, 8 cups chicken stock, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, Kosher salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 2 bay leaves
- Bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer on low for 2½ hours, stirring the soup every 30 minutes or so.
- Remove the ham bone from the soup and pull any remaining meat from the bone, chop it, and return it to the pot (with extra ham meat, if using). Cook for another few minutes.1 cup cooked ham
- Serve hot with cornbread (or crusty bread) on the side.cornbread
Notes
- Quick Soak Method: If you didn’t soak your beans overnight, place them in a large pot and cover with 2 inches of water. Bring to a boil for 2 minutes, then remove from heat, cover, and let sit for 1 hour. Drain and rinse thoroughly before starting the recipe.
- Salt Warning: Ham bones and chicken stock vary significantly in saltiness. Do not add any additional salt to the pot until the beans are fully tender and the soup is nearly finished. Always taste first to avoid over-seasoning.
- Bean Freshness: Older dried beans can take longer to soften. If your beans are still firm after 2.5 hours, continue simmering in 30-minute increments until they reach your desired creaminess.
- Stock vs. Water: While water works, using homemade chicken or roasted turkey stock provides a much richer body and deeper flavor profile. If using store-bought broth, choose a low-sodium version.
- Meaty Bone: If your ham bone was trimmed very closely, we recommend adding 1 to 2 cups of extra diced ham during the final stage of cooking to ensure every bowl is hearty and filling.
- Storage: This soup stores beautifully! Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months. The flavors actually improve after a day in the refrigerator.
Afif Haq says
This classic ham and bean soup sounds so comforting and nostalgic! I love simple, hearty recipes like this perfect for using pantry staples and warming up on a cozy day. Thanks for sharing!
Kris Longwell says
Of course! It’s an amazing soup, for sure!