Hearty Ham and Bean Soup

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Hearty ham and bean soup made with leftover ham, canned cannellini beans, potato and spinach. An easy one-pot soup, ready in about an hour.

Prep Time15

Cook Time45

Total Time1

Course: Main Course, Soup

Cuisine: American

Keyword: ham and bean soup, ham and bean soup with canned beans, ham bone soup, leftover ham soup

Servings: - 8

Calories: 470kcal

2 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion diced
3 stalks celery diced
3 large carrots diced – use the soft carrots from braising the ham if you have them
2 cloves garlic minced
½ tbsp tomato paste
1 cup (250ml) ham stock the strained braising liquid from a ham hock, fat skimmed see note 1
8 cups (2 liters) water see note 1
5 cans cannellini beans 15 oz (400g) cans, drained and rinsed
1 lb (450g) cooked ham shredded or diced
1 large potato peeled and diced small
2 bay leaves
3 cups fresh spinach
4 tbsp sour cream or more, to taste (optional)
black pepper to taste
2 tbsp parsley to serve
1 pinch red pepper flakes to serve

Heat a little olive oil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. Add the diced onion, celery, carrots and potato and cook for 6–8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened.
2 tbsp olive oil, 1 large onion, 3 stalks celery, 3 large carrots
Stir in the garlic and tomato paste and cook for 1 minute, until it darkens slightly.
½ tbsp tomato paste, 2 cloves garlic

Add the diced ham, stock, water, beans and bay leaves. Bring to a rolling simmer, then turn the heat down low and cook for 30–40 minutes.
1 cup (250ml) ham stock, 8 cups (2 liters) water, 5 cans cannellini beans, 1 lb (450g) cooked ham, 2 bay leaves, 1 large potato

Discard the bay leaves. For a thicker, creamier soup, mash some of the beans and potato against the side of the pot with a wooden spoon, or blend a couple of ladlefuls with an immersion blender and stir them back in.
Add the spinach and stir it into the hot soup so that it wilts. Take off the heat and stir in the sour cream if using.
3 cups fresh spinach, 4 tbsp sour cream
Taste the soup before you season. Add plenty of black pepper, and salt only if it needs it – it usually will not.
black pepper
Ladle into bowls and finish with chopped parsley and a pinch of red pepper flakes.
2 tbsp parsley, 1 pinch red pepper flakes

Note 1: Replace the ham stock and water with low-sodium chicken stock or chicken broth.
Ham bone: If you have one, simmer it in the soup with the stock and water. Lift it out before thickening, pick off any meat and stir it back in.
Dried beans: Use 1 lb (450g) dried cannellini beans. Soak overnight, drain, boil hard in fresh water for 10 minutes, drain again, then simmer in the soup for 1–1½ hours until tender, adding 2–3 cups (500–750ml) extra water.
Too salty? Do not add salt until the end. Dilute with water or unsalted stock, add an extra can of rinsed beans, or finish with sour cream or a squeeze of lemon juice.
Make ahead: This soup tastes even better the next day. It thickens as it sits, so loosen it with a splash of water when you reheat it.
Fridge: Cool completely and store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Freezer: Freeze in portions for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge. The potato softens a little after freezing, but in a soup like this you will not notice.
Reheat: Warm gently on the stove until piping hot, stirring so the beans do not catch on the bottom of the pot.
Smoky variation: Use smoked ham, or add ½ teaspoon of smoked paprika with the tomato paste.
Greens: Swap the spinach for kale or shredded cabbage and give it 5 minutes in the pot to soften.