Bean Soup with Smoked Ham (Print)

A comforting soup featuring beans, smoky ham, and diced potatoes for a hearty meal.

# Components:

→ Meats

01 - 8.8 oz smoked ham, diced

→ Beans & Legumes

02 - 14 oz cooked white beans (cannellini or navy beans), drained and rinsed

→ Vegetables

03 - 3 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
04 - 2 medium carrots, diced
05 - 2 celery stalks, diced
06 - 1 large onion, finely chopped
07 - 2 cloves garlic, minced

→ Liquids

08 - 6 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth

→ Herbs & Spices

09 - 2 bay leaves
10 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme
11 - ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
12 - Salt, to taste

→ Fats

13 - 2 tablespoons olive oil

→ Garnish

14 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

# Directions:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables begin to soften.
02 - Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Stir in the diced smoked ham and cook for 3–4 minutes to release its smoky flavor.
04 - Add the potatoes, beans, bay leaves, thyme, black pepper, and broth. Stir well to combine all ingredients.
05 - Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 1 hour, or until potatoes are tender and flavors have melded.
06 - Remove bay leaves. Taste and adjust salt as needed.
07 - Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with fresh parsley if desired. Serve hot.

# Chef Secrets:

01 -
  • It's the kind of soup that feels like a hug in a bowl, loaded with enough protein and vegetables to actually fill you up.
  • One pot means less cleanup, and somehow everything tastes better when it's simmered together for over an hour.
  • Smoked ham does the heavy lifting flavor-wise, so you don't need fancy ingredients or restaurant techniques to make it sing.
02 -
  • Bay leaves are decorative unless you're careful—either remove them completely before serving or warn people to watch for them, because biting down on one is unpleasant and slightly alarming.
  • If you add salt too early, the broth can become oversalted as it reduces during simmering, so taste and adjust at the very end instead.
  • Don't rush the initial 5-minute sauté of onion, carrot, and celery—this foundation really does determine how good the finished soup tastes.
03 -
  • Cut your vegetables all the same size so they finish cooking at the same time and the soup looks intentional rather than rushed.
  • Taste as you go near the end of cooking time—the broth will keep reducing and concentrating as the potatoes release their starch, so salt needs constant attention.
  • If your potatoes aren't tender after an hour, keep the lid on and give it another 15 minutes rather than turning the heat up, which can make beans mushy while potatoes stay firm.
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