Leftover ham deserves better than sitting in the fridge waiting for another round of sandwiches! This Ham and White Bean Soup puts it to good use with tender cannellini beans, carrots, celery, and a savory broth that’s full of flavor without a long list of ingredients.
A Delicious Way to Use Leftover Ham
- A great use for leftover ham: This soup turns leftover ham into a completely different meal, so none of that extra ham goes to waste. It’s especially handy when you have a lot left after a holiday dinner.
- Simple pantry ingredients: Canned cannellini beans, vegetable broth, and dried seasonings keep the ingredient list manageable. Add a few fresh vegetables and leftover ham, and that’s most of the shopping already handled.
- Flexible simmering time: The soup can simmer for as little as 20 minutes or up to two hours, depending on how much time is available. There’s no need to commit to an afternoon of cooking just to get a pot of soup on the table.
Thanksgiving at our house always includes a ham. It’s one of my husband’s favorite parts of the meal, and he looks forward to it every year. The only problem? We inevitably end up with enough leftover ham to feed a small army!
While I love a good Thanksgiving leftover situation, eating the same meal on repeat gets old pretty fast. That’s why I’m always finding ways to turn that extra ham into something completely different, like my Ham Pot Pie with Puff Pastry Crust and Easy Ham Fried Rice. Same leftovers, entirely different dinners!
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Avocado oil – Any neutral oil or unsalted butter can be used instead.
- Celery – no substitutions.
- Carrots – no substitutions.
- Yellow onion – White onion can be used instead.
- Cooked ham – Leftover ham from Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Easter dinner works perfectly here. If you don’t want to cook a whole ham, diced ham steak works just as well.
- Garlic – Freshly minced garlic is best, but jarred minced garlic works too.
- Vegetable broth – Chicken broth can be used instead.
- Cannellini beans – White pinto beans or Great Northern beans can be used instead.
- Bay leaves – no substitutions.
- Dried thyme – I prefer thyme in this recipe, but you can use your favorite dried herb, such as rosemary or Italian seasoning.
- Ground black pepper – no substitutions.
- Smoked paprika – This can be left out if preferred.
- Water – Optional for a thinner soup base. Omit it if you prefer a thicker soup.
- Salt – Ham can vary widely in saltiness, so I recommend tasting the soup after simmering before adding any extra salt.
Mandy’s Top Tip
Let it simmer as long as possible! While this soup can be ready in just 20 minutes, I recommend simmering it for the full two hours if you have the time. I let my last batch go for the full two hours, and it was one of the most flavorful soups I’ve ever had. I happily ate it four days in a row without a single complaint, which says a lot about how good it was!
Tips for Success
Freeze for later – This soup is excellent for freezing! Let it cool completely, then portion it into freezer-safe containers for easy meals later. Leave a little room at the top of each container for expansion.
Don’t skip sautéing the vegetables – Cooking the onions, carrots, and celery in avocado oil before adding the broth helps soften the vegetables and build flavor in the soup.
Adjust the broth to your liking – For a thicker, heartier soup, stick with the four cups of vegetable broth. If you prefer a thinner, brothier soup, add the optional cup of water.
Wait to add the salt – Ham and broth can both contribute quite a bit of saltiness. Let everything simmer together first, then taste before deciding whether you need any additional salt.
How to Make White Bean and Ham Soup
Sauté the vegetables until softened, then add the ham and garlic. Stir in the broth, beans, and seasonings, and let everything simmer before serving.
Sauté the vegetables.
Add the broth.
Add the ham and garlic.
Simmer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely! A leftover ham bone is a great way to add even more flavor to the soup. If you’re adding one, I recommend reducing the vegetable broth to 2 cups and replacing the other 2 cups with water, since the ham bone can add quite a bit of saltiness. Let it simmer with the soup, remove the bone before serving, and taste before adding any additional salt.
For a thicker, creamier broth, blend one can of cannellini beans with a splash of vegetable broth until smooth, then stir it into the soup instead of adding all the beans whole. This gives the soup a thicker consistency while still leaving plenty of whole beans for texture.
Want to be the first to know when more easy one pot dinner recipes are published? Sign-up for our email list below!
More Easy Soup Recipes
If you love a good homemade soup, here are a few more easy recipes to add to your menu.
Did you make this ham and cannellini bean soup? Let me know how it turned out by leaving a comment and ⭐ rating below!
Ham and White Bean Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 2 celery stalks sliced
- 2 large carrots sliced
- 1 large yellow onion diced
- 3 cups cooked ham diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 (32-ounce) container vegetable broth (4 cups)
- 2 (15.5-ounce) cans cannellini beans drained and rinsed
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 cup water optional
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Heat the avocado oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, and carrots and sauté until the vegetables begin to soften.
- Add the diced ham and minced garlic. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is fragrant.
- Pour in the vegetable broth, then add the cannellini beans, bay leaves, dried thyme, black pepper, and smoked paprika. Stir to combine.
- For a thinner soup, stir in the optional 1 cup of water. Otherwise, leave it out for a thicker broth.
- Bring the soup to a boil, then cover the pot and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for at least 20 minutes or up to 2 hours.
- Remove the bay leaves, taste, and season with salt as needed before serving.
Notes
- The soup can simmer for as little as 20 minutes, but I recommend the full two hours if time allows. The longer simmer gives the ingredients more time to develop flavor.
- Refrigerate: Allow the soup to cool, then transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
- Freeze: This soup freezes well! Let it cool completely, then transfer it to freezer-safe containers or bags, leaving a little room for expansion. Freeze for up to 3 months and thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
- Reheat: Warm the soup in a pot over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until heated through. The beans may absorb some of the broth during storage, so add a splash of water or broth if the soup has thickened too much. You can also reheat individual portions in the microwave.
Nutriton
Disclaimer: Nutrition information is estimated based on automated calculations and should be considered as an approximation. These estimates are provided as a courtesy. Please use your own brand’s nutritional values to verify accuracy.