You’ll be amazed at how easy it is to make this delicious ham and bean soup.
If your resolution is to add more legumes to your diet (and eat less red meat), you’ll love this recipe.
Smoked paprika, bay leaves, and cloves add to the flavorful broth. Refrigerate and serve the next day for a memorable first course or lunch entree.
If you love this soup, you may also want to try our easy Butternut Squash Soup
Ham and Bean Soup
When it’s snowy and cold, nothing beats a warm bowl of soup. For the best flavor, make this a day ahead.
Servings 6
Calories 300kcal
Ingredients
- 1 smoked ham bone, or 2 smoked pork hocks
- 4 whole cloves
- 1 whole onion
- 3 celery stalks
- 1 quart chicken broth
- 3 carrots, peeled and sliced
- 2 red potatoes, peeled and cut up
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. paprika, smoked
- 1 ½ c. chopped arugula
- 1 c diced smoked ham
- 2 cans Great Northern beans
Instructions
- Stick the whole cloves into the ham bone or hocks.
- Cook the ham bone or hocks, whole onion, and celery in a soup pot over medium low heat until some of the fat melts into the pot, about 5 minutes.
- Add in the chicken broth, carrots, potatoes, bay leaf and spices. Continue simmering the soup, uncovered, for 1-2 hours. Add water as necessary.
- Remove the bone/hocks to a platter. Remove the onion and celery, and discard.
- Drain and then add the canned beans. Chop the arugula and add it to the soup.
- When cool enough to handle, separate ham from the bone/hocks and dice meat. Add meat to the soup pot.
- Correct seasonings. Serve when all ingredients are heated through.