This is the Ham and Bean Soup that I remember as a kid growing up. It reminds me of fond memories that I will never forget. Enjoy!
Ham and Bean Soup
The weather was actually cool here in Phoenix this week …. as in, it was in the 80’s! 🙂 I really wanted some good, old-fashioned food like my gramma made – and this Ham and Bean Soup sounded like it would hit the spot.
I swear my gramma made the best food. As a child, I remember being mesmerized by the smells coming from her kitchen – and waiting in anticipation for dinner. My gramma was one of those kinds of people that would chase us kids out of her kitchen – she would tell us to go play outside – or go in the other room. LOL. Just thinking about it kinda makes me laugh – I remember finding my way back in there to watch her – and usually, as long as I stayed out of her way, she never said anything about me having to leave again.
In December, my gramma has been gone 17 years. I miss her every single day – and I am so thankful for the opportunity to have those moments in her kitchen. Much of what I “know” in the kitchen has come from her or my mom.
Making Ham and Bean Soup
I remember watching my gramma make Ham & Bean Soup …. she would get out her big pot and dump the beans in there. Then, she would sift them – looking for rocks, beans that weren’t fresh, or beans that were accidentally mixed up. Sometimes, we would have little smokies in place of the ham – but no matter what, it always turned out perfectly.
Oh – and I always grew up eating this with diced onion on the top – it’s how my gramma did it. If that’s not your thing, it’s completely optional – of course! Be sure to serve this with some Southern Cornbread on the side – yummmmo!
Other recipes you may enjoy
Ham and Bean Soup
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried Great Northern beans
- ½ pound ham diced
- 6 – 8 cups chicken broth or water
- Chopped onions for serving optional
Instructions
- Rinse the beans, sorting out any rocks, or broken or discolored beans.
Slow Cooker method:
- Soak the beans in water overnight.
- In the morning, drain the beans and discard the water.
- Add the beans, ham and 6 cups of broth to the slow cooker. Cover and cook on HIGH for 8-10 hours. Add more broth or water if necessary. If you prefer a creamier soup, you can mash some of the beans.
Stove Top method:
- In the morning, put the beans in a large soup pot. Cover with water and allow to soak until about 2 hours before dinner.
- Drain the beans and discard the water. Return the beans to the pot and add 6 cups of chicken broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for about an hour. Add the ham and continue to cook for another 30 minutes to an hour or until the beans are tender. If you prefer a creamier soup, you can mash some of the beans.
To serve:
- Top the beans with chopped onions (optional) and be sure to add some cornbread on the side!
Notes
- Sometimes we use diced “lit’l smokies” in place of ham or you could use kielbasa.
Nutrition
Please note that the nutritional information listed on this page is an estimation based on the products I used. Ingredients and nutritional information can vary significantly between brands. Always be sure to read labels. Please verify that a recipe fits your needs before using it. Nutrition info may contain errors, so please verify it independently. Likewise, recipes may contain errors, so please use your common sense when following them.
Originally published on October 3, 2013. Updated on April 24, 2021.
This sounds delicious! My granny was also an amazing cook among other things {think she tried to teach my mom to cook,,, but mom wasn't into cooking/baking etc lol!}
Jamie, this soup looks wonderful and I love hearing about recipes learned from our families – they are, without a doubt, the very best recipes just filled with love! Thanks for sharing and pinning!
Classic soup.. and simple love that. Thanks for sharing your warming soup with us on foodie friday.
My all time favorite soup is ham and bean. I just pinned and printed, thank you. What an easy recipe for a not-so-good cook like myself. Stopping by from Mellywood's link party ~ Amy
WOW! That seems so easy! Thanks for sharing!
Yum! I've just passed soup weather but ill be saving this or next year. Grandparents are the best, one of my grandmothers is an maxing cook, no recipes just whatever was in the pantry and it became a meal. I lived with her for a while, when I was younger I loved it especially as my mum hated cooking lol
you HAVE to enter this into my Favorite Family Recipes virtual recipe swap! It's PERFECT!
Check out my blog for more details! Really hope to see you there!
http://www.thefoodette.com
*Susan
Yummy!!
Jamie, this soup looks so yummy! I'm sort of obsessed with soups right now. Pinning this to my Dinner Ideas board to try soon!
Ham and bean soup is one of my favourites! Thank you for sharing at Simple Supper Tuesday.
My mom was just saying she made ham and bean soup the other night too. Now I'm going to have to make some. Yummy 🙂 Thanks for sharing. cass-eats.blogspot.com
So glad you put a stove top and slow cooker recipe! Thanks for sharing at Share Your Stuff Tuesdays!
What a nice post, Jamie. It will probably be one of those posts that you can go back and read again and again to smile over your memories.
You make me lol. We had cool weather here too…80 degrees!
Thanks for linking.
I love soup in the fall! This looks so good, thanks for sharing! Would love if you would come link up and share!
http://thediaryofarealhousewife.blogspot.com