Navy Bean and Ham Soup

Leftover ham? My motto is: make soup!

I’ll keep this post short and simple. These are guesstimated amounts since soup is a wing-it kind of thing for me and I don’t really measure. The key is really ratio – add more of what you like, less (or none) of what you don’t.

To make your ham stock, cover the bone with cold water in a large stockpot. Add onions, garlic, veggies, a few peppercorns. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until liquid is reduced by half, about 2 1/2- 3 hours. Strain out bone and veggies, discard. Strain stock again through a fine-mesh sieve.

When I make stock, I use the veggie ends that most people typically discard, such as asparagus bottoms, broccoli bottoms, celery bottoms, carrot tops, etc. This way, nothing goes to waste.

homemade-navy-bean-soup-recipe-with-ham-lola-rugula

Homemade Navy Bean Soup with Ham Recipe

  • 1 lb dried navy beans, soaked overnight, drained and rinsed
  • 6 cups stock made from ham bone and veggies (see note above)
  • 3-4 cups diced ham
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 4 carrots, sliced
  • 2 celery stalks, sliced
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme (I dry my own, so it’s very high quality. By all means use fresh, if you have it)
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano (see my note on thyme)
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • Black pepper, to taste

In a large stockpot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions and stir for a minute or two, then add garlic. Cook for about 3 minutes, until onions are translucent.

Add stock, herbs, and spices and bring to a simmer.

Add beans and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, partially cover, and cook until beans begin to become tender, about 1 hour.

Add ham, carrots, and celery and simmer for another 30 minutes, or until beans and veggies are tender.

Want to customize this? Add veggies of your choice here – chopped tomatoes, potatoes, kale, asparagus, broccoli – whatever you like and have on hand.

Definitely serve with some crusty bread. This soup is delicious, hearty and will warm you up on a cold winter night.

Enjoy!



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