Cooking a ham bone for bean soup

You can use up your leftover hambone to make this cozy, hearty soup loaded with tons of veggies and chunks of sweet ham!

For those of you who made a ham for Christmas yesterday, I highly suggest saving the bone so you can make this ultimate hambone soup.

I first made this soup two years ago and I was so amazed as to how you could actually use the hambone. In the previous years, I would toss them in the trash but the leftover hambone is actually quite a gold mine.

With a simple homemade ham stock, you could create such a cozy, hearty soup with ingredients you already have on hand.

Once you let the flavors meld together, this soup is wonderfully sweet and comforting with chunks of ham in every bite!

Leftover Hambone Soup

Yield: 8 servings

Prep: 15 minutes

Cook: 1 hour

Total: 1 hour 15 minutes

Use up your leftover hambone to make this cozy, hearty soup loaded with tons of veggies and chunks of sweet ham!

4.9 stars (131 ratings)

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Ingredients

• 1 leftover hambone
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 carrots, peeled and diced
• 1 russet potato, peeled and diced
• 1 cup canned white kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• ¾ cup frozen corn kernels
• ¾ teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
• 2 bay leaves
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 ½ cups leftover diced ham

Instructions

• Place leftover hambone in a large stockpot or Dutch oven and add enough water to cover the bone halfway, about 6-7 cups. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 10-12 minutes. Stir in ham until heated through, about 1-2 minutes.

  This old fashioned ham and beans recipe pairs tender white beans with smoky ham for true, homemade comfort. It’s an easy, delicious way to use leftover holiday ham.

  

  After you’ve made a tasty, gorgeous spiral ham, the next question is: what will you do with the bone? This slow cooker ham and bean soup will make the most of the ham bone and any ham leftovers.

  Ham and beans are often called ham and bean soup or navy bean soup. The reason this soup is so popular is because it's absolutely divine! When you slow cook a leftover spiral ham bone with white beans, it unlocks so much flavor – it's smoky, savory, and even has a touch of sweetness.

  The best part, it only takes a few steps to make this hearty, budget-friendly ham and bean soup. Your whole family will thank you.

  Table of Contents hide

  1) Ingredient notes

  2) How long can you keep a ham bone to make soup?

  3) How to make ham and bean soup

  4) Recipe tips

  5) What to serve with ham and bean soup

  6) How to store and reheat leftovers

  7) Can this recipe be frozen?

  8) More soup recipes

  9) Ham and Bean Soup

  Ingredient notes

  This is the best ham and bean soup for any cooking level because it’s just so simple. Here’s what you’ll need to make it. Ingredient amounts are in the recipe card below.

  • dried navy beans - Or small white beans or great northern beans.
  • ham bone with meat – I used the bone from my orange glazed spiral ham but a smoked ham hock from any grocery store will work too. You can even use chopped ham from deli meat.
  • onion - Any large onion will work with ham and bean soup.
  • celery - This adds a nice texture and flavor to this classic recipe.
  • garlic - I prefer to use fresh garlic, but granulated would work too.
  • thyme - Dried or fresh thyme.
  • sea salt and black pepper
  • water - You can use broth, but the bone flavors the water so nicely after a long, slow cook. So, save your money and keep this one budget friendly.
  • carrots - These go in during the last hour to prevent overcooking.
  

  How long can you keep a ham bone to make soup?

  A cooked ham bone will last up to a week in the refrigerator, or it can be frozen for several months. So don’t worry, you can relax the day after your holiday instead of spending it making soup.

  If you're looking for more ways to use leftover ham, be sure to check out my Ham and Pea Pasta recipe, too!

  Do you need to soak navy beans before cooking?

  Soaking navy beans for ham and bean soup is optional, however doing so greatly reduces the cook time. I did a side-by-side slow cooker test and found that the overnight-soaked navy beans slow cooked perfectly in 6 hours. The unsoaked beans took closer to 9 hours in the slow cooker. So, that's a pretty big difference to take note of when you're planning your soup strategy.

  

  How long should you soak navy beans before cooking? 

  I prefer to soak navy beans 8 - 12 hours. To soak beans, first rinse and drain them. Then, place in a large bowl or pot and add enough water to cover the beans by 4 inches because they will double in size. You can refrigerate, or not, during the soaking process. Once beans are soaked, rinse, drain, and they're ready to cook.

  What can I use instead of a bone?

  If you don’t have a leftover bone to make this recipe, you can use smoked ham hocks instead. They're usually available year-round at most grocery stores in the meat department. You'll want to add chopped ham steak or deli ham to your soup near the end because ham hocks have very little ham on them.

  How to make ham and bean soup

  Here are instructions to make ham and beans in the slow cooker or stove.

  Slow cooker ham and bean soup

  Start the soup. Add the beans, bone, onion, celery, garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper to the slow cooker. Add enough water or broth to cover the ingredients by at least an inch. Cook on low 6 hours (for soaked beans) or 9 hours (for unsoaked beans).

  
  

  Add the carrots. At the 5 hour mark, stir in the carrots. Continue to cook the soup until the beans are tender.

  

  Finish. Remove the bone from the cooker. Cut off the ham, chop it, and add it back to the beans before serving, discarding the gristle and bone. I was shocked by how much ham we were able to get from the bone – it was plenty!

  

  To make ham and bean soup on the stove

  Sauté the vegetables. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a 4-quart soup pot over medium high heat. Add the onions, celery, and garlic; sauté until they're tender.

  Bring to a boil. Add the beans, bone, thyme, salt, pepper, and 6 cups of water to the pot. Bring the mixture to a boil.

  Simmer. Once the soup has come to a boil, cover it with a loose fitting lid and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for 2 to 3 hours, stirring occasionally and adding more water as needed.

  Add the carrots. Stir in the carrots during the last 20 to 30 minutes of simmering.

  Finish. Once the beans and carrots are tender, remove the bone from the pot. Cut off the meat, shred it, and add it back to the soup. Discard the gristle and bone before serving. 

  Recipe tips

  Here are a few additional pointers for perfect ham and bean soup.

  • About the beans. I like using navy beans because of their size and relatively quick cooking time. Cannellini, great northern, or small white beans can be used too.
  • Not enough leftover meat? If you have a bone without any (or much) meat on it, you can still use it to make ham and bean soup. Additional ham, even deli ham, can be added at any point during the cooking time.
  • Water vs. broth. Some recipes for ham and beans call for chicken broth. I find that the bone adds more than enough flavor, which is why I use water. You're welcome to use any broth, or even turkey stock, if that interests you.
  • Ham and bean soup will naturally thicken once it cools down from initial cooking. It will loosen up during reheat, but if you want it less thick after that, you can always add more broth.
  

  What to serve with ham and bean soup

  I'm always up for a nosh of homemade French bread with ham and bean soup. I'll take it straight from the loaf or toasted and slathered with melted butter. The sweetness of cranberry walnut bread also complements the savory ham in the soup. Cornbread or cornbread muffins are always welcome and, if I'm honest, a first choice. It's so Southern and so crave worthy!

  How to store and reheat leftovers

  Allow ham and beans to cool, then transfer to an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator up to 5 days and reheat via microwave or stove.

  Can this recipe be frozen?

  Ham and bean soup is a great recipe for freezing! Allow it to cool, transfer to an airtight container or freezer bag, and freeze it up to 3 months. Let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight and reheat on the stove or in the microwave.

  More soup recipes

  • Crockpot Chicken Vegetable Soup
  • Italian Stuffed Pepper Soup
  • Untuffed Cabbage Roll Soup
  • Minestrone Soup Recipe
  • Zuppa Toscana
  

  Ham and Bean Soup

  Old-fashioned ham and beans recipe made with navy beans and smoked ham using a crockpot or stove for true, homemade comfort. Ham & bean soup is an easy, delicious way to use leftover holiday ham or smoked ham hock.

  5 from 52 votes

  Print Pin

  Prep: 5 minutes

  Cook: 6 hours

  Total Time: 6 hours

  Yield: 10 cups

  Author: Traci The Kitchen Girl

  INGREDIENTS 1x2x3x

  • ▢1 (16-oz bag) Dried Navy Beans, about 2 ½ cups, sorted and rinsed
  • ▢1 Ham Bone, or smoked ham hock
  • ▢½ large Onion, diced (1 cup)
  • ▢1 large Celery Rib, diced (1 cup)
  • ▢5 cloves Garlic, minced
  • ▢1 teaspoon Dried Thyme, or 3 fresh sprigs
  • ▢1 teaspoon Sea Salt, or to taste
  • ▢½ teaspoon Black Pepper
  • ▢6 cups Water
  • ▢1 large Carrot, diced (1 cup)

  Instructions 

  Crockpot Instructions (see stove instructions below)

  • Add NAVY BEANS, BONE, ONION, CELERY, GARLIC, THYME, SALT, and BLACK PEPPER to a crock pot.

  • Add enough WATER to cover the beans by 1 inch.

  • Set the slow cooker on low for 5 hours. *see recipe footnote about unsoaked beans.

  • At around the 5 hour mark, stir in CARROTS, cover the slow cooker, and continue cooking until beans and carrots soften to your liking.

  • Transfer bone out of the pot. Remove ham, shred, and add back to the beans. Discard all gristle and bone before serving.

  RECIPE VIDEO

  Tried this recipe? I'd love your review!Visit the comments below and tell me how it went.

  Traci's Recipe Notes

  Stove instructions for ham and bean soup

  1. Heat 2 tablespoons OLIVE OIL in a 4-quart soup pot over medium-high heat.
  2. Add ONIONS, CELERY, and GARLIC. Saute until tender, stirring as needed.
  3. Add NAVY BEANS (soaked or dry), HAM BONE, THYME, SALT, PEPPER, and 6 cups WATER to the pot.
  4. Bring soup to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 2-3 hours (see reference below) covered with a loose-fitting lid. Note: Add water as needed to keep the liquid line right above the beans to prevent uneven cooking.
  5. Add CARROTS 20-30 minutes before serving and continue cooking, stirring as needed
  6. Continue with step #5 above.
  Cook times for soaked or unsoaked beans
  
  • Low heat Crockpot for soaked beans = 6 hours
  • Low heat Crockpot for unsoaked beans = 9 hours
  • Stove simmer for soaked beans = 2 hours
  • Stove simmer for unsoaked beans = 3+ hours

  Equipment

  • ▢

    chef's knife

  • ▢

    cutting board

  • ▢

    5 quart slow cooker or 4 quart soup pot

  • ▢

    tongs

  • ▢

    stirring utensil

  NUTRITION

  Serving: 1cup | Calories: 163kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 254mg | Potassium: 603mg | Fiber: 12g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 2061IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 83mg | Iron: 3mg

  Nutrition data provided as courtesy estimates using unbranded ingredients from a nutrition database. Please consult preferred resource for precise data.

  How long does it take to boil the meat off a ham bone?

  Place leftover hambone in a large stockpot or Dutch oven and add enough water to cover the bone halfway, about 6-7 cups. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until very fragrant, about 30 minutes to 1 hour; set aside ham stock and discard hambone.

  How do you use a ham bone?

  Just like a spent turkey or chicken carcass, a ham bone can form the base of a super flavorful stock. Just simmer it in water with herbs and vegetables for a couple of hours then strain and cool the liquid. Keep it in the fridge to use it over the next few days or store it in the freezer for later use.

  Is ham bone good for bone broth?

  A new study has shown that Bone Broth made from dry-cured ham bones may be beneficial for cardiovascular health because ham bones contain peptides that could have cardioprotective effects. The study has been published in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry.

  How long can you keep a ham bone for soup?

  How long is ham bone good for? Don't just throw the bone from your spiral sliced ham away. It's great for soup and ham broth. You can keep the ham bone in the fridge for 5 days.