Leftover Ham and Bean Soup

Leftover ham and bean soup is hearty, delicious, and the best way to use up all those Thanksgiving or Christmas ham leftovers. It's also super easy to make and just perfect for a chilly day!

There's nothing quite like a bowl of delicious soup to warm you up on a chilly day. Bonus points for nutritious and budget-friendly soups - and this leftover ham and bean soup is both.

This easy ham and bean soup is a light and healthy meal perfect for using up any post-holiday ham leftovers.

I make it with canned navy beans, which comes in handy on those busy days when I don't have time to deal with pre-soaking beans.

So if you've been looking for leftover ham recipes, this ham and navy bean soup is definitely worth a try.

Why you'll love this leftover ham and bean soup

• It's a simple and budget-friendly soup that's perfect for feeding a crowd.
• You can make it with leftover ham or simply buy some smoked ham and dice it up.
• It's extra delicious and healthy, ideal for a post-holiday nutritious meal everyone will love.

What goes into leftover ham soup

Olive oil - Use a good quality olive oil to saute the veggies in. If you want the soup to be a bit creamy, you can cook the veggies in a bit of butter.

Vegetables - A mix of onion, carrot, celery and parsnip sets up an excellent flavor base for this soup. Cut them the same size so they cook evenly.

Garlic - Feel free to add as much fresh garlic as you want.

Fresh thyme - If you don't have fresh herbs, use ½ teaspoon dried thyme or an Italian seasoning mix.

Leftover ham - Cube any ham leftovers you may have and add them to the soup. If you want to make this soup but don't have any leftover ham, you can buy some smoked ham shanks or ham hocks.

Beans - Navy beans (haricot beans in the UK), Great Northern beans and cannellini beans are both perfect for this recipe. You can also use a mix of white beans and pinto beans.

Potatoes - This is optional, but adding some potatoes to the soup will make it extra heartier. Russet potatoes (Maris Piper) or baby potatoes are good choices.

Chicken stock - I used shop-bought chicken broth to make this soup, but if you have a homemade stock, you can definitely use that instead.

Bay leaves - Add a couple of bay leaves for some extra depth of flavor.

How to make ham and white bean soup

Heat the olive oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven and cook the onion, carrot, celery and parsnip for 8-10 minutes over medium heat until tender.

Next, add the garlic and fresh thyme and continue to cook for another minute.

Stir in the leftover ham, beans, potatoes, chicken stock and bay leaves and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender.

Stir in the fresh parsley, season to taste and serve hot, with some crusty bread if you like.

Leftovers and storage

• The soup will keep well in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container. The flavors will continue to improve as the soup sits.
• Reheat it on the stovetop or in the microwave until piping hot.
• You can freeze this ham bone soup for up to 3 months. Thaw it overnight before reheating.

Recipe notes and tips

• Add some red chili flakes to give the soup a bit of a kick.
• If you want to use dried beans for this soup, you'll need to pre-soak them overnight, then cook them until tender before adding them to the soup.
• To make this leftover ham and bean soup in the slow cooker, add all ingredients except for the fresh parsley to the crock pot and cook for 4-5 hours on high or 7-8 hours on low.

If you liked this leftover ham and bean soup recipe, you might also like some of my other easy soup recipes:

• Vegetarian Dumpling Soup
• Kielbasa Potato Soup
• Vegetable Stelline Soup
• Tom Kha Gai Soup (Thai Coconut Chicken Soup)
• Easy Italian Meatball Soup

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