This ham and white bean soup recipe is hearty, delicious, healthy, and simple to make! It's great for using up leftover ham.
Love white beans? Try my Sausage and White Bean Soup, this Mediterranean White Bean Salad, or my Lemon Chicken White Bean Soup.
This recipe was originally published on December 19, 2017. I've republished it with updated photos, more useful post text, and I've tweaked the recipe to make it better.
You don't need to use leftover ham for this one (just buy a piece from any grocery store), but if you've roasted a ham for Easter or Christmas, this is a great way to enjoy those leftovers if you're over sandwiches.
This ham and bean soup with canned beans is one of those soups that gets better the longer you leave it. The flavors intensify and the leftovers are just really good.
How to make ham and bean soup (summary)
Sauté the onions, celery, and carrots for 7-10 minutes (some light browning is good as it adds flavor) in a fairly large soup pot. Stir in the garlic, followed by the Italian seasoning, smoked paprika, chicken broth, ham, and white beans. Bring the soup to a boil and then reduce the heat, cover (lid slightly open), and simmer the soup for at least 20 minutes. The soup will get more flavorful the longer it's cooked, so you can definitely go a bit longer! (Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below)
Recipe notes & tips:
- You can use a different variety of canned beans if you choose (e.g. great northern or navy beans will work).
- If you want to use dried beans, soak them overnight. Just cover them in water then rinse them off before adding them to the soup.
- You can definitely throw a ham bone in here! That'll make it taste even better. Or use a ham hock.
- If you're sensitive to salt, use low sodium chicken broth or water. Ham can be quite salty, so wait until the end and taste before adding any extra salt to this recipe.
- Try swapping the Italian seasoning for 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme if you prefer. Or use a couple sprigs of fresh thyme. You could also throw a bay leaf or two in here for extra flavor.
- This soup freezes well, and it'll last 3-5 days in the fridge.
- I added a bit of fresh parsley for the photos, but that's totally optional.
More delicious ham recipes to try:
- Easy Ham and Corn Chowder
- Ham Salad
- Ham and Potato Soup (Dairy-Free)
- Instant Pot Split Pea Soup (with ham OR vegetarian)
- One Pot Ham and Pea Pasta
- Dill Pickle Soup with Smoked Ham
Hope you love this easy white bean and ham soup recipe!
Ham and White Bean Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 medium onion chopped finely
- 1 large carrot peeled & chopped small
- 3 sticks celery chopped small
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups water
- 2 cups cooked ham chopped (or more to taste)
- 2 (14 fluid ounce) cans white beans drained
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large soup pot. Sauté the onions, carrot, and celery for 7-10 minutes, stirring occasionally (a little browning is good).
- Stir in the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds.
- Add the Italian seasoning, smoked paprika, chicken broth, water, ham, and white beans to the pot. Increase the heat to high and bring it to a gentle boil. Reduce heat to medium (or medium low if it's bubbling too much), cover the pot with the lid slightly ajar, and let the soup simmer for 20-25 minutes (the flavor will intensify the longer you cook it so feel free to cook it for a bit longer).
- Season with salt & pepper to taste. Ham can be quite salty, so be sure to add salt after it's cooked if you think it needs it. Optional: Take a potato masher and mash some of the beans right in the pot to create a slightly thicker texture or pulse an immersion blender a few times.
Notes
- Use low-sodium chicken broth if sensitive to salt.
- Crockpot method: try 8 hours on low or 3-4 hours on high.
- Instant Pot method: try 10 minutes on high pressure with a natural release.
- Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Salt & Lavender makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
Tina Geane says
Hi Natasha this soup looks so good! I had the idea & looked up White bean & Ham soup and I found yours. I have a bone ham & I'm making broth by simmering the bone with spices & garlic, onion,carrots & I soaked white beans over night. I'm thinking maybe I will need some can broth sodium free, I'm also thinking a bit of leeks. Definitely gonna mash, puree whatever some b3ans I don't have a immersion blender but I have regular blender or masher. Thanks for the recipe!
Natasha says
You're very welcome!! 🙂
Dawn says
Very good recipe. Added a couple cups of chopped cabbage to make a complete meal.
Miranda @ Salt & Lavender says
Awesome! So glad you enjoyed it, Dawn 🙂
Mandi says
Made for dinner this evening. Wow! And, it will probably be even better tomorrow. Made cornbread muffins. Great combo. Added extra carrots and fresh Rosemary to the soup. Thanks to reviews, I used low sodium broth. Healthy, filling, and delicious. Thank you!
Natasha says
I'm so pleased you enjoyed it, Mandi!
Maureen Kelly says
Your picture of soup looks creamy and delicious. Is there something missing? Mine looks like chicken soup with white beans and ham
Natasha says
Hi Maureen! So, I believe I blended a bit of it with an immersion blender as I suggest doing in step 4. It's definitely not a thick soup, but that does add a little more texture to the broth.
Katherine says
I initially missed that step too 😉 Delicious!
Natasha says
🙂
Francine says
I made this soup accordingly to the directions. It was very salty. I will try again.does anyone have any ideas for a low salt ham slice?
Nb says
Don’t add salt or use salty broth, ham is already salty.
Angie says
Made this last night and it was sooo good!
Natasha says
Fantastic!! Thank you, Angie!!
AngelaML says
I made this yesterday in the slow cooker because I work from home and love how the house smells so good while soup is cooking! This was really easy to make. I bought a hickory smoked ham steak which we really liked. I added more veggies and spices. The water/chicken broth ratio was perfect. Mashed 1/2 can of the beans to make the soup creamier. Love that trick!
I will definitely be making this one again!
Natasha says
Wonderful!! I'm so glad you enjoyed it. 🙂
Caroline Brissette says
This soup was delicous! I pulsed an immersion blender a few times and it made it creamy. I will definitely do it again, great recipe! 🙂
Natasha says
Fantastic!! I'm so happy you enjoyed it. Thanks for taking the time to comment, Caroline. 🙂
Jess says
I made this over the weekend and loved it! Easy to follow recipe and it came out delicious! I couldn't decide on a bean, so I made ham & 3 bean soup - with navy, great northern, and pinto beans. I had fresh rosemary & thyme, so I added them in with some oregano. Yum!
Natasha says
Excellent... I am so happy you enjoyed it. Love the 3 bean idea!
Vivian Johnson-Nuckols says
Yummy soup and super fast to make!
Natasha says
So glad you liked it!
de_bel says
If you want the soup to be a little creamier, put 1-1/2 cans of the drained beans in the soup and mash the rest of them before adding to the soup. It adds a creamier touch without any dairy. I also add a tiny touch of fresh thyme or oregano to the soup just before serving.
Ben Myhre says
I like desserts. There really isn't much in terms of food that I don't like, but I am with you on the savory. I would much rather have a stewing pot of knoephla soup on the stove top or a big fat steak than a pie hanging around. And in terms of baking, I am pretty limited on the amount of Christmas treat cooking I do around here. I already have to be a little careful that I don't balloon up to to the size of Fat Bastard and 15000 calories just laying around my house would not help.
This soup looks perfect!
Natasha says
Hahha I'm totally with ya, Ben. Especially on the steak front. I have one a week as my big treat!