Ham and Bean Soup with Canned Beans is a pantry-friendly weeknight winner, ready in about 90 minutes and loaded with comfort. Did you know canned beans save up to 75% of cook time versus dried beans, while keeping protein and fiber intact? This guide is built for busy cooks, with stepwise clarity, smart swaps, and SEO-friendly tips for Pinterest and Facebook clicks. In this introduction you will also find an easy link to another simple appetizer for potlucks, our creamy deviled eggs with bacon and chives, a great starter while the soup simmers. In this guide, you’ll learn how to make, customize, and store this classic.
What Is Ham and Bean Soup with Canned Beans?
Ham and Bean Soup with Canned Beans is a hearty, savory soup made from canned navy or great northern beans, a ham hock or diced ham, mirepoix, and simple seasonings. It is a shortcut-friendly version of the traditional slow-simmered bean soup, using canned beans to cut active time without sacrificing texture.
This version trades long soaking for quick assembly, perfect for weekday meals, potlucks, or meal prep. Nutritional highlights include protein from the ham and beans, plus fiber from beans, making it filling and budget-friendly.
Quick Facts about Ham and Bean Soup with Canned Beans
- Serves: 6, Prep time: 15 min, Cook time: 75 min, Total: 90 min
- Beans: 2 x 15 oz cans (about 425 g each), drained
- Ham: 300 g cooked ham or 1 bone-in ham hock
- Approximate per serving: 320 kcal, 18 g protein, 9 g fiber
Ham and Bean Soup with Canned Beans
Ingredients
Soup Base
- 300 g cooked ham or 1 bone-in ham hock
- 2 cans canned navy or great northern beans (15 oz each, drained)
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 medium carrots, chopped
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1.5 L chicken broth Use low-sodium if preferred.
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 leaf bay leaf
Instructions
Preparation
- In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium-high heat.
- Add the chopped carrots, celery, onion, and minced garlic, and stir for about 5 minutes until the vegetables are crisp-tender and fragrant.
- Stir in the chicken broth, drained beans, dried thyme, ham hock, and bay leaf.
- Bring the mixture to a boil.
Cooking
- Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 60 minutes, allowing flavors to meld and ham to tenderize.
- After simmering, remove the bay leaf.
- Mash or puree 1 cup of beans into the soup to thicken.
Finish and Serve
- Remove the ham hock, pull meat off the bone, trim fat, chop into bite-sized pieces, and return to soup.
- Taste and season with salt and pepper before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Step-by-Step Instructions
Start by sweating the aromatics to build flavor, then add liquids, beans, and ham, simmering until the broth is silky and the meat is tender. Follow the numbered steps for predictable results.
- Sauté vegetables: In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, melt 2 tbsp butter over medium-high heat, add 2 chopped carrots, 2 stalks celery, 1 medium onion, and 2 cloves garlic. Action: stir for about 5 minutes. Expected result: vegetables become crisp-tender and fragrant.
- Add liquids and beans: Stir in 1.5 L chicken broth, drained beans, 1 tsp dried thyme, ham hock, and 1 bay leaf. Action: bring to a boil. Expected result: mixture bubbles and combines aromatics.
- Simmer low: Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 60 minutes. Action: low gentle simmer. Expected result: flavors meld, ham tenderizes.
- Thicken if desired: Discard bay leaf, mash or puree some beans with a potato masher or immersion blender. Action: mash 1 cup of beans into the soup. Expected result: thicker, creamier texture without losing bean chunks.
- Finish and serve: Remove ham hock, pull meat off the bone, trim fat, chop into bite-sized pieces, and return to soup. Action: taste and season with salt and pepper. Expected result: balanced, meaty bowl ready to ladle and garnish.
Variations & Substitutes
This recipe is flexible for diets and regions, whether you want vegetarian, smoky, or spicy versions. Each choice shifts flavor and nutrition, and often the cook time.
- Vegetarian swap, replace ham with 2 smoked tomatoes or smoked paprika, adds 0 g animal protein but keeps smoky depth.
- Instant Pot option, cook 15 minutes high pressure plus natural release, reduces total cook time to 40 minutes.
- Southern style, use ham hock and add collard greens, increases sodium slightly and boosts vitamins.
Chef tip: For a lower-sodium bowl, rinse canned beans well and choose low-sodium broth. For more recipe ideas, see our 10 vegan sandwich ideas, great for pairing with soup.
Mistakes to Avoid
Common beginner errors can flatten flavor or create thin broth. Below is a quick checklist to prevent them.
Checklist to avoid problems
- Overcooking vegetables, fix: sauté only until crisp-tender.
- Not rinsing beans, fix: rinse to remove canning liquid that can taste metallic.
- Skipping the mash step, fix: mash part of the beans for body.
- Leaving excess fat, fix: cool slightly, skim fat, or remove ham fat after shredding.
- Adding salt too soon, fix: season at the end after reduction.
Storage, Reuse
Leftovers improve with time, and this soup stores well for quick lunches and reheats safely when done right. Cool quickly, refrigerate within 2 hours, and reuse creatively.
- Refrigerator, keep in airtight container, 4 days, reheat to 74 C (165 F).
- Freezer, freeze in portions, up to 3 months, thaw overnight in fridge before reheating.
- Reuse idea, blend with stock for a creamy dip, or spoon over baked potatoes for a hearty meal. For simple make-ahead protein sides, check our 3 easy high-protein sandwich recipes.
Related Recipes / See Also
Try these easy, crowd-pleasing recipes that pair well with soup and are perfect for sharing on Pinterest.
- If you love quick desserts, try our peach cobbler with canned peaches.
- Pair with light egg dishes, see our egg bake with cottage cheese and spinach.
- For more quick sides, browse the sandwich collection in the site sitemap.
Conclusion
This Ham and Bean Soup with Canned Beans delivers comforting flavor with minimal fuss. It is adaptable, nutritious, and perfect for meal prep or feeding a crowd. Make it your own with the swaps above, and enjoy a satisfying bowl any night.
