Why this Thick Ham and Bean Soup Recipe is one of my favorites!

First of all, its thick! I love thick and hearty soups, stews, chowders, etc. Much more than I do thin soups. The warm and comforting flavors that this thick ham and bean soup recipe provides is out of this world. It has the perfect amount of richness and gets its thick and creamy texture from mashing it right before serving.

Second, It is extremely easy to make with very little prep. The most important part of this is letting the Ham Bone cook down. I could go on and on about why this is one of my top 5 favorite soups!

Best time to make this soup.

I save this thick ham and bean soup recipe for after any major holiday. I do this of course, because then I have the ham bone. Which is what makes this recipe. in fact, I wouldn’t even recommend trying to make it without that key ingredient. The marrow cooks out and the meat falls off the bone leaving you with a steaming bowl of rich, delicious, and thick Hambone and bean soup. UGH! My mouth is seriously watering!

Let’s not waste anymore time!

LET’S GET IT STARTED!

As usual, I always like to prep everything first. The water and garlic aren’t shown in this picture so be sure not to forget them. Start by sautéing the garlic in the Dutch Oven until aromatic and light brown.

Sweat Vegetables/Add Seasonings and Beans

Add the vegetables and sweat them down by about half. Then add the seasonings and stir to mix into the veggies. This is when things start to smell delicious and the family members all start walking around moaning and groaning about how great the house smells. Add the canned Great Northern Beans. Be sure to drain the liquid from two cans and use the liquid from the other two. This reduces the sodium level and keeps the soup from being too rich. If you are using soaked beans you may need to add more water and cook the soup for longer. I would recommend cooking this in a slow cooker if you’re using the dried beans.

Cubed Ham, Ham Bone, and Liquids

Add the cubed ham and continue to stir to mix. Next, add the ham bone in the center of the pot and pour in the chicken stock, then enough water to completely cover the bone. Lay the bay leaves right on top, bring to a boil, cover and simmer for about 3 hours.

The aroma of the soup will have filled your home with wonderful warmth and thats when its time to mash it up with a potato masher and Serve!