Old-Fashioned Ham and Bean Soup
This old-fashioned ham and bean soup is thick, hearty, and full of slow-simmered flavor using simple pantry staples and a leftover ham bone. Perfect for frugal, from-scratch cooking, this comforting soup is easy to make, freezer-friendly, and ideal for feeding a crowd or stocking your freezer for busy nights.
Servings: 12
Calories: 99kcal
Cost: Varies
Equipment
- stock pot
- Cutting Board
- Knife
- Tongs
Ingredients
- 1 ham bone with meat
- 1 cup onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup carrot diced
- 1 cup rutabaga diced
- 1 cup celery diced
- 4 cups white beans Use store-bought or home-canned beans
- 4 cups water
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Chop all of your vegetables up in fairly even size, so they cook evenly. Put your ham bone in a large stock pot, Dutch oven, or slow cooker. Dump in all your vegetables.
- Add the beans, undrained if using canned, drained if you soaked dried beans the night before. Pour in 4 cups of water.
- Bring to a low simmer on the stove top. Allow to simmer for about 2 hours, stirring every now and then.
- Once meat is falling off the bone, transfer bone to a plate. Using tongs, pick off any good chunks of meat remaining on the bone, and put meat back into soup. Add a dash of pepper and salt. Serve.
Notes
Recipe Tips:
- Bones with meat attached give you the most flavor for your money
- Home-canned beans save time and add richness to the broth
- Simmer low and slow to avoid breaking the beans apart
- This soup thickens as it cools, making leftovers even better
- Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days
- Freezer: Freeze in portion-sized containers for up to 3 months
- Reheating: Warm gently on the stovetop, adding a splash of water if needed
Nutrition
Calories: 99kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 0.3g | Saturated Fat: 0.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.03g | Sodium: 24mg | Potassium: 449mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 1820IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 72mg | Iron: 2mg
