Ham and Bean Soup
Hearty homemade ham and bean soup made with a 16-bean mix, chopped ham, carrots, celery, and seasoned chicken broth. A filling stovetop dinner that doesn't need a ham bone.
Servings: 12 servings (cups)
Ingredients
- 16 oz. dried 16-bean soup mix including seasoning packet
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups chopped cooked ham
- 1½ cups chopped carrots about 3 carrots
- 1½ cups chopped celery about 3 stalks
- ½ cup chopped onion
- 2 chicken bouillon cubes
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon ground thyme
- ½ teaspoon ground marjoram
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon ground sage
- Water for soaking
Instructions
- Sort through and rinse the dried beans. Follow the package's soaking and cooking safety instructions for the specific bean blend. My original quick-soak method was to cover the beans with 2–3 inches of water, bring to a rapid boil for 1 minute, remove from heat, and let stand covered for 1 hour before draining.
- Add the prepared beans to a large stockpot along with the seasoning packet, chicken broth, chopped ham, carrots, celery, onion, bouillon cubes, garlic, thyme, marjoram, black pepper, and sage.
- Bring to a boil and complete any boiling time required for the bean blend before covering and reducing to a simmer. Cook for 2–3 hours, stirring occasionally, until all the beans are completely tender. Mine took about 2 hours but it can take up to 3. Add a little extra broth or water if needed during cooking.
- For thicker soup, blend about 1 cup of fully cooked beans with a little broth until smooth, then stir back into the pot and heat through. Skip this step for a brothier soup. Serve hot.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cup