Easy White Beans And Ham Soup Recipe
You probably have most of the ingredients on hand to make this White Beans and Ham Soup recipe. This recipe makes a big pot of soup and the leftovers are stored easily.
White beans also known as Navy Beans make a hearty and delicious stick-to-the-ribs winter soup that will have everyone going back for seconds especially when you add ham to the pot! the best thing about this soup is that it if so budget-friendly.
I have included printable recipes for this soup’s Stove Top and Instant Pot versions.
Cooking homemade soups with dried peas and beans is a great way to save on the grocery budget.
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Ingredients
- 1 lb diced ham (found in the meat department, pre-packaged)
- 2 cups dried Nave beans or Great Northern White Beans
- 2 1/3 cups water
- 1 Tbsp. paprika
- 1 tsp. cumin
- 1 1/2 Cups white onion, minced
- 1 (28 oz.) container of Vegetable Broth
- 2 Bay leaves
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp. pepper
- 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper (optional)
- 3 Tbsp. minced garlic (optional)
- 1 Tbsp. Butter (Stove Top recipe only)
Diced Ham
Diced ham is great to add to soup recipes for protein and flavor. You can find packaged ham pieces in big or small chunks in the meat department of your grocery store. It freezes well.
Keep leftover holiday ham in the freezer to use for soups and stews like this. Cut the meat off the bone before freezing and divide it into separate freezer bags. I always leave some meat on the bone and freeze it separately to use in a pot of Homemade Vegetable Soup.
Dried Beans
You can use either dried Navy means or dried Great Northern beans in this hearty soup recipe.
Garlic
Some folks don’t care for garlic but I encourage you to leave it in the first time you cook this soup. The majority of the flavor in this soup is courtesy of the ham. If you want the full flavor profile of this recipe, don’t skip any ingredients the first time you make it.
Onions
The onions are delicious in this soup….if you enjoy onions, right? Well here is a neat little trick for those who don’t care for onions but you still need that flavor profile. Onion Powder does a great job of adding the flavor without the bite. It is a popular ingredient so I buy it in large containers like this one. Substitute 2 Tablespoons of onion powder for the fresh onion. Add it along with the rest of the spices.
Vegetable Broth
Flavored broths add great flavor to soup recipes. However, if you don’t have vegetable broth on hand you can substitute chicken broth or water. You can make your own chicken broth to keep on hand anytime you cook fresh chicken.
Instant Pot Directions
Prepare your ham and dried beans. Chop the ham into small bite-size pieces if you are using leftover ham. Rinse the dried beans under running water in a colander and drain. Set aside.
Mince the onion and place it into your instant pot. Add the Navy beans and top with the ham.
Now, pour in the broth and water. Add the paprika, salt, pepper, cumin, garlic, and cayenne pepper. Add bay leaves last. You will remove each bay leaf before serving your soup. Stir well to combine all of the yummy ingredients.
Lock the lid and place the valve in the sealed position. Set the instant pot to high pressure for 1 hour and 10 minutes.
Once the instant pot stops counting let it naturally release for 25 minutes then do a quick release of the remaining pressure.
Remove each bay leaf, stir, and serve your hot fresh hearty soup.
Stove Top Instructions
Rinse the dried beans under running water in a colander then drain and set aside.
Mince the onion. Melt the butter on medium heat in your large Dutch oven or large stock pot. Add the minced onion to the melted butter and cook for several minutes stirring often. The onion is ready when it becomes soft and slightly transparent.
Now add the broth and water and bring to a full rolling boil.
Once the liquid reaches a boil, add the remaining ingredients; beans, ham, and spices. Add the Bay leaves last, you will remove those before serving. Give your soup a good stir and simmer on medium-high heat for about two hours or until the beans are tender. Stir occasionally. You can add more broth or water to keep the liquid level about the beans so you will have plenty of rich broth.
White Beans And Ham Soup
Ingredients
- 1 lb diced ham found in the meat department, pre-packaged
- 2 cups dried Great Northern White Beans
- 2 1/3 cups water
- 1 Tbsp. paprika
- 1 tsp. cumin
- 1 1/2 Cups white onion minced
- 1 28 oz. container Vegetable Broth
- 2 Bay leaves
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp. pepper
- 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper optional
- 3 Tbsp. minced garlic optional
- 1 Tbsp. Butter Stove Top recipe only
Instructions
- Rinse the beans in a colander under warm running water
- Mince the onion and place into instant pot.
- Add in rinsed beans and ham. Then pour in vegetable broth and water. Add in paprika, salt, pepper, cumin.
- Add garlic and cayenne pepper if using those. Add bay leaves last. Stir well.
- Lock the lid and place valve in sealed position.
Set to high pressure for 1 hour and 10 minutes. Once the instant pot stops counting let it naturally release for 25 minutes then quick release remaining pressure. - This meal is delicious when served with corn bread. See our Homemade Cornbread recipe right here.
- SEE NOTES for pre-soaking the beans.
STOVE TOP RECIPE
- Rinse the beans in a colander under warm running water
- Melt the butter on medium heat in the Dutch oven
- Mince the onion and place into the melted butter. Cook for several minutes until the onion has softened.
- Add the Vegetable broth and water and bring to a boil.
- Add in rinsed beans and ham. Add in paprika, salt, pepper, cumin.
- Add garlic and cayenne pepper if using those. Add bay leaves last. Stir well.
- Simmer on medium heat for about two hours or until the beans are tender, stirring occasionally.
- Serve with Cornbread
Notes
Nutrition
A nice crusty bread or homemade cornbread is good to serve with this navy bean soup. This is a great soup with so much flavor from the ham and seasonings to serve in the winter but it’s also good anytime of the year.
How to store and heat leftovers
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. Reheat in a saucepan for a hot bowl of savory soup for lunch the next day.
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