Ham Bone Soup

Ham bone soup is pure comfort in a bowl. Tender beans simmered with smoked ham hocks create a rich and meaty soup that just beckons for crusty bread. It’s one of the most filling homemade soup recipes, and one of our favorite leftover ham recipes after the holidays.

Like many soul-warming soups, it’s easy to adapt this recipe to your tastes. You can make ham bone soup in a Dutch oven on the stove or in the slow cooker. You can use dried or canned beans, or simmer a ham bone instead of ham hocks. You can even add some greens for extra nutrition! Any way you prepare it, you’ll get a few extra meals for the week (or even longer if you freeze it).

Ham Bone Soup Ingredients

• Beans: This soup recipe calls for navy beans, which are small white beans with a mild, nutty flavor. Great northern beans or cannellini beans can be used in place of navy beans.
• Smoked ham hocks: Ham hocks, or pork knuckles, are the joints between a pig’s foot and leg. You can purchase ham hocks from your local butcher or at the meat counter at the grocery store. Smoked ham hocks will provide more flavor than fresh ham hocks. You can also substitute any ham bone for the ham hocks.
• Vegetables: The classic combination of onion, carrot and celery adds flavor and color to the soup.
• Seasonings: Bay leaves, thyme and pepper round out the flavor profile of the soup. If you prefer to use fresh herbs, substitute 1 tablespoon fresh thyme for 1 teaspoon dried thyme.

Directions

Step 1: Cook the beans

TASTE OF HOME

Place the beans in a Dutch oven, and add water to cover them by 2 inches. Bring the water to a boil, and boil the beans for two minutes. Remove the pot from the heat. Cover the pot and let it stand for one to four hours or until the beans have softened. Drain and rinse the beans, and discard the liquid.

Editor’s Tip: This step is called a quick soak for dried beans, which means no soaking beans overnight. Soaking the beans a little before making ham bone bean soup ensures a soft, tender bean.

Step 2: Simmer the beans with the ham hocks

TASTE OF HOME

In the same Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and celery. Cook and stir until they’re crisp-tender, three to five minutes.

TASTE OF HOME

Stir in the softened beans, water, carrot, bay leaves, thyme and pepper.

TASTE OF HOME

Add the ham hocks, and bring everything to a boil. Reduce the heat. Cover and simmer the soup for 1 hour and 15 minutes to 1 hour and 30 minutes or until the beans are tender.

Step 3: Finish the soup

TASTE OF HOME

To finish the soup, discard the bay leaves. Remove the ham hocks, and set them aside until they’re cool enough to handle. Remove the ham from the bones, and cut it into cubes. Discard the bones.

TASTE OF HOME

Return the ham from the ham hocks to the soup. Stir in the cubed ham and salt. Heat the ham through and serve the soup.

TASTE OF HOME

Recipe Variations

• Use your slow cooker: To make this a slow-cooker soup, skip the bean soaking. In a pan on the stove, saute the onion and celery in the oil, then add to a slow cooker. Add the dried beans and all the remaining soup ingredients except the cubed ham. Cook until the beans are tender, on high for five to six hours or on low for eight hours. Remove the ham hocks, and cut the meat from the bones. Return the meat to the soup, along with the cubed ham. Cook for 20 minutes, then add the salt.
• Mix up the beans: You can use a mix of dried white beans or a 15-bean soup mix instead of navy beans for this soup.
• Add some greens: Just before serving, stir in 2 cups chopped kale or Swiss chard leaves, and simmer in the soup until wilted down.

How to Store Ham Bone Soup

Store ham bone soup in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator up to five days. It can also be frozen in a freezer-safe container for up to three months.

Ham Bone Soup Tips

TASTE OF HOME

Can you use canned beans instead of dried beans?

Yes, you can use canned beans in place of dried beans for this soup. However, since they’re already cooked, it’s best to add them in the last 30 minutes of simmering the soup. If overcooked, the beans won’t retain their shape and will become mushy. If you generally prefer to use canned beans over dried, try more of our canned bean recipes.

What can you use instead of ham hocks in ham bone soup?

If you don’t have ham hocks, use a ham bone from a holiday ham for ham bone soup. If the ham bone is pretty meaty, feel free to leave out the 2 cups cubed ham. Instead, remove the ham from the bone after cooking, shred or dice it, and return it to the soup.

How can you thicken old-fashioned ham and bean soup?

The beans will naturally thicken the soup. If using canned beans, consider pureeing one-third of the beans before adding them to the soup for a thicker texture.