Ham and Bean Soup
A classic Ham and Bean Soup made with smoky ham, white beans, and aromatic vegetables, slowly simmered for a rich, velvety broth.
Servings 4 people
Ingredients
- 1 pound white beans (great northern, navy, or cannellini)
- 1 smoked ham hock or pork shank* , thawed if frozen (or bone from a spiral ham)
- 1 tablespoon olive or avocado oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 small onion , diced
- 1 small leek , chopped, white and light green parts only
- 2 ribs celery , diced
- 1 medium carrot , diced
- 2 cloves garlic , minced
- 1 teaspoon mustard powder
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian herb blend
- 2 cups baked ham , cubed or shredded (about 8 ounces)
- 1 stem fresh rosemary
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice (optional)
- salt and black pepper
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
- 2 green onions , sliced thinly
Instructions
Prep
- Overnight: Pour the beans into a strainer and pick through to remove debris and broken or discolored beans. Rinse the beans with cold water. Transfer the beans to a large bowl or 3 quart pot. Add 8 cups of water. If any beans float to the surface, push them under. Let soak for a minimum of 6 hours.**
Cook the beans
- In a large 5 or 6 quart soup pot or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium until the surface shimmers. Add the onions, leeks, celery, and carrots, and saute until the onions begin to soften. Stir in the garlic, mustard powder, and dried herbs, mixing well, until the garlic is fragrant (just a minute or so).
- Transfer most of the veggie mix to separate bowl and set aside. (We're cooking some of the vegetables with the beans to add flavor, and saving the rest to add back later so they don't cook down to mush.)
- Clear an area in the center of the pot, and place the ham hock in it, positioned so that it's short enough that most or all of it will be under water during the cook.
- Drain the soaked beans and pour into the pot around the ham hock. Add 5 cups of water to the pot, increase the heat and bring to an active boil (bubbles should break the surface but not spit, hiss, or splatter over the stove). Adjust the heat down slightly and cover the pot.
- Start the clock. The beans will take an hour-and-a-half to two hours to cook.
Finish the soup
- At the one-hour mark, test the beans. They're likely not ready at this point (i.e., they're not smashable), but they should be softening. Check every 15 minutes from here.
- At the one-and-a-half hour mark, remove the ham hock from the soup and let rest in a bowl to cool. Return the reserved vegetables to the pot, and add the baked ham, along with the sprig of rosemary. Cover the pot and cook for 15 minutes more. Remove the rosemary sprig (it's okay if some of the leaves have fallen off).
- The soup is ready when the beans are easily flattened against the the side of the pot with a spoon. The starches from the beans will have thickened the soup, but you can control the creaminess of the soup by smashing some of the beans and stirring them well into the soup.
- When the ham hock is cool enough to handle, cut off any meat remaining on the bones and add to the soup.
- Taste and add salt and black pepper to taste. Serve with parsley and green onions for garnish.
Notes
* To boost flavor even more, you boil the ham hock or pork shank to wake up the flavors within. In a medium pot bring 3 cups of water to a boil and simmer the ham hock for 10 minutes. Save the cooking water to add to the soup.
**If it’s going to be more than 8 hours before you cook the soup (from the start of soak time), drain the beans, rinse, drain again, and move them to an airtight container and refrigerate. Soaked beans can last a couple of days in the fridge, but do note that after 24 hours they begin to ferment and breakdown (still edible, though).
The Quick Soak Method. First, note that this is not a particularly reliable way to soften beans. Unless you buy your beans from an impeccable source, such as Rancho Gordo, you can’t be 100% sure of their freshness. Old beans will not soften as fast as younger, if they cook at all. An overnight soak is a more thorough method that should take care of all but the oldest beans. However, here’s the quick soak method:
Place the beans in a large pot and cover with water by an inch. Add a big pinch of salt and bring the water to boil. Remove from the heat, cover, and let stand for one hour. Drain.