Navy Bean Ham Bone Soup
Nana’s Epic Navy Bean Ham Bone Soup Recipe is a simple, yet utterly rich and savory, ham and bean soup recipe is a great way to use your leftover holiday ham bone or make on a chilly winter day!
Why We Love This Navy Bean Ham Bone Soup Recipe
Growing up with five kids in our family, and a string of tag-along neighborhood friends, my mom (now known as Nana) made a lot of meals that could either be stretched to feed extra guests, or could be eaten as leftovers.
My mom (now known as Nana) had a special gift for using her resources wisely. Nothing went to waste, ever. And one of my favorite childhood meals was Nana’s Epic Navy Bean Ham Bone Soup, i.e. navy bean soup simmered with a leftover ham bone.
Navy bean soup is rich, filling, comforting, and can feed a large crowd on a small budget.
This soup is especially good when you have a leftover ham bone from a holiday meal! Whether it was from Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Easter, this ham bone navy bean soup is perfect as a nourishing meal following the days after a holiday. Today I will show you exactly how to use your leftover ham bone, to make the most of every last bite of flavor your baked ham can offer!
Ingredients You Need
- Dried Navy Beans – or other small white beans like great northern beans or cannellini beans
- Ham Bone + Ham Scraps – or a ham hock
- Olive Oil
- Large Onion – peeled and chopped
- Cloves Garlic –Minced
- Fresh Thyme Leaves – or dried thyme
- Ground Cumin
- Crushed Red Pepper
- Water – or chicken broth, but be sure to use low-sodium
- Salt and Black Pepper
Sometimes Nana (and I) add 2-3 chopped carrots, and 2-3 chopped celery stalks to the soup for additional veggie goodness. They are not necessary ingredients, but add a bit of extra color and nutrients to this navy bean soup recipe! If using, add the carrots and celery when you add the onions.
Pro Tip: If you didn’t have ham for your holiday dinner, you can buy a ham bone from the butcher for next to nothing.
Why should I add a ham bone to soup?
Adding a ham bone to soup is a marvelous way to create a rich depth of flavor, finish off the last scraps of ham left on the bone, and eliminate the need to buy added stock.
A ham bone boiled in water develops a lovely soup base on its own, because the bone itself will add flavor and collagen to the liquid, and the smoked meat will fall off and add salt and a lovely meaty flavor with literally no effort from you!
How to Make Nana’s Epic Navy Bean Ham Bone Soup
Start by soaking dried beans in water overnight to prep them for cooking.
This does take thought to prepare ahead, but it also saves money (on canned beans) reduces sodium, and gives the beans a better texture and consistency.
Place a large 6-quart pot or dutch oven over medium to medium-high heat on the stovetop. Next sauté the ham bone, onions, and garlic in a little oil. This browns the leftover ham and softens and sweetens the aromatics.
Then add in the soaked beans, herbs, spices, and water. Bring the soup to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 60-90 minutes, covered, until the beans are very soft. Uncover and stir occasionally, then place the lid back on top.
Use a fork to pull any remaining ham off the bone and stir it into the soup. Discard the bone. Add 1-2 cups additional water if the soup is too thick. Taste, then salt and pepper as needed.
Serve warm. Garnish with fresh parsley, if desired. You may even want to pair a jalapeno cheddar cornbread with this hearty soup.
Tips & Tricks
- You can add any additional vegetables, herbs, or spices you like to this navy bean soup with ham. Bay leaves would be a good option, or add extra ham scraps you might want to use up.
- If you don’t have time to soak your beans overnight, and you own an electric pressure cooker like an Instant Pot, you can pressure cook the beans instead of soaking them to speed things up.
- Do not add any salt until the soup is fully cooked. Hambones have a lot of salt in them, and it’s easy to overdo it if you salt the soup too early. Taste and adjust accordingly.
Serving Suggestions
A bowl of navy bean ham bone soup is perfectly satisfying on its own, but you can also serve it with some side dishes to make it a more hearty meal! This is a great idea if you are feeding a large crowd. Try pairing it with some of my personal favorites:
See The Recipe Card Below For How To Make Easy Ham and Bean Soup Recipe + Video. Enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
How to Store Navy Bean Soup?
You can freeze Nana’s Epic Soup in an airtight container or freezer bags for later quickie meals.
Even consider pureeing it into incredible bean dip with a blender to eat with tortilla chips.
Can This Be Made With Canned Beans?
You can use canned beans and it will reduce the cooking time, but honestly, it’s best with dried-soaked beans. It takes about 3 of the 15-ounce cans of beans per 1-pound dried beans. Drain the liquid well to reduce the sodium. You can even rinse the beans to make sure you get as much sodium off as possible.
Is There A Crockpot Version Of This Recipe?
You can make this recipe in the crock pot… And you do not need to soak the beans ahead of time! Saute the veggies on the stovetop until tender, then add everything to the slow cooker. Set on low for 10-12 hours, or on high for 5-7 hours. Then serve your slow cooker ham soup warm out of the crock.
Can I Use The Ham Bone More Than Once?
I usually just use a hambone just once. However, I have heard that if there is still meat on the bone and marrow in the center, you can wrap and freeze it for later use. Yet if you’ve “picked the bone dry” in a recipe, throw it out.
What If I Threw My Ham Bone Out?
You could make this with your leftover ham or you could buy a ham bone (or ham hock) from the grocery store. Or, try making my vegetarian navy bean soup recipe instead!
Looking for More Soup Recipes You Will Love? Be Sure to Also Try:
- Portuguese Caldo Verde Recipe
- Creamy Poblano Turkey Soup Recipe
- Slow Cooker Guacamole Soup Recipe
- Simple Egg Drop Soup Recipe
- Spring Pea Wasabi Soup Recipe
- Creamy Chicken Tortellini Soup Recipe
- Navy Bean Vegetarian Soup Recipe
- Rustic Ribollita Recipe (Tuscan White Bean Soup)
- Nana’s Creamy Potato Soup Recipe
- Ham and Potato Soup Recipe by Simply Recipes
Check the printable recipe card below for the nutrition information including calories, protein, fiber, and vitamin percentages.
Navy Bean Ham Bone Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried navy beans
- 1 ham bone + ham scraps
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large onion, peeled and chopped
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1/2-1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 10 cups water
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- The Night Before: Place the dried beans in a large bowl and cover with three inches of water. Soak the dried beans overnight (up to 24 hours) to soften. Drain when ready to use.
- Place a large 6 quart pot over medium heat. Add the oil, ham bone, onions, and garlic. Sauté for 3-5 minutes to soften the onions.
- Then add in the drained beans, thyme, ground cumin, crushed red pepper, 10 cups of water, and any remaining ham scraps. (Do not salt the soup until the end, because ham bones can be very salty.)
- Bring the soup to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 60-90 minutes, covered, until the beans are very soft. Uncover and stir occasionally, then place the lid back on top.
- Use a fork to pull any remaining ham off the bone and stir it into the soup. Discard the bone. Add 1-2 cups additional water if the soup is too thick. Taste, then salt and pepper as needed.
I can’t eat garlic or onion, and this soup was still delicious. Preparing this may become a new holiday tradition as a way to use up the ham hock after Christmas. Thank you!
Can I make this recipe using black beans or pinto beans?
Hi Mary Jane,
Sure you can! I think pinto beans would taste best. :)
I start with dry navy beans without soaking them overnight. Add the beans to a stock pot with enough cold water to cover them well and heat to boiling, then reduce heat to a nice simmer and cover. While the beans are getting happy take the smoked pork hock and cut through the rind. Peel the rind off, trim all the fat possible off the hock, and add it to the beans. Then,with a sharp knife edge scrape all the fat off the inside of the rind and add it to the ham and beans. [the rind is where all that great smoky taste comes from] Continue building your version of the ham ‘n bean soup. When the rind and ham hock bone have done their work, remove them and toss away.
I made this today using cans of Navy and Great Northern Beans, veggie broth instead of water. This will be my NEW Bean Soup for the winter months.. EXCELLENT RECIPE! Thank you Sommer for posting Nana’s recipe.
Cathy
I made this in the crock pot, so easy and so delicious. I would highly recommend for a classic, hearty, filling meal. I literally just put all of the ingredients inside and cooked it on high for five hours and then switched it to low for the last few hours – longer is better. I didn’t soak the beans overnight or sauté my onions and everything came out perfect. I definitely put way more garlic then called for because I’m a huge garlic fan and I also added a baggie full of leftover frozen ham shavings in addition to the ham bone and that really made it hearty and delicious. It was from my honey baked ham so I didn’t add any extra salt it was just perfect. Will be making this every year on Christmas Eve now. So good for the family to snack on for a few days!
This was fantastic! I’ve made this several times, and did make some personal changes this time. I used 3 different cans of beans that I had on-hand (kidney, navy, and a 3-bean). I also added a can of chicken broth and a can of tomato soup in place of 3 cups of water. Added three carrots and some diced up pork. Sautéed the initial items in my Ninja Foodi for about 10 minutes, then pressure-cooked it all on Med/Hi for 50 minutes. EXCELLENT!!!
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This recipe was amazing! I made it exactly as written other than pureeing some of the beans to thicken it up. Next time I think I might bloom the spices when sauteing the onions! Thanks for sharing such a delicious recipe!
I am so happy to see this beautiful old-fashion recipe! It took me back to my childhood growing up in Seattle with wet and cold weather conditions when this soup brought immediate gratification and comfort. Now I live in Calif. and haven’t thought about making a hearty ham and bean soup until NOW. Thank You! This is very economical and nutritious…perfect for today’s times!
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Excellent! I used Great Northern beans and 8 cups of low sodium chicken stock and the salt content and flavor was perfect! I added maybe 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of the crushed red pepper- not too hot, just enough to not be over powering. This one’s a keeper.
If crushed red pepper is too much, try Aleppo pepper (I get mine from Spice House). They impart a lesser heat and also a nice fruity undertone. I’ve given up red pepper flakes and exclusively use Aleppo now, even on pizza!
Per the recipe, soup was like water. I suggest blending 3/4 of the beans to make it somewhat thick…I also added flour bc it was so thin. Just water doesn’t have enough flavor; I used chicken broth and it was better. Not my favorite.
I use chicken broth also makes a world of difference on the taste
Just made this! My beans are dry and soup isn’t thick. Did I do something wrong? The taste is great though. I was going to give this 4 stars but I can’t not knowing if I did something. Maybe not cooked long enough? I simmered it for 1-1/2 hrs
Have made this receipe many times as it is my go to favorite…..I add fresh minced carrots and celery to give it a little more depth of flavor—but it is still excellent without!! Just before serving, I like to add a little corn starch to thicken so lightly and give the liquid a more “milky” texture….(this will happen naturally depending upon how long you store it before eating)……love this soup.!
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This is the first recipe that I came across for this soup. I’d have to say that’s going to be the last recipe that ai look for. I made this the first time and fell in love. To my surprise, my fiance was a huge fan as well and he isn’t on that cares much for any bean. Tonight, I’m making this soup again because we can’t get enough of it’s delicious taste. It’s so hearty, do delicious, and it leaves you satisfied in every way. It’s also super simple to make!
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I made this recipe with a honey baked ham bone yesterday. It was the perfect balance of sweet and savory. I will definitely put this down as one of my favorites!!