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The ham and bean soup image served in a white bowl with a light blue rim set on a teal linen with sliced bread and lime wedges in the background.
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Ham and Bean Soup

This easy ham and bean soup is loaded with vegetables, white beans, and ham. It’s made with a combination of fresh and pantry ingredients that cut down on the prep work and cooking time so you can get a delicious soup on the table, even on a busy weeknight.
Course Soup
Cuisine American
Keyword leftover ham recipes
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings 6
Calories 436kcal
Author Elizabeth

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
  • 1 Medium Onion finely diced
  • 2 Medium Carrots diced or cut into rounds or half rounds (use only one if it is large)
  • 1 Celery rib diced or sliced
  • 3-4 Garlic Cloves minced
  • ½ teaspoon Salt plus extra at the end if needed
  • ¼ teaspoon Dried Rosemary
  • ¼ teaspoon Dried Thyme
  • ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
  • 6 cups Chicken Broth
  • 12-14 ounces Ham cut into bite sized cubes or roughly chopped
  • 12 ounces Potatoes cut into small pieces (we used a small red potatoes)
  • 2 (14 ounce) cans Cannellini Beans (also called white kidney beans), drained and rinsed
  • 1 cup Frozen Peas thawed (cook to package directions but use only a fraction of the time, just enough to defrost)

Instructions

  • Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy pot. When the oil is hot but not smoking, add the onions, carrots, and celery. Cook the vegetables for 3-4 minutes, stir often.
  • Add the garlic, salt, thyme, rosemary, and black pepper. Cook for 1 minute, stir frequently.
  • Add the chicken broth and stir well. Raise the heat to medium-high and bring the broth to a boil (it will take about 4-5 minutes to start to boil).
  • Then, lower the heat to medium-low, cover the pot and simmer the broth for 15 minutes.
  • Next, add the ham, beans, and potatoes. Stir well. Raise the heat to bring the liquid back to a simmer (will take about 4-5 minutes). Lower the heat, cover the pot, and cook the ham bean soup for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Keep it at a simmer. If it is boiling too vigorously, lower the heat a bit.
  • Finally, add the defrosted peas, cover, and cook an additional 5 minutes until the potatoes are tender and the peas are heated through.
  • Taste and add salt, if needed. As a reference we added ½ teaspoon to ours.
  • Serve with lime wedges and crusty bread, if desired.

Notes

If you are sensitive to salt, use reduced sodium ingredients like reduced sodium broth, beans, and ham. You can always add salt at the end if needed.

Nutrition

Calories: 436kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 46mg | Sodium: 1890mg | Potassium: 1311mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 3623IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 148mg | Iron: 6mg