Bean Soup with Smoked Ham (Print Version)

A comforting blend of beans, smoked ham, and potatoes simmered for rich flavor.

# What You'll Need:

→ Meats

01 - 8.8 oz smoked ham, diced

→ Beans & Legumes

02 - 14 oz cooked white beans (cannellini or navy beans), drained and rinsed

→ Vegetables

03 - 3 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
04 - 2 medium carrots, diced
05 - 2 celery stalks, diced
06 - 1 large onion, finely chopped
07 - 2 cloves garlic, minced

→ Liquids

08 - 6 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth

→ Herbs & Spices

09 - 2 bay leaves
10 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme
11 - 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
12 - Salt to taste

→ Fats

13 - 2 tablespoons olive oil

→ Garnish

14 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

# Cooking Steps:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, and celery. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables begin to soften.
02 - Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Stir in diced smoked ham and cook for 3 to 4 minutes to release its smoky flavor.
04 - Add potatoes, beans, bay leaves, thyme, black pepper, and broth. Stir well to combine.
05 - Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 1 hour or until potatoes are tender and flavors have melded.
06 - Remove bay leaves. Taste and adjust salt as needed.
07 - Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with fresh parsley if desired. Serve hot.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes like someone's been simmering it for hours, but you're really done in about ninety minutes total.
  • One pot, minimal cleanup, and leftovers that somehow taste even better the next day.
  • The kind of meal that turns a gray afternoon into something genuinely comforting.
02 -
  • Don't skip draining and rinsing canned beans—the cloudy liquid can make your soup look murky and feel starchy rather than clean and brothy.
  • Smoked ham varies wildly in saltiness, so taste before adding extra salt; I once made this soup with an extra salty ham and had to add more broth to rescue it.
03 -
  • Dice everything to roughly the same size so everything cooks evenly and the soup feels purposeful rather than haphazard.
  • If you have a ham bone lying around, simmer it with the broth and you'll taste the difference immediately—it's worth planning ahead for.
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