Navy Bean and Ham Soup made with canned beans, ham hocks, carrots, celery, dried rosemary and thyme, and a little bacon for flavor.
Prep Time15 minutesmins
Cook Time1 hourhr30 minutesmins
Total Time1 hourhr45 minutesmins
Servings: 8servings
Calories: 73kcal
Author: Lucy Brewer
Ingredients
4cans navy beans, rinsed and drained (unsalted if you can find them)
2tablespoonsunsalted butter
1medium onion, chopped
1carrot, chopped
1celery rib, chopped
1clovegarlic, minced
1 1/2-2quartschicken stock
2large smoked ham hocks or 1 ham bone
2tablespoonsminced fresh parsley
1teaspoondried thyme
1teaspoondried rosemary
2bay leaves
1cupdiced cooked ham (I buy the packet of diced ham in the meat dept. unless I have ham saved)
Salt and pepper to taste
6-8bacon 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
**Cook's Tips for Navy Bean and Ham Soup:
Use canned navy beans—easy and convenient!
Or you can substitute one pound bag of dried navy beans for the canned beans. You'll need to soak the beans per 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 then add back to the pot.