White Bean and Ham Soup

3 from 1 vote

Make use of canned beans to make this easy stovetop White Bean and Ham Soup. It’s cozy, comforting, and a perfect way to use up leftover ham.

Prep Time15

Cook Time25

Total Time40

Course: Soup

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 386kcal

Author: Valerie Brunmeier

Ingredients

1 tablespoon butter substitute your favorite oil for dairy free
1 cup diced white or yellow onion
1 carrot peeled and diced
2 ribs celery diced
1 teaspoon minced garlic
3 or 4 sprigs thyme sprigs
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
3 (15 ounce cans) cannellini beans rinsed and drained
1 ½ cups fully-cooked ham chopped (see notes below)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the Croutons (Optional)

2 cups cubed French Bread 1-inch cubes
1 tablespoon butter melted
1 tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter. Add the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic, and cook the vegetables over MEDIUM-HIGH heat, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add thyme sprigs and cook, stirring, for another minute. Add the chicken broth and beans and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to LOW, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine the melted butter, olive oil, and garlic powder in a small dish. Place the bread cubes on a rimmed baking sheet and toss with the butter mixture and Parmesan cheese. Bake, stirring occasionally, for 7 to 10 minutes or until toasted.
Remove the pan from the heat and discard the thyme sprigs. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup until thickened but not totally smooth. Alternately, working in batches, transfer the soup to a blender or food processor and puree slightly, leaving some beans whole. Return the soup to the pot and stir in the diced ham. Warm over LOW heat for a few minutes. Taste and season the soup with salt and pepper, as needed.
Top individual servings with the croutons, if desired.

Notes

Nutrition calculation is for the soup only and does not include the optional croutons.

Ham: If you're using leftover ham with a sweet glaze, be sure to rinse it well with cold water before adding it to the soup. If you don't have leftover ham, just pick up a vacuum sealed ham steak from the meat department at the grocery store.

Storage: This soup keeps really well! Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

To freeze, let the soup cool completely, then portion it into freezer-safe zip-top bags. Freezing in individual or meal-size portions makes reheating a breeze, just grab what you need. Lay bags flat in the freezer to save space and speed up thawing. When ready to enjoy, thaw overnight in the fridge or warm gently on the stovetop. Thin with a little water or additional chicken broth, if necessary, for the desired consistency when reheating.

Nutrition