This flavorful homemade rosemary ham and bean soup recipe is a hearty soup that will warm you up on a cold day! Made with dried beans, fresh herbs, and a ham bone, every bite of this comforting soup is packed with flavor. Don’t forget a piece of my crusty beer bread to serve on the side
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Test Kitchen Review
Why You’ll Love This Ham and Bean Soup Recipe
When the weather is cooler, there aren’t many recipes I love more than a cozy, savory, stick-to-your-ribs ham and bean soup. I recently cooked a spiral ham not too long ago, and I saved the ham bone just to make this comforting ham and bean soup again. Here’s why I think this will be one of your favorite soups to make all season long:
- Full of flavor. Fresh rosemary, fresh thyme, savory garlic, and the simple combo of salt and pepper make every spoonful of this soup a delight.
- Easy. Don’t let the cook time on this recipe scare you off – it’s so easy to make! Really, all that’s required of you is some occasional stirring and 5 minutes of prep work.
- Perfect for make ahead meals. This ham and bean soup stores so well – you can make it and eat it all week for lunch, a couple of dinners, etc.!
If you’d rather make ham and bean soup in the slow cooker, I have an easy recipe for that as well!
Key Ingredients
Below you will find helpful notes for key ingredients used to make this recipe for ham and bean soup with ham bone. Scroll down to the recipe card below for the full ingredient list and exact amounts!
- Beans: I used a combination of dried Great Northern White Beans and navy beans for this soup recipe. However, any buttery white bean, like cannellini beans – also known as white kidney beans – will work! This particular soup recipe will not work with canned beans, as they’ll overcook and become mushy.
- Aromatics: Toss in some freshly minced garlic, as well as diced yellow onion and celery for flavor.
- Ham and/or Ham Bone: A nice, meaty ham bone gives this soup loads of delicious flavor. Not to mention, the meatier the bone, the more small pieces of leftover ham that can find their way into the soup! Alternatively, you can use ham shanks or ham hocks for the smokiness.
- Herbs: Keep it simple with freshly minced rosemary and thyme.
How to Make Ham and Bean Soup with Ham Bone
It may take a while to come together, but this ham and bean soup recipe could not be easier to make. You just have to be patient, and you will be rewarded! Below is a quick recipe overview, but please scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for full instructions.
- Bring to a boil. Prepare the beans for soaking by bringing them to a boil in hot water.
- Soak the beans. Remove them from the heat and leave them to soak, covered, for an hour before rinsing and setting them aside.
- Sauté the aromatics. In a large pot, sauté the onion, celery, and garlic.
- Combine and cook. Add in the ham bone and pre-soaked beans, along with the water. Bring everything to a boil, cover the pot, reduce the heat, and then simmer the soup for at least an hour, or until the beans are tender.
- Season the soup. Toss in the herbs, salt and pepper, and the additional chopped ham if you’re including it. Continue to let the soup cook for another half hour or so. Once the soup is finished cooking, discard the ham bone, serve and enjoy!
How Do I Thicken My Ham and Bean Soup?
If you’re after a thicker and creamier soup, one trick is to puree or mash some of the beans as the soup nears the end of its cooking time. An immersion blender works great for this, otherwise use a potato masher. Just be careful not to over-blend the ingredients!
Another option is to leave the soup to simmer with the lid off for a while longer, to help the liquid reduce. This will thicken the broth and also intensify the flavors.
Chefs Tips and Variation Ideas
- Substitutions for a ham bone. If you don’t have a ham bone, a ham hock or ham shank are the next best substitutes (as mentioned earlier). If none of these options are available, you can also use a few strips or rashers of uncooked smoky bacon to flavor the broth instead.
- Add veggies. Add in your favorite veggies towards the end of the cooking time for extra nutrition. Good options are kale, spinach, cabbage, peas, carrots, and zucchini.
- Make it spicy. Throw in a dash or two of hot sauce, or sprinkle in chili flakes for a hint of heat.
- Use different herbs. In addition to rosemary and thyme, you can include other fresh herbs like basil and oregano, or chives.
What To Serve With Ham and Bean Soup
- Bread: A nice piece of cheddar jalapeño cornbread is perfect with a bowl of this soup! These buttermilk biscuits would be great, too.
- Sandwiches: Adding a gooey grilled cheese sandwich into the mix makes this the best soup-and-sandwich combo.
- Salad: Or, keep it light and pair your ham and bean soup with a healthy salad. This Greek salad would be just right!
Rosemary Ham and Bean Soup with Ham Bone
Ingredients
- 1 pound Great Northern White Beans
- 1 pound navy beans
- Water for soaking
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 large garlic cloves, minced
- 1 large yellow sweet onion, diced
- 1 cup celery, diced
- 12 cups water
- 1 ham bone
- 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme, minced
- 1 heaping cup chopped ham, optional
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1-2 teaspoons freshly ground back pepper, to taste
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Instructions
- Rinse and sort beans in a large pot. Add 16 cups hot water. Bring to a rapid boil, and boil for 2 minutes. Immediately remove from heat, cover and let stand 1 hour. Then drain and rinse beans, set aside.
- In a large stockpot (I used a 12 quart stock pot) over medium high heat, melt butter. Add garlic, then cook for 30 seconds. Add onion and celery, cook till beginning to soften.
- Add 12 cups water, ham bone and pre-soaked beans. Bring to boil and cover, reduce the heat to low and cook for 1 1/2 hours or until the beans are tender.
- Add rosemary, chopped ham, salt, and pepper. Cook uncovered for 30 minutes.
- Remove ham bone and discard. Serve hot with a hunk of warm French bread or better yet, our favorite beer bread!
Notes
Nutrition
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Could this be made in a slow cooker? If so what modifications would be suggested to do so?
This looks delicious! So hearty and comforting – perfect for winter!
Do you think this will work for beans soaked overnight?
Yes! Beans soaked overnight work just the same!
Made this last night with my leftover ham bone from Christmas. It was delicious. Thank you!
So excited to make this soup! One of my top faves!
Wow, those are some super sugary-sounding hams. I prefer my sugar in cookie form! 🙂 That said, a good ham & bean soup is definitely one of the best possible winter dinners. So warm and hearty!
I always save the bone after my husband eats all the ham. Usually I make split pea soup, but this looks like a fantastic alternative. Thanks!
Love me some ham, and rosemary is my fav herb !
We are having ham for Christmas and I am looking forward to the bean soup afterwards. Will try your recipe with the rosemary. I have tons of it growing outside and love to go out and clip fresh herbs when I am cooking.