Granny’s Navy Bean and Ham Soup is so tasty and the easiest recipe for bean soup! Thousands of readers have loved this soup over the years because not only is it delicious, but it’s also simple and uses canned beans instead of dried. This recipe is a beloved family favorite, and I’m confident it will also be a favorite for your family.
I have never had any success making bean soup. I must have tried a hundred different recipes. This recipe, WOW. It is easy to make and the taste is exceptional. Everyone I gave some to raved about it. I highly recommend it.
PAT
Navy bean and ham bone soup
As a fourth-generation Southern cook, I’ve been making some version of this soup for decades. The ingredients may change slightly based on what’s in the fridge or pantry, but the essence of the soup remains the same. Our family secret: canned beans!
You’ll love how easy it is to put this soup together without having to soak beans overnight. And if you prefer to use dried beans, the recipe is adaptable for you.
If you’ve been saving a ham bone since Thanksgiving, now’s the time to pull it out and make this hearty Navy Bean Soup with Ham. This is one of my favorite cold-weather soups because it sticks to your ribs and warms you from the inside.
**Cook’s Tip: If you don’t have a ham bone lurking about in your freezer, you can buy a couple of ham hocks at the grocery store or your local butcher.
What to serve with navy bean soup with ham
We like good old-fashioned cornbread, but some nice crusty bread would also be great. I don’t usually serve anything else. This soup is so hearty it’s a complete meal.
But…there’s always room for dessert. How about a lovely Cream Cheese Pound Cake? Or our family’s favorite Fudge Pie?
I hope you make this recipe. I think you’ll love it!
Ingredient notes
The beauty of this soup is that it’s mostly pantry and fridge staples, so no extra runs to the store. If you don’t have something, leave it out! (Unless it’s the beans or the ham, those are essential.)
➡️➡️➡️ The full ingredient amounts and instructions are listed below on the printable recipe card. Scroll below the recipe card for frequently asked questions and tips for success.
Navy beans: We have had best results using canned beans for this recipe, but you can absolutely use dried beans if you prefer. You could also substitute cannellini beans for the navy.
Ham bone: Ham bones freeze nicely so when you serve a baked ham, put that baby in the freezer! If you don’t have a ham bone, you can pick up some ham hocks at the grocery store.
Bacon: The bacon is served crispy and crumbled on top for extra flavor. Our tasters love this addition to the soup.
How to make navy bean and ham soup
This soup takes a couple of hours to cook, but the prep is pretty quick. The only chopping involved is with the vegetables: onion, celery, and one carrot.
Note: You can dice up some of the ham from your ham hocks, too, unless you just want to use the package of already diced ham. The ham hocks may be extra salty so use caution and reduce the amount of added salt.
Prepare the vegetables.
Start by cooking the chopped onions, carrot, and celery in melted butter in a large Dutch oven for about five minutes, then add garlic.
Add stock and additional ingredients.
Next you’ll pour in chicken stock and stir, then add the beans, ham hocks, herbs, and diced ham.
Simmer the soup.
Simmer the soup for a couple of hours, then chop the ham from the ham hocks if using.
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Navy Bean and Ham Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 cans navy beans, rinsed and drained (unsalted if you can find them)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 carrot, chopped
- 1 celery rib, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 1/2-2 quarts chicken stock
- 2 large smoked ham hocks or 1 ham bone
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cup diced cooked ham (I buy the packet of diced ham in the meat dept. unless I have ham saved)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 6-8 bacon strips, cooked crispy and crumbled
Instructions
- In large Dutch oven, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add onions, carrot, and celery and saute for five minutes. Add garlic and saute for thirty seconds.
- Add 1 and 1/2 quarts chicken stock, beans, ham hocks, parsley, thyme, rosemary, bay leaves, and diced ham. Add a little freshly ground black pepper.
- Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. You may need to add additional stock.
- Remove ham hocks or ham bone and allow to cool enough to handle, then cut the meat off the bones and add to the pot along with the cup of diced ham. Discard the bones.
- If you want to thicken the soup, remove about 2 cups of beans and puree in a blender then add back to the soup.
- Taste and season accordingly with salt and pepper. The ham is usually salty so I don’t add much salt until I taste the soup. Serve with crumbled bacon on top.
Notes
- Timesaver: Pre-chopped onions, carrots, and celery from the grocery store.
- Use canned navy beans—easy and convenient! You can also substitute one pound bag of dried navy beans for the canned beans. You’ll need to soak the beans per the package instructions.
- Use a package of diced ham that you can pick up in the meat department of your grocery store.
- To thicken the soup, take out some of the beans and puree them, then add them back to the pot. You can also use an additional can of beans to thicken the soup. Mash the entire can of beans and stir it into the soup.
Nutrition
Tips and questions
Navy Bean and Ham soup is fairly easy to make and takes a couple of hours to cook unless you use dried beans, in which case you need to account for the time you have to soak them.
The easiest way to thicken navy bean and ham soup is to take some of the beans out and mash them with a fork, then stir them back into the soup.
We have had readers tell us that they used an additional can of beans and mashed them before adding to the pot.
If you want it even thicker, you can always add a little cornstarch slurry.
Update Notes: This post was originally published on January 7, 2015, and on March 14, 2025, it was updated with one or more of the following: step-by-step photos, video, updated recipe, and new tips.
This is a GREAT bean soup recipe. I’ll probably make it without the ham hock, b/c it came out a little salty. But, even so, best bean soup recipe I’ve tried.
Thx
Yes I need new recipes. Because I became a widower 2 years ago. And she took all her recipes to her grave.
I made this yesterday . It is delicious . I used the immersion blender in the whole pot of soup to thicken it still leaving some whole beans and ham in chunks. Great with a crusty bread loaf.