Navy Bean Soup I

With changes below, this warrants five stars. Okay, I am NOT a purist and use whatever tastes best. White Northern beans I find a little boring, so I used a bulk foods 13 bean mix, which had split peas, lentils, pinto, black, black eyed peas, garbanzo and several other types INCLUDING White Northern. This bean mix is cheaper, especially in bulk, and possesses a much more complex flavor than just white beans alone. Second, in the six cups of water I used half chicken broth and half vegetable broth (both Better than Boullion) so that the flavors better complimented the vegetable mix in the soup. Cayenne pepper instead of black, to go with the smoky flavor of half a pack of bacon (as opposed to straight ham, it was all I had on hand). I added 1 teaspoon celery seed to go with the celery stalks, plus three large carrots. Also, though I had diced tomatoes on hand I figured hand-chopped Roma would add more flavor and better texture. The beans were soaked overnight, so the soup only needs three hours on high in the crock pot to combine and reduce properly. Served with homemade cornbread it was PHENOMENAL! One of the best bean soups I have had, with the tweaks. Perhaps it is not Navy Bean anymore, but I think the taste is quite a lot better.

This soup is a keeper. I put all the ingredients except the tomatoes, salt, & pepper in a crockpot before leaving for work. Since the ham and bone were cold, I dissolved the bullion cube in boiling water and poured it over the ingredients. I added the tomatoes and pepper when I got home (the ham dded enough salt to the soup) and it was ready to eat.

Can I give this 6 stars??? Made it yesterday, but goofed and bought 2 ham hocks instead of the ham. Threw everything in my stockpot but used chicken broth instead of water. The whole day the aroma drove me crazy. I had soaked the beans overnight so was prepared to have a shorter cooking time, but I guess the beans were older. I wound up cooking this for about 5 and a half hours, and it was fabulous. All I did was warm up some crusty bread to eat with it. I will be having it again tonight...in fact, right now! Great recipe!

I made this today and was surprised how quickly it cooked. I did not pre-soak the beans, and it was done in 3 1/2 hours. I sauted the onions, garlic and ham first with non-fat spray, plus added carrots. Used half vegetable broth and half water, plus the chicken bullion. Did not add salt, bay leaf, or parsley. Did add a little cayanne pepper. I was skeptical of the tomatos since they are not my favorite thing in soup, but they are really good. It does not turn it into a "tomato based soup" if you know what I mean, they are just a nice addition.

This recipe is "SOUPER" FANTASTIC! Wow - it was so much better than anticipated! I added one can of tomato soup with the second addition of water. I used fewer diced tomatoes because of this (don't like tomato chunks too much)! Wow, the flavour was really awesome! I also used just a basic chicken stock all the way, instead of plain water. Even the kids loved this one! Best recipe I've found yet!!!! Thanks!!! :-)))

I made this in the slow cooker. I decreased the amount of beans so that everything would fit. I cooked it on low for about 8 hours and the flavor was tremendous! I also added uncooked bacon in the beginning which gave off lots of flavor as it cooked down. I added carrots also. The result was a very rich and thick soup. The stalk was thick; not too runny. I will definately make this again!

YUM! I made this today and YEEHAAAA! It was GREAT! I made a few subtle changes as follows: I got one of those mongo-sized chicken broth cans (49.5 oz) and for the initial "water" used 4 cups water plus appx 2.5 cups broth. The rest of the broth I dumped in for the second addition of water (and used no water that time at all). I still used the bullion cube initially. I added ham hocks as well as a half lb of chopped up ham, and I used an extra celery stick. Oh, and it cooked a full 6 hours (which is what it took to get the beans to soften). THOSE ARE THE ONLY CHANGES I made! It really was delicious... SO FULL OF FLAVOR! Needed no second seasoning w/S&P (maybe cause of the broth?). Everyone loved this incl my 7 yr old. I served w/french breat and thats it! THANKS!

What a great recipe! My father used to make very good bean soup, but I couldn't remember just what the ingredients were. I think this recipe has them all, except for carrots, which I added. The one thing I did differently was that I didn't add that last 3 cups of water because we like soups like this to be pretty thick, and this came out perfectly with just the initial 6 cups of water. Thanks, Angela!

The aroma of this soup is wonderful. I used a hambone leftover from christmas and some extra ham. I also used fresh garlic and some garlic powder. I had only fresh Italian (flat leaf) so I used that instead of the dried. Also I had Better than Boullion paste I substituted for the cube. Everything came out wonderful and delish! It wasnt to thick or to thin, just perfect. I like to add lots and lots of fresh ground black pepper to mine.

First tip; never add salt to cooking beans, don't know the reason but if you do add salt the beans never get done all the way, could be a reason for your crunch. My mother made the best bean soup ever and she always started with leftover ham bone (flavor is in the bone) also believe it or not at the very end of making the soup ....for a large pot of soup add 3-4 tbl. of cider vinegar. People will have NO idea what's different but it does give the soup more flavor. Good luck. Hope I helped.

This is an excellent and flavor filled recipe. As for the beans not being done beause of the tomatoes, just cover the dried beans with water in a stock pot, bring to a boil for two minutes, turn off the heat, cover and let soak for an hour. Drain off the water and put the beans back in the pot with the recipes ingredients and the beans will be be done in the stated time. I did add carrots and had no celery in the fridge, so I used a handful of dried celery flakes. I used leftover ham and cooked the beans for an hour with the hambone before removing the bone and adding the other ingredients. I also pureed my tomatoes with my immersion blender only because I like the creamier consistency it gives to the broth. Just tasted it and it's yummy. Can't wait for dinner tonight.

This wouldn't fit in my 4 quart crockpot so I went with low flame on the stovetop. Read several reviews here so made some mods but also tried staying true to the original. Soaked beans 1hr prior, rinse. Sprinkled a little brown sugar just in case tomatoes effected beans. Added all ingredients at once except turkey ham (my only sub) went in the last 1-1/2 hrs. Also at that point added 1 small bag baby carrots chopped & 8 petite red potatoes chunked. After 2hrs all my water was absorbed & beans still firm so I don't know how people didn't add the remaining water, maybe it's different in a crockpot? About 30min before finish I put 4 big spoonfuls in the food processor then dumped that back in the pot to make it creamy instead of watery. End result was great flavor & thickness, will definitely make again! ps- left out the salt & didn't miss it!

Really good soup. Tasted even better the second day!

I made this for the teen group at church. The theme was "Living Simply so that others can Simply live". After tasting this, I'm not sure it fits the theme, it so SO GOOD! I tripled the recipe, and used canned chicken broth. I also added carrots for color and used rotel tomatoes. Instead of ham (which would get pricy) I used some turkey sausage I had on hand. It was great! Just a hint that my dear grandmother gave me: Don't cook the beans in the same liquid you soak them in and you will gut down on the gassy side effect of bean soups...

Well, this turned out great! I had never had this soup before but my husband's mother made it all his life (she had passed away before I could meet her). He said to me one day "can you make some navy bean soup?" I told him I didn't know how. He said "my mom used to make it and she used ....". I thought "oh boy, how do I make something his mother made and I can't ask her anything?". So, I found your recipe and it had most of the ingredients that he said he mother used (I added carrots). I made your soup yesterday and he couldn't get enough of it. Thank you for sharing!

Awesome soup! I used left over roast beef gravy plus added chicken broth to equal the 6 cups it was about 2/3 & 1/3 respectively. It was OMGoodness good!! I also used smoked hog jowl and hickory smoked long link sausage (1 lb) because that is what I had on hand. The sausage was added towards the end. Try it beef gravy!

My husband was having a potassium difficiency, so I went in search of recipes that were high in potassium. My husband grew up with navy bean soup, so I thought I would give this recipe a try. My husband won't eat ham, so I substituted 1/2 lb. chopped smoked turkey. I like things with a little spice, so I used Rotel tomatoes, which contain green chilis. Because the Rotel tomatoes come in smaller cans, I used two cans and reduced the water by 1/2 cup. My husband really enjoyed it. He said when they were kids, they would load it up with ketchup, but that wasn't necessary. There was plenty of flavor and potassium - this fit the bill exactly.

I put this one in the crockpot and it did very well. I omitted the 3 cups water that's mentioned at the end of the recipe figuring I could always add it along if the soup was too thick. It was just the right consistency without it. I am from the South and used to a little different taste on navy beans so I would leave out the diced tomatoes next time, or perhaps cut it in half. The tomato sort of moved the taste away from the navy beans. Overall it was good and I will certainly make it again.

This smelled absolutely delicious, but what a disappointment! The beans were crunchy and the whole soup lacked flavor. This just did not turn out at all.

Great soup after I cooked it "my way". I use ham stock (I make, then freeze) from a leftover ham bone (or use smoked ham hocks?) I recommend using this for any bean w/ham soup for rich deep flavor. Maybe I should post a recipe for this, eh? Onwards: I did "softly" boil navy beans (w/tblsp of Baking soda) for 3 minutes (use a large pot as it will foam up) turn off heat & let em sit for an hour. Drained/rinsed beans then adding to 4 cups ham stock in clean large pot. I used bay leaf, celery, onion, garlic, 1 tblsp Worchester & additional water to cover beans by 1". I did add 3 diced carrots too. *Don't add tomatos or anything acidic during 1st 2 hours or your beans won't soften (as stated previously.) I think a tsp of liquid smoke would add some dimension if you don't have stock to use. I didn't need chicken bouillion and use salt (if needed) during last hour. I did add some cayenne pepper & tsp of dried thyme. Soup has better developed flavor the next day! A splash of lemon juice shortly before serving gives any bean soup a bright note of flavor :)

I loved this soup so much! I only changed a few things: Used all chicken broth instead of water/bouillon. Used 2 onions, fresh parsley, and cayenne pepper instead of black. I added a ham hock purchased at the store. This ham hock apparently had some salt, as I needed no additional salt for the soup. I really don't like tomato based soups. But, after reading the reviews, I realized that the chopped tomatoes would not turn into a tomato soup. I wouldn't leave them out, as I think they added to the soup. But they didn't cook down into a tomato-based soup, for which I was happy. I think that the soup was marvelous. I might change next time to use "reduced sodium" chicken broth, as the ham hock provides all the salt the soup really needs.

I tried this soup because I lost the recipe I usually use for bean soup. This soup was a huge hit with everyone - even the kids! I did use chicken broth for at least half the water, and I soaked the beans overnight. I also used two cans diced tomatoes and a little Tabasco. Yum!

Very good flavorful soup. I used a ham bone and cooked everything together. Removed the bone and fat at the end of 2 hours. Used chicken stock in place of the water and also added carrots, more fresh garlic(didn't use the powder) and onions. I used fresh parsley too. Also added liquid smoke and 4 T. of cider vinegar at the end. I didn't add anymore ham as there was quite a bit on the bone and I also did not add 3 more cups of water - probably just added another cup of chicken stock.

“It is the best Navy Bean Soup I’ve ever tried”, direct words from my husband, former navy. I love it! Extremely delicious! It is even better the next day! I made one change: instead of 3 cups of water I put 11/2 and cooked in a slow-cooker.

First let me say that I've made Navy Bean soup many times. I used to buy the flavor packet they sold at the Honeybaked Hams store, it was delicious! Then they quit selling it and I began my search for a good recipe. I can now say that I've found it! My family and I give this recipe 5 stars! That said I did eliminate the tomatoes, and because we like a little thicker broth, I added about 1/2 cup of instant mashed potatoes ( a little trick my Mom taught me). It really is the best Navy Bean Soup I've had in a very long time! BTW... I did use a Honeybaked ham bone left over from Thanksgiving, I do think their hams make the best soup!

This soup was exceptional. I followed the recipe but did have to make a few adjustments because of what I had on hand. Turned out great and I'll do it the same way next time. I only had a can of diced tomatoes with green chilies so used that instead of plain tomatoes. Also used all fresh garlic instead of fresh AND powdered. Aside from that I followed the recipe to the tee. Of..didn't add extra salt because other ingredients already has so much salt in them. Thank you very much!!!

A very good soup!!! I gave it 4 stars because I did alter the recipe a bit. I used a ham bone instead of chopped ham and WOW it was over the top!!! I also only used 6 cups of water and cooked it for 5 hours on high in my crock pot. I did soak my beans overnight and then drained them and put them in the crock pot with everything else. Before serving, I sprinkled parmesan cheese on top and it melted nicely into the soup for a little extra flavor. I WILL be making this again for my family!! Thank you for sharing this recipe with us!!

Good recipe, but make sure your beans are fresh! I made the mistake of grabbing a bag of beans from the back of my cupboard. Stale beans will never soften no matter how long you cook them. I ate it even though the beans were dry and the skins were tough, but my husband and daughter had chicken nuggets. I'll have to try again after I've given my husband enough time to forget about this mishap. I gave it 4 stars because of what it could have been =(

I gave this recipe three stars because it is flawed, but does offer a good start to a great navy bean soup. For a true "restaurant quality" navy bean soup, delete the can of tomatoes completely, simmer with a ham bone and ham for two hours, and then at the end of two hours, pour in a can of tomato soup to get the broth "just right". Completely unnecessary to add three cups of water and then simmer for an additional two hours. After two hours, your veggies will be a soggy mess. Just add the tomato soup, adjust water as necessary to give you a good consistency (may need about 4-5 ounces) and then adjust salt to taste, and voila, perfect restaurant navy bean soup!

I loved this soup! It was thick and hearty and a blizzard was blowing outside! It made me feel warm and cozy. I did use turkey bacon instead of the ham and was delicious. I did soak my beans for an hour and a half on the stove. Put everything in the slow cooker and was amazed at the final outcome!

Excellent soup! Loved the flavors...easy to make..one pot deal! I did add chopped carrots and the juice from the can of tomatoes. I cooked this soup on very low simmer for about 4-5 hours...perfect. I highly suggest soaking the dried navy beans overnight...they plump up and cook easier. Great warm-u-up meal with fresh bread and salad. Thanks Angela!

This soup is amazing! I doubled the recipe and used a 1kg (~2lb) smoked ham. My mother-in-law and husband are from Eastern Europe, where bean soup is a staple. My husband said it was the best bean soup he's ever had. My mother-in-law said that I can get married now because this bean soup is fantastic!

I really enjoyed this soup, delicious! The only change I made based on other reviews was to use 3 cups of water and 3 cups of low sodium chicken broth. I also added lots of fresh spinach for extra nutrition! I added elbow macaroni to my kids soup which they loved! Great recipe.

Very delicious and seasoned well. My stepmom who is 89 loved it and everyone raves about her soup so for her to have liked it so much it truely was good. I did add a couple of small carrots though however. Other than that I was faithful to the recipe.

This was so delicious and easy. I already made navy beans so all I had to do was throw everything into the crock pot and put it on high before I left to workout. When I came back I had a nicely simmering, flavorful soup waiting for me.

Very good soup!

I added diced carrots to give it a little more nutrition and only added half the garlic powder. Delicious! My family loved it!!

My husband and I nearly ate all of this in one sitting. I had to substitute based on what I had on hand - so 1 can of chicken broth instead of adding chicken boullion. I added carrots and couple of dashes of hot sauce. Fixed in the crock pot and served with Jiffy cornbread. Thanks for contribution - cannot wait to have it again.

love this so much. I use 2 chicken breast in place of ham. I saute 3-4 garlic cloves & the onion in olive oil & then add to the soup. Also I soak my beans in spring water for 24 hours prior to making... dump out the water you soak the beans in add fresh spring water. very tasty meal! I also serve over brown rice.

Followed the recipe almost exactly and LOVED this soup! The only change I made was to add a few diced carrots.

Excellent Soup! I also added in two chopped carrots. As suggested in your bean information page, I added the tomatoes and salt at the very end so that the beans won't stay hard inside. This will definately be one of my favourite soups on a cold winters day!

Excellent recipe, makes large amount but freezes well.

Wonderful! Made exactly as directed.....wouldn't change a thing. Great with corn bread.

This is really good. The only changes I made was to add carrots and I used ham soup base instead of chicken boullion. Next time I will wait for the last 2 hours of cooking to add the celery, carrots and ham. They got a bit mushy for my taste cooking from the begining. Can't wait to eat the leftovers!

I skipped the diced tomatoes and boiled the ham for over an hour by it's self for flavor.

Really good, and easy too! Used my crock pot and left it on low for about 7 hours...Great!

I did not care for this soup. Since it could be a personal taste thing, I did not want to give it a bad review. It didn't have any off flavors, but just an overall taste I didn't like. The majority of the flavor I tasted was smokiness from the bacon, but little else. Also, You may want to cook the beans alone (in water) 1 1/2 hours before adding the other ingredients. Using tomatoes or other acidic things at the beginning, will make it so the beans will either not cook all the way through or it will take 8-12 hours to do so.

This soup was soooo good! I didn't use tomatoes and used carrots instead. I cooked it all day in the crockpot and it was a hit! I highly recommend it.

I made this soup and it was fantastic! I soaked the beans overnight, used a can of crushed tomatoes and used smoked ham shanks for the ham. (These really, really made the soup). I made it one day and we had it the next and it couldn't have been better. Thanks for a great recipe.

We used canned navy beans to save cooking time (2hrs). It turned out great, we will be doing this one again.

I followed the recipe except for a few things. I soaked my beans for 24 hours,changing the water twice. I also slow cooked the recipe in a crockpot for approximately 12 hours. I left the ham bones in, until the beans finished cooking, then removed them to allow more room in the pot. It is delicious.

This has to be the best bean soup I have ever eaten-my husband and I LOVED it! And I know many people hate it when people post that they like it and then say what they changed-we did make 2 changes. First, I chopped two carrots very fine and added to the soup. Second, we used a ham hock instead of just ham. It isn't too salty, and is delicious. I am adding this to my cookbook.

Incredible with a few tweaks. I soaked some mixed beans overnight, then I cooked the ham bone with the initial ingredients and six cups of liquid (three chicken stock, three water. Added an extra clove of garlic, and tossed in three chopped carrots and some lentils about 45 min before it was done. Never added the last three cups of water. Incredible, and flavorful.

I made this soup today with a Smoked Ham Hock and I added Liquid Smoke because I love the flavour that the smoke gives it...it is delicious but I had to simmer it for almost 6 hours, not the suggested 4 hours the recipe stated. I didn't add the salt or chicken cube until after the 5th hour of cooking, knowing well that salt inhibits the cooking of the beans. While the recipe did not state to soak the beans overnight, I think I will definately add this step in the future to see if it will make a difference in the cooking time. With that said, this is really a delicious soup that you can make on the back burner on a lazy Sunday afternoon.

Family ate this up and RAVED about it. I did not include bay leaf or bouillon as I did not have them - just water. Family ate it before I could even add tomatoes. Brought beans to boil, then let them sit for 2 hours, then cooked in crockpot for about 5 hours. Easy, smelled great, and tasted wonderful!

Delicious! I made the following adaptations due to what I had on-hand, and it was out of this world. 1 (15 oz.) can black beans, 1 (15 oz.) can white beans, 6 cups Swanson organic chicken broth (in place of water), 2 extra stalks of celery, turkey ham, pre-cooked (optional, but sooo good), no bouillon needed due to broth no garlic powder needed; fresh was enough. All other ingreds. kept the same. Thank you for the recipe, Angchick!

I didn't add the boullian because the ham makes it salty enough. Too much ham, it was too salty and kind of flavorless. I would cut back on the ham so the flavor of the beans comes through more.

Very savory, and easily altered to your taste preference. I don't use ham very often: if I have it, I do, if I don't, it's great w/o it. I don't think the soup needs the bay leaf. Sometimes, I think people put them in becasue they are expected in soup... this one has so many flavors and spices already, it just gets lost and almost leaves a bitter aftertaste... Maybe it is mixing poorly with another spice. I add extra cayanne.

Made this for NYE party at work, very good flavor. Presoaked beans after reading reviews. Will make again

This is great stuff! I used ham stock instead of water, and then used Butterball turkey sausage instead of the ham. My house smells like I am a REAL COOK who knows what to do! It is delicious!!!

An easy to prepare, delicious MEAL! My family loves it. I make it when it's cold and we're all around the house in pajamas for the day. We can't wait to get snowed in!

I usally do not like bean soup but this soup is very good. I have made it with smoked sausage and with italian sausage and it was still very good. It is dfinately my favorite bean recipe

This recipe was great! Instead of straight water, I did use half chicken broth. I also added a few dashes each of paprika and cayenne pepper. My mom used to make a variation of this soup when I was little, but this was so much better! (sorry Mom) I will definitely be making again.. this is the perfect winter soup. Thanks!

OMG- this soup is amazing! I made this mostly for my hubby as I didn't think I would like it at all....well, was I ever wrong! This is quite easily one of the best soups I have ever made! I had made a ham and made broth from the bone instead of using water as the recipe called for. I didn't have any canned tomatoes, so I used fresh. It was done in 3.5 hours instead of 4. Eating some right now - amazing!

Delicious! I had no ham, so I substituted with bacon - awesome

What a delicious soup!!! Thanks, Angela--I tried it in a crock-pot and my beans were a little tough, but it's probably because I kept lifting the lid to taste it while it was cooking! :) I also added carrots the last 2 1/2 hours--for slow cooker purposes--probably the last hour and a half is good enough or the carrots will be mushy. I also prefer using a ham bone---bones always seem to just add a bit more flavor. This recipe is a keep for the winter in my home! LOVED IT!

Outstanding!!!!

Great base recipe and easy to customize. I let it simmer all day in the slow cooker. I also added chopped carrots, ommitted tomatoes and used smoked bacon instead of ham. Delicious!

Did not like. Don't make.

Subtle garlic and pepper undertones, combined with the light hickory flavor from the ham, make this soup as flavorful as it is hearty. I could'nt believe how easy it was. This soup will definately become my traditional use for the Easter ham leftovers.

This was excellent! I used a ham bone left over from christmas and no additional meat and it was perfect. Also used fresh tomato since I had extras and 2 carrots. I went ahead and added the extra 3 C water in the beginning only because I needed to cover my ham bone and it only simmered for about 3 1/4 hours covered since we like our soup a little on the brothy side. Right before serving I added about 1T vinegar to cut the sweetness from my glazed ham. This will be my navy bean soup recipe from now on!

This is a great recipe -- I doubled it and added 4 large carrots, finely chopped since I like to get my veggies in any way I can!!:) I also used turkey ham instead of regular ham; that lowers the fat content and ensures that the soup isn't too salty. I brought this to work and everyone was having seconds and asking for the recipe -- thanks, Angela!!!

Wow. Great soup! Full of flavor. This soup was a big hit. Made it exactly as written.

Delicious! I have made this several times since the first time I downloaded the recipe! This Easter I didnt buy chicken stock so I used the chicken bouillion as recipe stated but I think I prefer the chicken stock. I also boiled the ham bone in plain water before adding to the soup as someone else had suggested. That was a great tip and this recipe is just delicious! Just like my mom used to make!

I too added carrots, and sauteed the vegetables, ham and garlic before adding the other ingredients. This soup was super tasty! I will make this again soon!

I loved it. Next time I will add carrots as well.

I LOVED this soup. With some of the additions from the reviews (bullion instead of water - 15 bean instead of navy) and a can of tomato sauce it was incredible. Each day it tasted better.

We thought this was excellent. Very easy to put together, even though it takes a while to cook. It is worth every minute. I added carrots the last hour of cooking and replaced 1/2 of the water with chicken broth. I also added a ham hock that I had on hand in the freezer, otherwise, I think it would still be good without. Very filling. Bread is all that is needed as a side!

This recipe was very good. I made it with a ham bone that was left over. My family enjoyed this. This is a keeper. Thanks for the recipe.

I made this soup for the first time, I added a little carrot. Was a hit with my wife. Will make it again and again!!!!

I like this as a base. The reason the beans didn't cook in the recipes is becasue they added the tomatoes too early. Acid in tomatoes will keep the cellulose in vegetables esp beans bron breaking down...I boilb for ten munites then simmer the beans for one hour. I also used chix and veg stock...I use more water and put in mashed potatoes to thicken.

The best Navy Bean Soup I have ever made! Thank you! I wish I had doubled it! I did add some saltpork, but other than that followed directions exactly and it was awesome! Thank you thank you!

Fantastic! I used 2 whole tomatoes instead of canned diced tomatoes and it was still good. Will make it again.

Made this once with bacon and of course a little salsa. It was FANTASTIC! I had never eaten Navy Beans but yum, yum. Making it again today with a hambone, and RoTel Hot Chopped Tomatoes and some fresh grape tomatoes (less work). It smells awesome.

I like more hearty soups and made this with a 2 lb ham bone (1.5 lb of ham once bone was removed)and it turned out great. I did not add the 1 tsp salt and had to add a little more water at the end. The soup was the best navy bean soup I have ever had.

Sorry. I love bean soup, but this version is not a winner. It's just too bland and the flavor just is not resolved right. It tastes like there is something missing.

A good recipe. I prefer my soups a little thicker, though. I added carrots, extra bouillon and extra celery. I didn't have any onion on hand, so I omitted that. It was a very hearty soup. I made more than I needed so I can have a yummy and healthy soup ready to eat!! =D

Wonderful! I adapted a bit based on other reviews. Soaked the beans overnight, used a combination of stock from ham bone and chicken broth as well as cayenne pepper and extra black pepper. After a few hours it was good - after 8 hours in the crock pot it was excellent! Will be making this again ... And again.

This was okay. I am not sure I liked the tomato in this soup, but it might just be because my family is use to white beans and rice. It tasted like white beans with salsa in them. Both of my kids (1 and 3 years old) ate it, which is a plus.

Very good recipe but I dont think I would make it again. I did make a few changes. like most others I added carrots and used chicken broth instead of water, other then that I made it exaxtly as written. My only other comment would be that it tasted a lot like can pork and beans.

I made it per recipe with one exception I added half cup of sliced carrots. It tasted great

I just tried this recipe. Very tasty. I used dry great northern beans, which cooked a bit faster. I don't keep a recipe unless I feel it is two thumbs up. This one is a keeper!

I added carrots. Excellent!

Great Soup!! My whole family loved this soup...I did make a couple of subtle changes: I used 8 cups of chicken broth at the beginning of cooking (and never needed to add more liquid) and used 1 lb. of ham and 1 1/2 cups of chopped carrots .....oh, and I also soaked the beans overnight resulting in the soup being ready in 3 hours. I will definitely use this recipe regularly!! Thanks for sharing your recipe.

I cooked this in a crock pot. If you go this route - you want to up the setting to high for the last 2 hours or so to make sure the beans are adequately cooked. I added extra celery. The next time I prepare this I'm going to add more hame. A great meal for a cold winter day.

DELICIOUS! This basic soup has a very good base. I soaked northern beans overnight. I added celery, carrots, a little more onion than stated, a dash of Mrs. Dash, a tub of Knorr chicken stock, a pinch of garlic powder, diced ham and three strips of diced bacon with drippings. I also added added two teaspoons of tomato paste. I halved the recipe and it was perfectly done in just over two hours. I'll make more servings next time now that I know how very good it is. Served it with a mandarin salad and french bread. My husband absolutely loved it! It will definitely become a winter staple at our house!

My father-in-law says it is so good I should sell the recipe! My wife loved it, but it is in some way a real "guy" soup. Probably a Super Bowl hit. It is that good!

I thought this soup was excellent. I soaked my beans in advance, which eliminated an hour of cooking time. and also added carrots and little extra ham. Delicious. I will definitely make this again.

This is a truly good bean soup recipe. What makes it so is: no presoaking of the beans; no sauteeing; no odd, hard to find ingredients; superb flavor. Right before I finished the simmering I scooped out a cup of the beans, pureed them, and threw the puree back into the pot. This made the soup creamy and thick (but not too thick) without having to cook the beans even more. The soup is complex with a little bit of texture from the tomato and onion bits. I made the recipe exactly as written, and discovered also that 8 oz of cooked ham already chopped can be purchased at the grocery store. Now there's a first. I really, really like the great flavor and simplicity of this recipe--it's a keeper.