Name: Ham and Bean Soup
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 3 h
Total time: 3 h 20 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 pound dried navy beans, sorted and rinsed; 1 smoked ham hock; 1 medium onion, diced; 3 large celery ribs, diced; 2 large carrots, peeled and diced; 4 cloves garlic, minced; 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves; ½ teaspoon black pepper, plus more to taste; 6 cups water or low-sodium chicken broth, plus more as needed; 1 fully cooked ham steak, bone removed and meat cut into small cubes; Up to 1 teaspoon kosher salt, to taste

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Ham and bean soup with navy beans, diced ham, carrots and celery in a white bowl, with a spoonful lifted.

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This ham and bean soup combines dried navy beans, a smoked ham hock, diced ham, carrots, celery and thyme in a creamy broth thickened with the beans themselves. It makes about 8 servings, with 20 minutes of prep and 2-3 hours of gentle stovetop cooking. Optional soaking and a Beautiful multi-cooker method give you two ways to plan the pot.

The hock flavors the broth while the beans soften; the fully cooked ham steak goes in near the end. A few mashed beans give the soup body without cream. Add a pan of Southern Buttermilk Cornbread, and supper is well underway.

Dried navy beans, smoked ham hock, onion, celery, carrots, garlic, thyme, pepper, water, cooked ham steak and salt.

Ingredients You'll Need

Dried navy beans: sort and rinse before cooking.
Smoked ham hock: flavors the broth as it simmers.
Onion: diced.
Celery: diced.
Carrots: peeled and diced; add later so they stay tender.
Garlic: minced.
Fresh thyme leaves: for a gentle herbal note.
Black pepper: add more after tasting if needed.
Water or low-sodium chicken broth: start with the recipe amount and add more to keep the beans submerged.
Fully cooked ham steak: remove the bone and cut into small cubes; refrigerate until needed.
Kosher salt: taste the finished broth before adding it.

A Few Ingredient Notes

Great Northern beans can replace navy beans, but their cooking time may vary. A meaty smoked ham bone can replace the hock, and ¾ teaspoon dried thyme can replace the fresh thyme. Keep the rest of the method the same, checking the beans for tenderness rather than relying only on the clock.

For a different white-bean dinner with cream, Parmesan and Italian herbs, try Creamy Italian White Bean Soup. This navy-bean version gets its creamy body from the beans.

Tools That Make It Easier

Large bowl for optional soaking
Colander
Chef knife
Cutting board
Vegetable peeler
Measuring cups and spoons
Large Dutch oven with lid for stovetop method
Heatproof nonmetal spoon for stirring and optional mashing
Plate for cooling and picking the ham hock
Soup ladle
Beautiful 10-in-1 Electric Multi-Cooker for optional slow-cooker method
Shallow airtight refrigerator/freezer containers for leftovers
Saucepan for reheating
Instant-read food thermometer for checking reheated soup reaches 165°F

How to Make Ham and Bean Soup

Plan on 2-3 hours on the stovetop, with optional overnight soaking beforehand. Older beans may need longer; a bean should be creamy all the way through before the soup is finished.

1. Soak if you like, then prep

For soaked beans, refrigerate the sorted, rinsed beans in 8 cups water for 8-12 hours, then drain and rinse; skip soaking for the unsoaked method. Dice the vegetables and ham, keeping the ham refrigerated until the finishing step.

Navy beans submerged in water for optional refrigerated soaking.

2. Fill the pot

Put the beans, hock, onion, celery, garlic, thyme and pepper in a large Dutch oven. Add 6 cups water or low-sodium chicken broth, using more if needed to cover the beans by about an inch.

Navy beans, ham hock, onion, celery, garlic and thyme in a Dutch oven before simmering.

3. Keep a gentle simmer

Bring to a boil, reduce to a gentle simmer and leave the lid slightly ajar, stirring occasionally. Start checking soaked beans after 1 hour or unsoaked beans after 1½ hours, and continue until nearly tender.

Navy beans and a smoked ham hock gently simmering with the lid partly open.

4. Add the carrots

Stir in the carrots and simmer for 30-45 minutes, until the beans are creamy throughout and the carrots are tender. Add hot water or broth as needed to keep the beans submerged.

Diced carrots added to the pot of nearly tender navy beans.

5. Pick the ham hock

Move the hock to a plate and let it cool enough to handle. Pull off and chop the meat, discarding the bone, skin and gristle.

Cooked meat pulled from the ham hock, with bone and skin separated on a white plate.

6. Thicken and finish

Mash a small portion of beans against the pot if you want thicker soup, then return the hock meat and add the diced ham steak. Simmer for 10-15 minutes until heated through, then taste and adjust salt and pepper.

A wooden spoon mashing some navy beans to thicken the soup after adding ham.

Getting the Beans and Broth Just Right

Check a bean's center before calling the soup done: it should mash easily and feel creamy, with no firm middle. If the beans are still firm, continue cooking and keep them submerged with hot liquid. The clock is a guide, especially with older beans.

For thicker soup, mash only a small portion of the tender beans against the side of the pot. For thinner soup, stir in additional water or broth. Ham and broth vary in saltiness, so wait until the ham is hot and the flavors have come together before adding up to the listed amount of kosher salt.

Close view of creamy navy beans, ham, carrots and celery in ham and bean soup.

Keeping Leftovers Fresh

Divide leftovers among shallow containers and refrigerate within 2 hours. Keep refrigerated for 3-4 days; the beans absorb liquid as they sit, so expect to add a splash of water or broth when reheating.

Freeze in airtight containers for up to 3 months, leaving room for expansion, then thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Reheat in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring and adding liquid as needed, until the soup reaches 165°F.

What to Serve with Ham and Bean Soup

Cornbread or biscuits are good for catching the last spoonfuls, and a vinegar-based slaw adds crunch alongside the smoky soup. Try these three sides, with hot sauce at the table if you like a little heat.

Southern Buttermilk Cornbread

Whipping Cream Biscuits

Pickled Cabbage Slaw

Overhead view of navy bean and ham soup in the same white ceramic bowl.

Can I Use Canned Beans?

This recipe was tested with dried navy beans, so the listed liquid and cooking times are for dried beans. A canned-bean version would need different timing; don't use the full dried-bean schedule with beans that are already cooked.

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Finished creamy ham and navy bean soup served with crusty bread in a white bowl.

Recipe

Ham and Bean Soup

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This ham and bean soup simmers navy beans with a smoked ham hock, tender vegetables and thyme. Mash a few beans for a creamy broth, then stir in diced ham.

Author: Jennifer Locklin
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours
Total Time: 3 hours 20 minutes
Yield: About 8 servings 1x
Category: Soup
Method: Stovetop
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Units Scale

1 pound dried navy beans, sorted and rinsed
1 smoked ham hock
1 medium onion, diced
3 large celery ribs, diced
2 large carrots, peeled and diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
½ teaspoon black pepper, plus more to taste
6 cups water or low-sodium chicken broth, plus more as needed
1 fully cooked ham steak, bone removed and meat cut into small cubes
Up to 1 teaspoon kosher salt, to taste

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Instructions

Prep - For soaked beans, place the rinsed beans in a large bowl with 8 cups water. Refrigerate for 8-12 hours, then drain and rinse. Skip this step if using unsoaked beans.
Prep - Prepare the vegetables and ham. Refrigerate the diced ham until needed.
Stovetop - Place the beans, ham hock, onion, celery, garlic, thyme, and pepper in a large Dutch oven. Pour in 6 cups water or broth, adding more if needed to cover the beans by about 1 inch.
Stovetop - Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Set the lid slightly ajar and cook, stirring occasionally, until the beans are nearly tender. Begin checking soaked beans after 1 hour and unsoaked beans after 1½ hours.
Stovetop - Add the carrots and continue simmering for 30-45 minutes, until the beans are creamy throughout and the carrots are tender. Add hot water or broth as needed to keep the beans submerged.
Stovetop - Transfer the ham hock to a plate. When cool enough to handle, pull the meat from the bone and chop it. Discard the bone, skin, and gristle.
Stovetop - For a thicker soup, mash a small portion of the beans against the side of the pot.
Stovetop - Return the ham hock meat to the soup and add the diced ham steak. Simmer for 10-15 minutes, until heated through. Taste before adding salt, then adjust the salt and pepper as needed.
Optional Beautiful 10-in-1 slow cooker - Place the beans, ham hock, onion, celery, garlic, thyme, and pepper in the cooking pot. Add 6 cups water or broth, using additional liquid as needed to cover the beans by about 1 inch without exceeding the appliance's maximum fill line.
Slow cooker - Cover with the lid. Select Slow Cook and set the temperature to LOW. The Beautiful 10-in-1 model offers LOW and HIGH slow-cooking settings.
Slow cooker - Set the timer for 6 hours with soaked beans or 9 hours with unsoaked beans. These are starting times; allow up to 8 hours for soaked beans or 11 hours for unsoaked beans, depending on their age and tenderness.
Slow cooker - About 1 hour before the expected finish, stir in the carrots. Replace the lid and continue cooking until the carrots are tender and the beans mash easily. If needed, add hot water or broth to keep the beans covered.
Slow cooker - Remove the ham hock, separate the meat, and discard the bone, skin, and gristle. Mash some beans with a nonmetal utensil if you prefer a thicker soup.
Slow cooker - Stir the recovered meat and diced ham steak into the soup. Cover and continue cooking on LOW for 20-30 minutes, until the ham is hot throughout. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper before serving.

Notes

Yield: About 8 servings. Prep: 20 minutes. Stovetop cooking: 2-3 hours. Slow cooker: 6-8 hours on LOW with soaked beans or 9-11 hours with unsoaked beans. Optional soaking: 8-12 hours. Card cook and total fields use the upper end of the stovetop range and exclude optional soaking; tenderness determines the finish.
Substitutions: Great Northern beans can replace navy beans; cooking time may vary. Substitute ¾ teaspoon dried thyme for the fresh thyme. A meaty smoked ham bone can replace the ham hock.
Salt and consistency: Ham and broth vary in saltiness, so season at the end. Thin thick soup with additional broth or water. Older beans may require extra cooking time.
Serving: Serve with cornbread, biscuits or crusty bread. Pair with a green salad or vinegar-based slaw. Offer hot sauce at the table.
Storage: Divide leftovers among shallow containers and refrigerate within 2 hours. Store refrigerated for 3-4 days. The beans absorb liquid as they sit.
Freezing: Freeze in airtight containers for up to 3 months, leaving space for expansion. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Reheating: Warm in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring and adding water or broth as needed, until the soup reaches 165°F.
Additional equipment: a plain plate for cooling and picking the ham hock, and the Beautiful 10-in-1 Electric Multi-Cooker for the optional slow-cooker method.

Ham and Bean Soup

Ingredients You'll Need

A Few Ingredient Notes

Tools That Make It Easier