Stovetop Ham & Bean Soup
If you’re using a ham hock with ham meat, you don’t have to add the additional cooked diced ham. We used a ham bone that didn't have much meat, so we added the extra diced ham. The saltiness of the broth will vary greatly depending on how well seasoned your chicken broth is and if the ham is salted. Make sure to taste the broth after cooking and adjust seasoning accordingly. Feel free to add more beans if desired. If you love beans, you can easily double the amount of beans in the recipe.
Servings: 10 servings
Calories: 102kcal
Ingredients
- 1 large (1 large) ham bone or ham hock
- 1 1/2 cups (170 g) cooked diced ham *see head note
- 1 Tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil
- 1 onion , diced
- 3 cloves garlic , minced
- 7 cups (1.66 L) chicken broth
- 15 oz. (425 g) canned white beans , drained, or more if desired
- 2-3 large celery stalks , diced
- 2-3 large carrots , peeled and diced
- 2 teaspoons (10 ml) Worcestershire sauce
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) dried thyme or dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) ground cumin (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) kosher salt , or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) fresh cracked black pepper , or to taste
- 1 cup (240 ml) chopped kale or cabbage , optional
- minced parsley for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Heat a large stock pot over medium heat. Add the oil, and when heated, add the onions & garlic. Cook for about 1 minute or until softened and lightly browned.
- Add the ham bone, diced ham, broth, beans, celery, carrots, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaf, thyme, optional ground cumin, salt and pepper. Heat to a gentle simmer.
- Simmer for 30-40 minutes, depending on how tender you like your veggies and how rich you prefer your broth.
- Remove ham bones and any excess fatty chunks and pull off any ham meat and cut into small pieces. Add the chopped ham back into the soup. If you want a thicker soup, mash a few of the beans in the soup. Give the soup a good stir and add additional salt and paper, to taste.
- If desired when serving, add the optional chopped kale or cabbage to the soup. Garnish with minced parsley (optional). Serve warm.
Nutrition
Calories: 102kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 982mg | Potassium: 481mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 2463IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 58mg | Iron: 2mg