Ham and Bean Soup (Classic Comfort)
Ingredients
- 1 lb dried navy beans or great northern beans
- 8 cups water or chicken broth
- 1 ham bone or 2 cups diced cooked ham
- 1 small onion, diced
- 2 carrots, sliced
- 2 celery stalks, sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- ½ tsp black pepper
- Salt to taste (add after cooking — ham is salty)
- Optional: 1 tbsp olive oil or butter
Instructions
1) Soak the beans
- Rinse and sort beans.
- Soak overnight in water or quick-soak: boil 2 minutes, cover, rest 1 hour, drain.
2) Sauté aromatics
- In a large pot, heat oil/butter.
- Sauté onion, carrots, celery for 5 minutes.
- Add garlic; cook 30 seconds.
3) Simmer
- Add soaked beans, ham bone (or ham), bay leaf, thyme, pepper.
- Pour in 8 cups water/broth.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer.
- Cover and cook 1½–2 hours, until beans are tender.
4) Finish
- Remove ham bone, shred any meat, return to pot.
- Discard bay leaf.
- Taste and add salt if needed.
Optional Add-Ins
- Diced potatoes (add in last 40 minutes)
- A splash of apple cider vinegar (brightens flavor)
- Chopped parsley to serve
Slow Cooker Method
- Add everything to the slow cooker.
- Cook 8 hours on LOW or 4–5 hours on HIGH.
Storage
- Even better the next day.
- Fridge: 4–5 days
- Freezer: up to 3 months
Serve hot with crusty bread or cornbread. This is humble, budget-friendly comfort at its best.