Old Fashioned Ham and Bean Soup Recipe (Don’t Forget the Cornbread!)

If you're looking for a delicious soup to make with leftover ham, be sure to check out this old fashioned ham and bean soup recipe – SO good!

Old Fashioned Ham and Bean Soup

 A friend of mine mentioned cooking up some bean soup a few days ago, and I decided I had to try it out!   If you have ham left over from Easter or a ham hock in your freezer, this is a great one to make up.

I ran out to grab the ingredients and was so surprised that this was a very economical meal 🙂

If you're looking for a yummy hearty soup that won't bust your grocery budget, try this one out.   (And it's PERFECT with cornbread too . . . yummmmmm!)

Ham & Bean Soup Ingredients:

• northern beans
• pork hocks or a ham bone
• celery
• onion
• thyme
• salt
• pepper
• bay leaf

How to make Ham & Bean Soup on the stove top:

Start by placing your ham bone or pork in 3 cups of water and add your celery, thyme, salt, pepper, and bay leaf.

Cover and simmer for 45 minutes, then remove from heat.  Take the meat out and let it cool.

Once the bone is cooled from your hock, remove any meat and discard the bone.  Slightly mash the beans in the sauce pan and return the meat to the pan.

Heat through and enjoy!

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Old Fashioned Ham and Bean Soup

Ingredients

• 2 16 oz Northern Beans Canned
• 3 Cups Water
• Smoked Pork Hocks or Meaty Ham Bone Use 1 1/2 smoked pork hocks or 1 1/2 pound ham bone
• 1.5 Cups Celery
• 1 Cup Onion
• 3/4 tsp Thyme
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1/4 tsp Pepper
• 1 Bay Leaf

Instructions

• Place ham bone or pork in 3 cups water.
• Add celery, onion, thyme, salt, pepper and bay leaf.
• Cover & simmer for 45 minutes.
• Remove from heat, take ham or pork out and let cool.
• Once bone is cooled, remove any meat and discard the bone.
• Slightly mash beans in saucepan and return meat to pan.
• Heat through, makes four large servings.

Don't forget to serve this with some homemade cornbread and mustard (that's the BEST way!).

Here's my confession:  we did not return the meat to the pan because it really didn't look all that appetizing to me.  I think leftover ham would be delicious, but I just couldn't put the pork hock meat back in the pan!  If you've ever made bean soup before, what kind of meat do you use and do you include it?  This is a new one for me!

Find more meals to try with leftover ham right over here 🙂