15 Bean Soup with Ham

Homemade Bean Soup with Ham

Repeat after me: I, beautiful, kind, smart and valued reader of Rachel Cooks, do solemnly swear, to never, ever, ever throw away a ham bone.

The ham bone takes this soup from mediocre to amazingly delicious. Trust me. Did you know you can freeze ham bones? Now you really have no excuses for throwing it out. Just toss it in a zip-top bag and stick it in your freezer until you’re ready to make this soup.

You might be thinking, “Doesn’t the 15 bean dried bean mix come with a packet of ham flavoring?”

Doesn’t look like ham to me! And just for kicks, here is the list of ingredients: Salt, dextrose, maltodextrin, sugar, bacon flavor (which has nine ingredients in and of itself), disodium inosinate, disodium guanylate, ham flavor (which has an additional four ingredients), and silicon dioxide added as an anti-caking aid. I say, why put in nine ingredient “bacon flavor” when all you need is a ham bone and a couple of spices and herbs? And I’m willing to bet that the real thing probably tastes better than that little tiny package labeled “ham.” 

This is an easy recipe. Don’t be scared off by the total time it takes to make this 15 bean soup. It’s almost entirely hands off time and the soup is really not difficult at all to make.

Soaking the Dry Beans

Dried beans need a good long time to soak. After you give the beans a quick rinse, sort through them, removing any foreign objects like small pebbles or the like. Cover the dried beans with water.

I recommend soaking them overnight, or at least 8 hours. If you don’t have 8 hours, there are directions on the package for the quick-soak method (cook beans for 2 minutes, then let them soak for an hour or more). Both methods are fine. 

When the beans have finished soaking, drain off the soaking water, rinse the beans again, and drain.

P.S. If you’re looking for a faster bean soup recipe, try my popular bean and bacon soup, white bean soup, or Instant Pot black bean soup.

How To Make Bean Soup

Now the beans are soaked. It’s time to get started on the soup. You’ll need at least two hours to cook this soup but more time is fine, too. The soup can simmer for as long as you want.

Sauté chopped onions, carrots, and celery in a Dutch oven or stockpot. When the veggies are softened, add the soaked beans, water, and seasonings. Nestle that ham bone in, bring the soup to a boil, turn the heat down, and simmer. I recommend an hour and a half, but no worries if you go longer than that. 

Remove the ham bone and if there’s any ham still clinging to the bone, pull it off and add it to your soup. I like to add some additional ham at this point. If you don’t have any extra ham, don’t worry, there will be plenty of good flavor in the soup from the ham bone.

Simmer the bean soup 15 minutes more to make sure everything is nice and hot. Remember to remove the bay leaf before serving the soup. Garnish with fresh parsley.

Serve with warm homemade healthy corn bread or whole wheat biscuits made with cornmeal, cheddar and black pepper. Beer bread is great, too, and doesn’t take long at all. We really love no-knead Dutch oven bread, too, which is another overnight recipe.

Recipe Variations

•  Ham bone substitutions: While the ham bone does add really great flavor as it simmers slowly with the beans, you could substitute sausage. Kielbasa or smoked sausage are great, or Italian sausage. Sometimes, I stir in cooked and crumbled bacon at the end of the cooking time. Another great substitute for a ham bone: ham hocks. I always use ham hocks when I’m making the traditional Hoppin’ John with black eyed peas and ham.
• Vegetarian or vegan: Just leave the ham bone and ham out. Try adding a couple of tablespoons of nutritional yeast to enhance the flavor and use vegetable broth instead of water. For smoky flavor, consider adding smoked paprika to the soup.
• Like lots of veggies? Increase the amount of carrots, celery, and onion; add chopped bell peppers; stir in spinach or kale near the end of the cooking time. 
• Make it “One bean soup”. If you can’t find 15 bean soup mix, this soup is delicious with just one type of dried beans. Great Northern beans or another white bean would be perfect.
• 15 or 16? Some bean soup packages include 15 types of beans, others include 16. Fifteen or sixteen, it doesn’t make a difference with this recipe, so feel free to use whatever you like. Call your soup 16 bean soup or 15 bean soup, it’s all the same! 

Storage & Reheating Tips

Refrigerate: This recipe makes a large batch of soup. Refrigerate leftover soup in covered containers. It will keep for three or four days and is perfect for lunches.

Freeze leftover soup for future meals. Bean soup freezes well. It will keep for at least 6 months. Thaw it in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.

Reheat: Individual portions can be reheated in the microwave, using a microwave safe bowl. Cover the bowl because beans tend to explode in the microwave. Large amounts can be reheated in a saucepan on the stove. If the soup seems too thick, add a bit of water or broth.