Ham and bean soup

Ohhh yeah—ham and bean soup is pure comfort 🥣 smoky, cozy, fills the house with the best smell.

🍖 Ham & Bean Soup (Classic)

Ingredients

• 1 lb dried white beans (navy or great northern)
• 1 ham hock or 2 cups diced ham
• 1 tbsp oil or butter
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 carrots, sliced
• 2 celery stalks, sliced
• 2–3 cloves garlic, minced
• 6–8 cups chicken broth (or water)
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp black pepper
• Optional: thyme, smoked paprika, red pepper flakes
• Salt (add at the end)

Instructions

1. Soak the beans
   Rinse beans and soak overnight in cold water. Drain.
   (Quick soak: boil 2 min, cover 1 hour, drain.)
2. Build the base
   In a large pot, heat oil. Sauté onion, carrots, and celery until soft (5–7 min). Add garlic and cook 30 seconds.
3. Simmer
   Add beans, ham hock (or diced ham), broth, bay leaf, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer.
4. Cook low & slow
   Simmer uncovered 1½–2 hours, stirring occasionally, until beans are tender.
5. Finish
   Remove ham hock, shred meat, discard bone/fat, return meat to pot.
   Taste and salt at the end.
6. Serve
   Hot, with cornbread or crusty bread. Even better the next day.

Pro tips

• Don’t rush the beans—slow simmer = creamy texture
• If soup’s too thick, add broth; too thin, simmer uncovered longer
• Splash of apple cider vinegar at the end wakes everything up ✨

Want a slow cooker, Instant Pot, or extra-southern version with greens or cornbread crumbles?