Easy Ham and Navy Bean Soup
Creamy, smoky Ham and Navy Bean Soup is an easy “dump soup.” Cook it on the stovetop, in the oven, or in a slow cooker.
Equipment
- Blender or
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups chopped onion about 1 large
- 1 cup chopped carrot
- ½ cup chopped celery use some leaves as well
- 2 bay leaves torn
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 large meaty ham bone
- 1 – 2 cups chopped ham meat set-aside until soup is finished
- 1 pound Navy beans or other mall white bean
- water as needed
Instructions
Prepare the beans
- Pick over and rinse the beans. If desired, soak them overnight in the refrigerator, or quick-soak them: cover with water, boil for 5 minutes, then turn off the heat and let stand for 1 hour. Drain.
Fill the pot
- Put the beans in a large Dutch oven or slow cooker. Add the ham bone, onion, carrot, celery, thyme, and bay leaves. Add fresh water to cover the beans by about 1½ inches. Hold back the chopped ham until the end. Don’t add salt yet; the ham bone may provide plenty.
Choose your cooking method
- Oven: Heat to 325°F (165°C). If using a Dutch oven, bring the soup to a boil on the stove, cover, and transfer to the oven. Cook until the beans are tender, about 2 to 3 hours.Stovetop: Bring to a boil, reduce to a gentle simmer, and cover. Cook for about 1½ hours, then uncover and simmer until the beans are tender, about 30 minutes more.Slow cooker: Cover and cook on high for about 4 to 6 hours or low for 8 to 10 hours, until the beans are tender.Check occasionally during cooking and add hot water if the beans are no longer submerged. Bean age and whether you soaked them can change the timing, so let tenderness be your guide.
Finish the Soup
- Remove the ham bone and bay leaves. When the bone is cool enough to handle, pull off any meat and chop it. Purée about half the bean mixture, then stir it back into the pot with the meat from the bone and the reserved chopped ham. Simmer gently for about 30 minutes to bring the flavors together. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed.
Notes
If the soup has more liquid than you’d like, reserve a cup or two before puréeing the beans. Add it back until the soup is just the thickness you want.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 cupCalories: 135kcalCarbohydrates: 11gProtein: 13gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 34mgSodium: 464mgFiber: 3gSugar: 3g
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