Make This Easy Ham And Bean Soup Recipe

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You'll Love That This Soup Is Ready In Under An Hour

I call this semi-homemade ham and bean soup “half-fast” because it's pretty quick to make, but it tastes like it was made from scratch and simmered all day. 😉 Some prep is required but minimal, especially for such an amazing soup.

This easy ham and beans soup utilizes canned beans and pre-cooked ham, making it perfect for when you want a cozy meal but are short on time.

It’s a great way to use leftover holiday ham; if you don’t have any, I encourage you to select a high-quality ham. I used part of a small, pre-packaged Cure 81 cherrywood-smoked ham. It is excellent.

It’s insanely good with my “crazy delicious cornbread” recipe, which mixes and bakes in a cast-iron skillet.

Great Ham and Bean Soup Starts Like This

Almost any great soup you can name starts with a few simple vegetables sauteed in olive oil. This step is the foundation of a good base or broth.

Don't rush it. Use medium heat. You want the onion, garlic, and celery to soften and release their flavor without getting brown. Stir it all from time to time as it cooks.

Humble Beans Are Delicious Nutritional Superstars

While waiting for everything to saute, let’s talk about the lowly bean for a minute. Beans are unsung nutritional heroes. They are good for us "human beans."

• Beans are a cheap but nutritionally loaded protein source. They are less expensive and full of more nutrients than meat. Our bodies need a continual source of protein every day. Protein is used to repair and build bones, cartilage, muscles, skin, and blood.
• Protein benefits our entire body. In this recipe, 2 cups of ham, boosted by the beans, make 12 servings of protein-packed soup.
• Beans have lots of fiber. Ideally, our diet should include 25-35 grams of fiber daily. Fiber helps with weight loss because it helps you feel full longer. Fiber helps you process and digest the food you eat more efficiently. It helps reduce cholesterol levels and improves blood pressure levels.
• Beans help regulate blood sugar. Fiber improves blood sugar levels in people with diabetes. Also, beans have a low glycemic index rating so that they won’t cause a spike in blood sugar. The high fiber content in beans slows digestion, and the glucose is released more slowly into the bloodstream.

Chop The Colorful Ingredients

While you’re waiting, you can peel the other veggies. Slice the carrots, dice the ham, and cube the potatoes. I like to add even more celery, but that’s up to you.

Everything goes together quickly once the celery, garlic, and onions are transparent, tender, and fragrant! Add water, the soup base, bouillon paste, potatoes, carrots, and any additional vegetables you want to add, then sit by while it simmers.

I am a raving fan of Knorr products. Knorr has been in business making soup bases and seasonings since 1873 and bouillon cubes since 1912, so they know a thing or two about flavor. In my opinion, nothing compares to their vegetable bouillon or soup base.

Many things were hard to find during the pandemic, and I was heartbroken when I couldn’t find vegetable bouillon cubes in stores. That’s when I discovered the vegetable bouillon/soup base online in the restaurant-size tubs. A tub makes 11 gallons of broth! It has an excellent shelf life, and I love to share.

I am so devoted to the flavor that I continue to buy the product today in this quantity and use it in many of my soup and casserole recipes. I see the cubes are available again, at least online. This is happy news.

While that simmers, drain and rinse the beans. Chop the ham. Then, once the carrots and potatoes are tender, add the beans and the ham to the broth and continue simmering until everything is hot.

Add a shake of seasoned pepper or a good crack of fresh ground pepper if you like. Toss in some parsley for a beautiful, professional touch on your tasty ham and beans soup.

Cornbread or corn muffins pair perfectly with ham and bean soup, which is a complete meal on its own. The slightly sweet bread crumbled into the somewhat salty soup is a marriage made in heaven!

The soup makes a big batch. It reheats beautifully, which means you’ve just scored a bonus night with very little time spent in the kitchen! And that’s what I call a win/win!!

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Yield: 10 servings

Ham and Bean Soup

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I call this delicious soup "semi-homemade." It goes together very quickly using canned navy beans or Great Northern beans and ham, along with fresh vegetables in a hearty, savory broth. A great way to use leftover ham from the holidays!

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 T olive oil
• 2-3 cloves fresh garlic, pressed
• 1/2 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cups celery, sliced. Include the flavorful leaves.
• 2 quarts water
• Four large cubes Knorr vegetable bouillon cubes or scant 1/4 cup Knorr vegetable base in restaurant pack
• 2 Tbsp paste type chicken base like Better Than Bouillon
• 2 or 3 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 2 cups carrots, peeled and sliced
• Three 15.25-ounce cans of white beans, navy beans preferred, rinsed and drained
• 2 cups good quality ham, diced
• Seasoned pepper to taste we like Lawry's brand
• 1 Tbsp parsley

Instructions

1. Saute onion, celery, and garlic in olive oil until transparent and fragrant.
2. Add water, bouillon paste and bouillon cubes, potatoes, and carrots.
3. Simmer until the vegetables are tender.
4. Add drained beans, seasoned pepper, parsley, and chopped ham, heat through.
5. Awesome served with cornbread!

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

10

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 258Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 19mgSodium: 1175mgCarbohydrates: 36gFiber: 8gSugar: 4gProtein: 16g

This ham and bean soup makes a big batch and reheats beautifully. That means you’ve just scored a bonus night with very little time spent in the kitchen! And that’s what I call a win/win!!

That might be my favorite thing about soup and soup weather: Cook once, eat twice, or more! Try some of our favorites: Instant Pot Beef Noodle Soup, Easy Italian Sausage Soup, and Easy Split Pea And Ham Soup. Looking for something sweet to finish off the meal? Try my easy lemon bars or pumpkin dump cake- both are quick, easy, and yummy!

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