Ham and Bean Soup Recipe with Leftover Ham

This ham and bean soup recipe uses up leftover ham from your fridge or freezer, and makes a quick and easy soup dinner everyone will love!

WHAT TO DO WITH LEFTOVER HAM

When winter is dragging on, and the entire household seems like they have the sniffles, I pull out my stockpot and make soup. (And of course take a dose of that flu fighting Elderberry Syrup!)

Broth soups are so easy to throw together, I tend to rely on them a lot. Lately, one of my favorites is a leftover ham and bean soup recipe that uses up both extra ham I have in the freezer and those endless cans of beans I got on sale at some point.

One of the other things I love about this soup is the unassuming texture but rich flavor. While kids can shy away from soups with a lot of textures they have to decipher, I find that even really suspicious eaters will give this one a try.

As you might guess, my love for ham brings this one to the top of my mind a lot. For those less ham-obsessed, it’s a delicious leftover holiday ham recipe. So, pull out your pot, and take this leftover ham and bean soup recipe for a spin!

HAM RECIPES

Need a ham recipe that will leave you with some wonderful leftover ham? Honey Baked Ham in the Crockpot and 3 Ingredient Pressure Cooker Ham are two of our favorites.

 

 

HOW TO MAKE HAM AND BEAN SOUP

• Empty one can of drained and rinsed Great Northern beans into a large bowl or flat baking dish.  Mash the beans with the back of a fork or a potato masher.  Set aside.
• Heat a large saucepan or stockpot over medium high heat while you chop the garlic, carrots, and onion.
• Melt the butter into the pan and immediately add the chopped onion, and carrot. Once the onion has started to soften, add the garlic.
• Let these sauté in butter until the onions are translucent and the carrots have started to soften.  Make sure to move on to the next step before the garlic starts to brown.
• When the veggies are ready, stir in water, ham, thyme, salt and pepper, and one can of whole along with the mashed Great Northern beans.  Stir gently to combine – you want the non-mashed beans to retain their shape in the final soup.
• Once the soup is heated through, ladle into dishes and call the crowd to the table!

TIPS FOR MAKING HAM AND BEAN SOUP

• Don’t feel limited by the Great Northern Beans, use whatever white beans you have on hand.
• In a hurry? You can substitute canned or frozen carrots for fresh – as they’re precooked, so you don’t have to wait for them to soften in the pan!
• If you’re going for a quick dinner with fresh carrots, give the carrots a few extra minutes on the sauté to be sure they’re soft when you serve the soup.
• To have the flavors meld and deepen even more, you can let the soup simmer on the stove for about 20 – 30 minutes.  If you do this, move on from sautéing when the carrots are still somewhat firm. They’ll continue cooking while the soup simmers.
• If you’re a thyme lover, I like to sprinkle a few leaves of fresh thyme on the top if I have them in the fridge or in my herb garden.  The bright flavor works well with the more mellow dried thyme and adds lovely green to the top of the bowl.  Fresh parsley works well too!

HAM AND BEAN SOUP SUPPLIES

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HOW TO SERVE HAM AND BEAN SOUP

Of course, some of us can’t have soup without lovely crusty bread.  I try to choose a day-old loaf (they’re cheaper) because the slightly drier bread is perfect for absorbing broth.  If it’s a fresh baguette, I turn it into crunchy 10 minute Parmesan Cheese Bread.

You can also try changing this up by serving it as an open-faced sandwich.  Start with a piece of your favorite flat toasted bread – I love this with hearty whole wheat bread.  Spoon soup over the toast and go at it with a knife and fork.

If you’re watching calories and carbs, this ham and bean soup also pairs well with green salads topped with a tangy vinaigrette recipe, or a simple vegetable side dish like pickled asparagus.

Once you give this ham and bean soup recipe a try, I think you’ll be coming back to it again and again.  You just can’t go wrong with a quick and easy soup dinner everyone will love!

PIN TO SAVE HAM AND BEAN SOUP FOR LATER