Planned Over Ham and Bean Soup

I love soups…especially those that are hearty and make my kitchen smell inviting.

This mouthwatering Ham and Bean soup is the perfect way to use leftover ham and a plethora of winter veggies. You won’t want to limit the soup to just when you have leftover ham, however; it’s easy enough to add a thick, large slice of ham to your market list as well.

As a throw back to my Mom’s cooking, I threw in a parsnip because she always told me that was what made her vegetable soup so much better. Who am I to debate this??

I also like to plan ahead when I make soup, deciding whether to make a special trip to a local bakery and pick up a loaf of artisan bread or make a loaf at home or perhaps some buttermilk biscuits? Decisions, decisions…

However you choose to accentuate this delicious ham and bean soup with a side starch of your choice, give yourself a little time to prep and cook and make a large batch in a big stockpot…because although this soup is wonderful when freshly made, it’s even better the next day!

Print Recipe

Ham and Bean Soup

Course: Dinner, Lunch, Snack

Author: Bev Shaffer

Ingredients

• 3 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion chopped
• 2 stalks celery chopped
• 2 medium carrots chopped
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 2 to 3 cups cubes of chopped ham
• 1 whole parsnip peeled and diced
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 18 or 19 oz. can cannellini or red beans drained and rinsed*
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

• Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot.
• Add the onion, celery and carrot and cook until onion is tender, stirring occasionally.
• Add the garlic, ham, parsnip, bay leaf and broth; stir to combine.
• Bring the mixture to a boil, and then lower the heat to medium.
• Allow mixture to cook for 35 minutes.
• Stir in the rinsed beans, cumin, thyme and black pepper.
• Continue to cook for another 30 minutes.
• Remove the bay leaf and garnish each bowl with the fresh parsley when serving.

Notes: I do read the back of cans for sodium content and I have found that organic canned beans, whether name brand or generic, have an alarmingly lower sodium content than the traditional canned beans. Check it out!

*Note that this post may contain affiliate links, and I may receive something from purchases. Thanks in advance!