Easy Ham and Bean Soup is made with canned beans — no soaking required! This hearty and satisfying soup recipe calls for everyday ingredients and simmers for just 20 minutes. Each bite is packed with flavor, protein, and fiber. Meet your new go-to easy soup recipe!
“This soup was so yummy and easy! Both my boys loved it, perfect comfort food. … Served with store-bought sourdough bread and butter, delish!”
They say chicken soup cures what ails ya but I have to put in a good word for Easy Ham and Bean Soup. It’s become a go-to when we’re feeling under the weather.
Whether you’re down and out, or simply looking for a hearty and satisfying soup recipe, Ham and Bean Soup checks all the boxes. It simmers for just 20 minutes and is made with minimal, everyday ingredients including canned beans — no soaking required.
Oh yes you CAN get a full-flavored, savory bean soup using canned beans. Tell the others!
What How to Make It
Easy Ham and Bean Soup
With three kids and a hectic schedule, I typically don’t have the time (fine, nor the desire) to cook dried beans from scratch. Luckily you can get a super savory, creamy bean soup recipe using canned beans. Nobody will ever know.
In addition to being quick and easy, Ham and Bean soup is high in protein and fiber, and full of veggies too. I’m always finding an excuse to make it, especially around the holidays to use up leftover ham.
Main Ingredients Needed
Raid the fridge and pantry for the everyday ingredients needed to make this soup. Here are the main ones!
- Ham steak: dice up leftover holiday ham or purchase a pre-sliced ham steak from the grocery store. I like Frick’s bone-in ham steak.
- Great Northern Beans: are small and creamy — perfect for this soup! I like Bush’s Great Northern Beans which are high quality.
- Vegetables: carrots, celery, onion, and garlic add bulk, nutrition and lots of flavor.
- Chicken stock: since this soup only simmers for 20 minutes I like to use chicken stock vs chicken broth for max flavor.
- Flour: gives the soup broth a slightly velvety texture. I use gluten free flour but you can use AP flour if you’re not gluten free.
How to Thicken Ham and Bean Soup
One option to thicken Ham and Bean Soup is to blend a portion of the beans with broth in a blender, or with an immersion blender, but I find it muddies up the soup.
I find using a bit of flour gives the broth a slightly thick and velvety texture that’s really satisfying and cozy.
Can I Make Ham and Bean Soup Without a Bone?
If you’ve got a leftover ham bone, shank, or ham hock laying around, especially after the holidays, absolutely toss it into the soup to simmer, but truly you can get TONS of flavor simply by using a diced ham steak.
Alrighty, let’s cook!
How to Make Ham and Bean Soup With Canned Beans
Step 1: Saute the vegetables.
Start by heating extra virgin olive oil in a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add chopped carrots, celery, and onion or shallot, season with salt and pepper then saute until the vegetables are tender, 8-10 minutes.
Add minced fresh garlic and dried thyme then saute until the garlic is very fragrant, 1 minute.
Step 2: Thicken the soup.
Sprinkle flour over the top of the vegetables then cook while stirring for 1 minute. The addition of flour to the Ham and Bean Soup will give the broth a slightly velvety texture.
Step 3: Add the remaining ingredients.
Slowly add glugs of chicken stock into the pot while stirring to create a smooth sauce then add the remaining stock. Lastly, add diced ham steak and canned Great Northern Beans that have been drained and rinsed then stir to combine.
Turn the heat to high to bring the soup to a simmer then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. That’s it!
What to Serve with Ham and Bean Soup
I love pairing a hot bowl of ham and bean soup with crispy crostini to soak up all the rich broth (see the recipe card below for my easy recipe).
Warm Gluten Free Focaccia, Gluten Free Biscuits, Gluten Free Flatbread, or Gluten Free Cornbread are delicious as well!
Storage and Freezing Instructions
- To store: This soup gets better and better as it sits so store any leftovers in the refrigerator to reheat in the microwave or in a pot on the stove for easy lunches.
- To freeze: Cool the soup completely then ladle portions into Souper Cubes or Ziplock freezer bags and freeze flat. Thaw the soup in the refrigerator for 12 hours prior to meal time, then reheat in a pan on the stove top.
More Satisfying Soup Recipes
- Gluten Free Lasagna Soup
- Chicken Stew
- Loaded Baked Potato Soup
- Pastina Soup
- Creamy Chicken Wild Rice Soup
- Hamburger Soup
- Italian Wedding Soup
- Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
- Chicken and Rice Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large carrot, finely chopped, ~1/2 cup
- 1 rib celery, finely chopped
- 1/2 onion or 1 large shallot, chopped
- salt and pepper
- 2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
- big pinch dried thyme
- 2 Tablespoons gluten free flour, or AP flour if not GF
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 2, 15 oz cans Great Northern Beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 lb ham steak, cubed
Directions
- Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a large large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the carrots, celery, and onion/shallot, season with salt and pepper, then saute until tender, 8-10 minutes. Place a lid on top with a splash of chicken stock or water if the vegetables are taking a long time to soften. Add the garlic and dried thyme then saute until the garlic is extremely fragrant, 1 minutes. Sprinkle in the flour then cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
- Slowly add the chicken stock while stirring until a smooth sauce has been formed then pour in the remaining stock. Add the beans and ham steak then turn the heat to high to bring the soup to a simmer. Turn the heat down to medium-low then simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Scoop into bowls then serve with crostini — see notes for recipe.
Notes
- To make crostini: slice a gluten free baguette (or a regular baguette if you don’t need to eat GF,) into 1/4″ slices then arrange on a silpat or parchment paper lined baking sheet. Brush both sides with extra virgin olive oil then season lightly with salt and pepper. Bake for 8-12 minutes, or until the crostini are golden brown, at 350 degrees, rotating the baking sheet and flipping the crostini over halfway through.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are estimates only. Please read our full nutrition information disclaimer.
This is good stuff!!! Don’t know how many times I’ve made this. I don’t vary the recipe. Sometimes I make corn bread and sometimes garlic toast. But this is a 10
I am beyond thrilled to hear that, Tom! Thank you so much for your feedback and recipe rating!
Quick easy and delicious. Have made this many times now. Definitely my go to recipe for ham and bean soup.
Thrilled to hear that, Tom! Thanks so much for your feedback!
This was excellent and so easy to make! I halved it to try as I didn’t need a large amount. I did use some garlic flavored croutons in place of your crostini recipe. I’ll surely make this again, and I’m glad to have found your site! Thank you!
Oh that sounds amazing!! So glad you enjoyed, Jean. :)
Finally made this today with leftover Easter ham. Very good! I did it with the flour, but still found it too thin and mashed half of the second can of beans to thicken it. I also added a bit of fresh rosemary since it grows in my yard! I also waited to add any salt until after I cooked the ham in there for 15-20 minutes, just to make sure how much salty taste that added to the Really good!
Sounds delicious, Colleen! I’m so glad you loved the dish!!
This is delicious and couldn’t be easier. To thicken the soup I do what my mom used to do…use the potato masher to crush some of the beans.
Love that Deb! So glad it was a hit, and simple to make too. Thank you so much for your feedback and recipe rating!
Delicious!!! Doubled the recipe for a last minute Sunday afternoon late lunch/early dinner, large family gathering and all ages loved it! It’s a repeater for sure! Make it in the morning, keep the stove on low, and you’re all set whenever it’s time to eat!
I’m “new-ish” to @iowagirleats having made a handful of her recipes over the last couple weeks, and I’ve been LOVING her simplistic, whole food and yummy approach to meals. This recipe followed suit, and again, I can’t wait to try more!
Thrilled it was a hit with the entire family, Kelly! And that you are finding the recipes simple and approachable. Literally my two main goals. Thank you so much for your recipe rating and review!!
Thrilled over here too! Thank YOU!
The use of canned beans is what drew me to this recipe. The soup turned out beautifully. This is the first time I’ve added flour to a soup base to create sauce – what a difference as it made the soup just the right thickness and velvety smooth.
The next time I’m gonna double the recipe!
Instead of using flour could you just smash some of the beans to make it thicker?
Sure! You will have some of the skin of the beans floating throughout, and the result won’t be quite as silky, but it will help thicken the soup!
Delicious!! I did make this without gf flour. Instead, I used a potato masher and smashed a few of the beans to release starch (an old Martha Stewart trick I learned from one of her white chili recipes).
What size cans of beans are required – Bush’s makes different sizes
Oh my gosh I can’t believe I didn’t include that in the recipe card! It’s two 15oz cans. Thanks for pointing that out!
Thank you so much!! Making this tonight!
I hope you love it!
What a great and simple soup! It came together very quickly, which was perfect for a cold Monday night :)
Everyone loved this warming, delicious soup! Thanks for another great recipe!!
Thrilled to hear this, Katie! Thank you so much of the recipe review and rating!
I’m new to using ham steaks. Did you cook the ham steak before adding to the soup? Or do you allow it to cook in the soup itself? Thanks in advance!
Hi Susie! The ham is fully cooked already. :)
What no ham bone ,, great recipe Girl in central Texas fall garden doin good plantings beets carrots greens asian and western even bush beans tomato blooming again hope that they fruit should have green tomato for Christmas uh uh maybe !@!!!