When it’s this cold, you need something hot, steaming and satisfying like a deep bowl of this heavenly soup. Rich with flavorful and meaty ham, beans, and lovely winter veggies like cabbage, carrots and potatoes, this is comfort food in a bowl. Don’t throw away that ham bone, save it for this soup! Or,  use a couple of ham hocks. You can make this in about 3 hours on a cold winter’s afternoon. This will eliminate the winter chill and warm you up all the way to your toes!

Potatoes, cabbage, onions, carrots, ham and celery for the soup.

Why I love this soup:

• It’s quick to make

• It feeds a crowd

• It will warm you to your toes

• It’s the perfect way to use that leftover ham bone from Christmas

Mmmm…soul satisfying, warm-you-to-your-toes Ham and Bean soup with winter vegetables!

Ham and Bean Soup

Soul Satisfying Ham and Bean soup with Winter Vegetables

Kate Battistelli

Rich with 15 different beans, meaty ham and lovely winter veggies like cabbage, carrots and potatoes, this is comfort food in a bowl!

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Prep Time 1 hour hr

Cook Time 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Total Time 2 hours hrs 20 minutes mins

Course Soup

Servings 8 servings

Ingredients

  

• 1 bag 15 bean soup - Throw away the flavoring packet you won't need it or, 1 pound of organic navy beans
• 8 cups water
• 1 large meaty ham bone or 2 pounds meaty smoked pork hocks
• 2 cups chopped onion
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 2 cups chopped potatoes about 3 potatoes or chopped, peeled rutabagas
• 1 cup chopped carrots
• 1/2 green cabbage thinly sliced

Instructions

 

• Rinse and drain beans in a colander. Put the beans in a large dutch oven and cover with water. Bring to boiling.
• Reduce heat and simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from heat, cover and let stand for one hour. (Or, soak the beans overnight in a covered pot.)
• Drain and rinse the beans.
• In the same pot, combine the soaked beans, 8 cups fresh, filtered water, the ham bone or hocks, onion, celery, thyme, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat, cover and simmer about an hour or until beans are nearly tender.
• Stir in potatoes, cabbage and carrots. Return to boiling then reduce heat. Cover and simmer about 20 minutes more or until vegetables are tender.
• Remove ham bone or pork hocks from the pot. When cool enough to handle, cut the meat off the bones, coarsely chop it and add it back to the soup. Discard the bones.
• Slightly mash the beans and vegetables in the pot. Return the meat to the pot and cook till heated through. Makes about 8-10 main dish servings.

Kate’s Tips

• You can use a bag of navy beans if the 15 bean mix isn’t available.
• One of my readers made this with smoked turkey instead of ham. Wonderful idea!
• Any leafy green added to this soup would be really good. Think spinach, kale, escarole or swiss chard.
• If you don’t want to use potatoes and can’t get rutabagas, turnips would be a good substitute.
• Serve with a salad and some good, crusty bread or muffins.
• This freezes really well so make a big pot and freeze some for those Sunday nights when you just don’t want to cook!

What are your favorite winter soups?