Creamy Ham Bone and Navy Bean Soup (The Best Leftover Ham Recipe!)
Creamy Ham Bone and Navy Bean Soup is a rich, thick, old-fashioned soup made with dried navy beans, smoky bacon, leftover ham, and a meaty ham bone. Slowly simmered until the beans are perfectly tender and the broth becomes irresistibly creamy, this is the absolute best way to turn your leftover holiday ham into another incredible meal!
The Best Part About Making the Holiday Ham!
You know what the best thing about being in charge of the holiday ham is? YOU GET THE HAM BONE! And let me tell you something, donโt you dare throw that thing away! Whether youโre making my Crockpot Honey Baked Ham with Double Brown Sugar Glaze or my Coca-Cola Cranberry Baked Ham, youโre going to want to save that beautiful ham bone and any leftover ham because this Creamy Ham Bone and Navy Bean Soup might just be better than the original holiday dinner! Iโm not even kidding!
Now, being Italian and Sicilian, you know how much I love my pasta fagioli. But this soup? This is like the Southern cousin of pasta fagioli, and I am OBSESSED. Itโs smoky, savory, thick, rich, and loaded with tender navy beans, bacon, and ham. Every spoonful is absolutely unbelievable.
And listen, I use canned beans all the time. There is absolutely nothing wrong with canned beans. But for this particular recipe, Iโm begging you to get yourself a bag of dried navy beans. All you have to do is soak them overnight. Thatโs it! And when they slowly simmer with that ham bone, something magical happens. The beans get perfectly tender, the broth gets thick and creamy, and the flavor is out of this world.
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Serve it with some crusty bread and a few shakes of Crystal Hot Sauce, and MAKE IT!
Why Youโll Love This Creamy Ham Bone and Navy Bean Soup
- The best way to use leftover holiday ham:ย You get an entirely new dinner out of something you might have thrown away.
- Incredible smoky flavor:ย Bacon, sautรฉed ham, and the ham bone give this soup layers of delicious flavor.
- Thick, rich, creamy broth:ย The combination of flour and slowly simmered navy beans creates a beautiful, hearty consistency without any heavy cream.
- Simple ingredients:ย Nothing fancy, just good old-fashioned comfort food.
- Perfect for the holidays:ย Make this after Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Easter when you have leftover ham.
- Even better the next day:ย The flavors continue developing as the soup rests.
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My go to cast iron dutch oven pot for all my soup recipes!
Save your ham bone from a previous recipe! If your ham bone came from a heavily glazed honey baked ham or Coca-Cola cranberry ham, you can rinse some of the excess glaze off before adding it.
Grab your bag of dried navy beans.
Place the dried navy beans in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed soup pot. Sort through them and discard any debris or damaged beans.
Cover the beans generously with cold water, allowing several inches of water above the beans since they will expand. Cover the pot and refrigerate for 8โ12 hours. The following day, drain the beans into a colander and rinse thoroughly. Set them aside.
Cook until the bacon is crispy and has released its fat into the pot. Remove the bacon, chop it into small pieces, and place it into a bowl. Leave all the bacon grease in the pot.
Add the cooked ham directly into the hot bacon grease. Sautรฉ over medium heat until the ham begins to brown and develops some delicious color. Remove the ham and place it into the same bowl as the chopped bacon.
Leave the flavorful drippings in the pot and add butter.
Sautรฉ your chopped onions until translucent.
Add the minced garlic, garlic powder, onion powder, Tonyโs Creole seasoning, Knorr chicken bouillon powder, and plenty of freshly cracked black pepper.
Sprinkle all-purpose flour over the onion and seasoning mixture. Stir continuously
Nestle the ham bone into the center of the potย and return the cooked bacon and sautรฉed diced ham to the pot.
Add the drained and rinsed navy beans to the pot.
Pour in low-sodium chicken broth, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pot to incorporate all those flavorful browned bits. Make sure the beans are submerged in liquid.
Add the two bay leaves.
Increase the heat and bring the soup to a full rolling boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low or medium-low. Place the lid on the pot slightly ajar, leaving a small opening for steam to escape. Let the soup simmer.
Add more seasoning if needed. Once the beans are tender and the soup has reached your desired consistency, carefully remove the ham bone and bay leaves.
Top with a little reserved crispy bacon, a few shakes of Crystal Hot Sauce, and plenty of freshly cracked black pepper if desired.
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More Delicious Soup Recipes!
Melissaโs Tips!
- Donโt throw away your ham bone! If you made my honey baked ham or Coca-Cola cranberry ham and your ham bone still has a lot of that sweet glaze on it, give it a quick rinse before adding it to the soup. This helps remove some of that excess sweetness. If youโre using a regular smoked ham bone, thereโs no need to rinse it.
- Use all that bacon grease. I start by cooking six slices of bacon right in my soup pot. Then I remove the bacon and use the flavorful fat left behind to sautรฉ the diced ham. That is where the deliciousness begins!
- Season in layers, but watch the salt. I use Tonyโs Creole seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, Knorr chicken bouillon, and plenty of freshly cracked black pepper. Since the bacon, ham, and bouillon already contain salt, I only add a little salt initially and adjust it at the end.
- Be patient with the simmer. For the first hour, I leave my lid slightly ajar. Then I remove it completely and let the soup continue gently simmering. The broth will gradually reduce and thicken. Donโt rush it!
- Add water only if needed. I used eight cups of low-sodium chicken broth and only needed about half a cup of additional water. If your beans arenโt completely tender and your soup is getting too thick, add a little water at a time. You want those beans submerged and tender, but you also want a beautifully thick soup.
- You donโt need a blender! If you want an even thicker soup, use a potato masher to gently mash some of the beans directly in the pot. Personally, I donโt even need to do that because my soup gets perfectly thick on its own.
- Donโt forget the Crystal Hot Sauce! A few shakes of Crystal Hot Sauce over your finished bowl are absolutely delicious. And donโt forget a little crispy bacon on top!
๐ค Common Questions
Soaking helps rehydrate the beans so they cook more evenly and often more quickly. It also gives you a chance to sort and rinse them thoroughly. For this recipe, I recommend soaking them for 8โ12 hours in the refrigerator before cooking.
Smoked ham hocks are a wonderful substitute! They add that delicious smoky, savory flavor to the broth. You can use one or two smoked ham hocks, depending on their size, along with the diced cooked ham. Make sure the hocks are fully cooked and tender before serving. Remove the bones, skin, and any inedible parts, and return any usable meat to the soup.
Yes! You can still make a delicious soup with the bacon and three cups of diced smoked ham. The ham bone adds extra depth and richness, but the soup will still have plenty of flavor without it.
Creamy Ham Bone and Navy Bean Soup (The Best Leftover Ham Recipe!)
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Place dried navy beans in a large soup pot and cover generously with cold water. Cover and refrigerate for 8โ12 hours. Drain, rinse thoroughly, and discard any damaged beans. Dry the pot.
- Over medium heat, cook six slices of bacon until crispy. Remove, chop, and set aside, leaving the bacon fat in the pot.
- Add three cups of diced cooked ham to the bacon drippings and sautรฉ until lightly browned. Remove and place with the bacon.
- Add two tablespoons of butter and the diced onion. Sautรฉ until softened. Add garlic, garlic powder, onion powder, Tonyโs Creole seasoning, Knorr bouillon, and freshly cracked black pepper. Sautรฉ until fragrant. Use salt sparingly.
- Sprinkle in three tablespoons of flour and stir continuously for approximately two minutes.
- Add drained navy beans, the ham bone, cooked bacon, sautรฉed ham, and two bay leaves. Pour in eight cups of low-sodium chicken broth, scraping the bottom of the pot.
- Bring to a rolling boil, then reduce immediately to a gentle simmer. Cover with the lid slightly ajar and simmer for approximately one hour, stirring occasionally.
- Remove the lid and continue gently simmering for approximately another hour or longer, until beans are completely tender and the broth is thick and rich. Add small amounts of water only if needed to keep beans submerged while cooking.
- Remove the ham bone and bay leaves. Pull any remaining meat from the bone and return it to the soup. Discard the bone. Taste and adjust salt and pepper. Mash a few beans if a thicker consistency is desired.
- Ladle into bowls and top with reserved crispy bacon and Crystal Hot Sauce. Serve with crusty bread.
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Nutrition
Notes
What to Serve with Creamy Ham Bone and Navy Bean Soup
I personally love this soup with crusty bread because you need something to soak up every last bit of that thick, delicious broth. Itโs also fantastic with warm Southern cornbread, buttery dinner rolls, or a simple green salad. And donโt forget your Crystal Hot Sauce!Tried this recipe?
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Refrigerate promptly in airtight containers for up to 3โ4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
