Best 6 Contest Winning Ham And Bean Soup Recipes

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In the realm of comforting and hearty soups, ham and bean soup reigns supreme. This classic dish, often associated with chilly days and cozy kitchens, is a delightful symphony of flavors and textures that warms the soul. With its tender ham, plump beans, and aromatic broth, this soup is a true crowd-pleaser. While there's a traditional foundation to this beloved recipe, variations abound, offering a diverse culinary landscape to explore. From the classic combination of ham and navy beans to adventurous twists featuring smoked ham hocks or a medley of beans, each variation promises a unique taste experience. Discover the secrets behind this culinary gem, with two distinct recipes that showcase the versatility of ham and bean soup. The first recipe, a "Contest-Winning" creation, elevates the soup with the addition of smoky bacon, diced tomatoes, and a touch of brown sugar for a complex and flavorful broth. The second recipe, a "Slow Cooker Ham and Bean Soup," offers convenience without compromising taste. Simply toss all ingredients into your slow cooker, let it work its magic, and come home to a comforting pot of soup, ready to nourish and delight.

Check out the recipes below so you can choose the best recipe for yourself!

MOM'S HAM AND BEAN SOUP



Mom's Ham and Bean Soup image

I could not find the perfect recipe so this is my recipe that I came up with after comparing three different ones. I combined the ingredients that I liked and mom's ham and bean soup was invented. Enjoy!

Provided by BIGLERMOM

Categories     Soups, Stews and Chili Recipes     Soup Recipes     Pork Soup Recipes     Ham Soup

Time 10h20m

Yield 8

Number Of Ingredients 10

1 ½ cups dried Great Northern beans
4 meaty ham hocks
5 cups water
1 ½ cups sliced celery
1 cup chopped onion
1 large carrot, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
½ teaspoon dried thyme, or more to taste
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 bay leaf

Steps:

  • Place Great Northern beans into a large container and cover with several inches of cool water; let stand 8 hours to overnight. Drain water and transfer beans to a large stockpot.
  • Mix ham hocks, water, celery, onion, carrot, garlic, thyme, black pepper, and bay leaf with beans in the stockpot; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer until ham is coming off the bones, about 2 hours.
  • Remove ham hocks from soup. Cut meat from bones, discarding fat and bones. Return meat to the pot. Continue cooking until beans reach desired softness.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 396.8 calories, Carbohydrate 25.3 g, Cholesterol 68 mg, Fat 21.5 g, Fiber 7.9 g, Protein 25.1 g, SaturatedFat 7.4 g, Sodium 89.5 mg, Sugar 2.4 g

BASIC HAM AND BEAN SOUP



Basic Ham and Bean Soup image

Hearty ham and bean soup. Easy to make and a great way to use a leftover ham bone. This soup also has lots of mixed vegetables.

Provided by J. A. McConville

Categories     Soups, Stews and Chili Recipes     Soup Recipes     Beans and Peas

Time 3h

Yield 9

Number Of Ingredients 12

1 pound dry great Northern beans
8 cups water
½ teaspoon salt
1 ham hock
1 cup chopped carrots
½ stalk celery, chopped
1 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon mustard powder
2 bay leaves
2 cups chopped ham
½ teaspoon ground white pepper

Steps:

  • Rinse the beans, sorting out any broken or discolored ones. In a large pot over high heat, bring the water to a boil. Add the salt and the beans and remove from heat. Let beans sit in the hot water for at least 60 minutes.
  • After the 60 minutes of soaking, return the pot to high heat and place the ham bone, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, mustard and bay leaves in the pot. Stir well, bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 60 more minutes.
  • Remove ham bone and discard. Stir in the chopped ham and simmer for 30 more minutes. Season with ground white pepper to taste.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 256.9 calories, Carbohydrate 29 g, Cholesterol 30 mg, Fat 8 g, Fiber 9 g, Protein 18.1 g, SaturatedFat 2.7 g, Sodium 771.4 mg, Sugar 1.5 g

THE BEST BEAN AND HAM SOUP



The Best Bean and Ham Soup image

I make this hearty soup using the ham bone from our Easter spiral ham. I serve it with corn muffins and fresh fruit. It makes a huge pot of soup, so invite some friends or just freeze several portions for later use. Remember to soak the beans the night before you make the soup.

Provided by BenevolentEmpress

Categories     Soups, Stews and Chili Recipes     Soup Recipes     Pork Soup Recipes     Ham Soup

Time 10h25m

Yield 12

Number Of Ingredients 18

1 (20 ounce) package 15 bean mixture, soaked overnight
1 ham bone
2 ½ cups cubed ham
1 large onion, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
5 large carrots, chopped
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, with liquid
1 (12 fluid ounce) can low-sodium vegetable juice
3 cups vegetable broth
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon chili powder
3 bay leaves
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon dried parsley
3 tablespoons lemon juice
7 cups low fat, low sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon kosher salt

Steps:

  • Place the soaked beans into a large pot and fill with enough water to cover by about 1 inch. Bring to a boil, then simmer over low for 30 minutes. Drain. Add the ham bone, ham, onion, celery, carrots, tomatoes, vegetable juice, and vegetable broth. Season with Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, chili powder, bay leaves, pepper, parsley and lemon juice. Pour in enough of the chicken broth to cover the ingredients.
  • Simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, for about 8 hours. Add more chicken broth as needed throughout the day. Remove the ham bone and season with salt if needed. Continue to simmer for a couple more hours. Remove bay leaves before serving.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 259.7 calories, Carbohydrate 37.9 g, Cholesterol 13.9 mg, Fat 3.6 g, Fiber 14.8 g, Protein 17.3 g, SaturatedFat 0.9 g, Sodium 1105.3 mg, Sugar 6.5 g

HAM AND BEAN SOUP



Ham and Bean Soup image

This is easily the best Ham and Bean Soup we've ever had! It's a simple, adaptable recipe, perfect with chunks of crusty bread.

Provided by Kaitlin

Categories     Soup

Time 5h20m

Number Of Ingredients 18

1 tablespoon oil ((olive oil, vegetable oil, canola oil, etc.))
1 1/2 cups onions ((diced, about 1 medium onion))
4 large garlic cloves ((chopped))
2 cups celery ((diced, about 5 ribs of celery))
2 1/2 cups carrots ((diced, about 6 medium carrots))
5 15 oz. cans assorted beans
9 cups water
2 large bay leaves
2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon paprika
2 tablespoons chicken bouillon paste ((adjust to avoid over-salting if using powdered bouillon))
14 ounces ham ((roughly shredded or diced; or 2 large smoked ham hocks))
1/2 cup fresh parsley ((chopped))
1/4-1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke ((optional, to taste: not needed if using smoked ham hocks))

Steps:

  • Heat a Dutch oven (you can also use a thick-bottomed soup pot, but may need to stir more often to prevent burning) over medium heat for about 3 minutes or so, until it's nice and hot. Add the oil and the onions. Cook until the onions begin to turn translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes.
  • Stir in the chopped celery and carrots, and cook for an additional 5-6 minutes. Add the beans, followed by the water. Increase the heat to high.
  • Add the bay leaves, dried thyme, garlic powder, onion powder, white pepper, black pepper, paprika, and chicken bouillon paste. (If you don't have chicken bouillon paste, simply use chicken stock in place of the water.) Bring to a boil.
  • Stir in the ham. I like to cut it into big shards/shreds for extra texture. (Sarah likes hers cubed and orderly though. I won't judge either way!) If you're using a ham hock instead of ham, you can add it in now.
  • Reduce the heat to medium-low so the soup is at a somewhat energetic simmer--it should always be at a low bubble. Cook for 4-5 hours, stirring periodically. If the soup isn't cooking down, you may want to increase the heat to medium. Every stove is different, so don't just set it and forget it. Periodically check liquid levels.
  • In the last hour of cooking, add the fresh parsley, and cook for another hour. It's done when the beans and carrots are tender, and the soup is thickened. If you used a ham hock, fish out any bones, and chop up any large pieces of meat and skin (keeping the skin is optional) that don't break down during the cooking process before serving.
  • This soup is quite forgiving. If it ends up too salty for your tastes, just add water, and lightly mash some of the beans to release their starchiness and re-thicken the soup. If you are reheating the soup and there is not enough liquid, just add 1-2 cups of water to bring it back to your desired consistency.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 317 kcal, Carbohydrate 40 g, Protein 19 g, Fat 9 g, SaturatedFat 3 g, TransFat 1 g, Cholesterol 25 mg, Sodium 906 mg, Fiber 12 g, Sugar 5 g, ServingSize 1 serving

SIMPLY THE BEST HAM & NAVY BEAN SOUP



Simply the Best Ham & Navy Bean Soup image

A combination of different recipes. I couldn't find any one recipe that tasted the way I like bean soup. Try it you will like it.

Provided by draitz

Categories     Beans

Time 23m

Yield 8-10 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 13

1 lb navy beans
7 cups chicken broth
8 ounces tomato sauce
2 ham hocks
1 cup ham, chunks
1 onion, diced
1 -2 carrot, diced
1 -2 stalk celery, diced
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon celery salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
8 -12 peppercorns, in a teaball stainer
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

Steps:

  • Rinse and sort out navy beans.
  • In a crock pot cover beans with 4 cups of chicken broth and soak overnight.
  • Next day: Do not drain off broth.
  • Add 2 more cups of chicken broth.
  • Add remaining ingredients .
  • Cook on high 3 to 4 hours until ham hocks become tender.
  • Remove meat from hocks and cut into small pieces,return to mixture.
  • Continue cooking on low for another 6 to 8 hours.
  • You may have to add additional chicken broth if soup too thick. If too thin add instant potatoes.

QUICK HAM AND BEAN SOUP



Quick Ham and Bean Soup image

If you like ham and bean soup but don't want to spend hours in the kitchen, this tasty, quick version will leave you with a satisfied smile. -Taste of Home Test Kitchen

Provided by Taste of Home

Categories     Dinner     Lunch

Time 30m

Yield 7 servings.

Number Of Ingredients 11

2 medium carrots, sliced
2 celery ribs, chopped
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 tablespoons butter
4 cans (15-1/2 ounces each) great northern beans, rinsed and drained
4 cups chicken broth
2 cups cubed fully cooked ham
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 bay leaf

Steps:

  • In a large saucepan, saute the carrots, celery and onion in butter until tender. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cook for 15 minutes or until heated through. Discard bay leaf.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 168 calories, Fat 7g fat (3g saturated fat), Cholesterol 30mg cholesterol, Sodium 1242mg sodium, Carbohydrate 14g carbohydrate (3g sugars, Fiber 4g fiber), Protein 12g protein.

Tips:

  • Use a flavorful ham hock: A meaty ham hock will add delicious flavor to the soup. You can also use a smoked ham hock for a smoky flavor.
  • Soak the beans overnight: Soaking the beans overnight will help to soften them and reduce the cooking time. If you don't have time to soak the beans overnight, you can quick-soak them by boiling them for 1 minute, then removing them from the heat and letting them sit for 1 hour.
  • Use a variety of vegetables: This recipe calls for carrots, celery, and onion, but you can also add other vegetables such as potatoes, green beans, or corn.
  • Season the soup to taste: Add salt, pepper, and other seasonings to taste. You can also add a bay leaf or two for extra flavor.
  • Let the soup simmer: Simmering the soup for at least 30 minutes will help to develop the flavors. The longer you simmer the soup, the more flavorful it will be.

Conclusion:

This contest-winning ham and bean soup is a hearty, flavorful soup that is perfect for a cold winter day. It is easy to make and can be tailored to your own taste. So next time you are looking for a delicious and satisfying soup, give this recipe a try.

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