Use smoked ham hocks to add hearty flavor to a navy bean soup made from scratch.
I made this recipe as is the first time and it was quite tasty without any changes. I think if you rate a recipe you need to follow the directions-at least the first time! I have made some changes since then. First I use low sodium chicken broth instead of water. I also use two or three carrots and an additional clove of garlic (we like garlic). and an additional bay leaf since I use fresh bay leaves from a tree and they don't seem very strong. I also added about a half a cup of chopped celery leaves and a small diced potato. Rather than removing some liquid and putting it in the blender to thicken it, I use my potato masher and that does a fine job without having to wash the blender.
Read MoreThe flavour was point on. But, either add one cup of beans or reduce the liquid by half. I saved the extra broth to freeze for later bean soup. I simmered it for a full six hours and as is the product was more a thin bean soup than a main course bean dish. I did follow the recipe to the letter. So, with the addition of more beans or less liquid I would rate it much higher.
Read MoreI made this recipe as is the first time and it was quite tasty without any changes. I think if you rate a recipe you need to follow the directions-at least the first time! I have made some changes since then. First I use low sodium chicken broth instead of water. I also use two or three carrots and an additional clove of garlic (we like garlic). and an additional bay leaf since I use fresh bay leaves from a tree and they don't seem very strong. I also added about a half a cup of chopped celery leaves and a small diced potato. Rather than removing some liquid and putting it in the blender to thicken it, I use my potato masher and that does a fine job without having to wash the blender.
This is a great recipe! I did make a couple of changes to fit out tastes. First, I used 1/2 fat free, low sodium chicken broth and 1/2 chicken stock for the water. 2nd, I substitted two smoked turkey legs for the pork. You can find them in the frozen foods. I just put them in skin and all, when cooking the beans (they won't fall apart that way). When they're done and cool enough to handle, discard skin, bone and fat; putting the meat back into the soup. I used 2 carrots and 2 med potatoes chopped and upped the garlic to 3 cloves (we love garlic). If you like it spicy, you can add a couple of chopped, seeded jalapenos! Thanks for a great recipe Jerry!
I just made this today. I've used it as a base for my own spin. If I do not have leftover stuffing I use stove-top Savory herb flavor. I follow the microwave directions and dump it in the finished soup. I do not blend some as the recipe instructs, I find the stuffing dissolves and adds a wonderful stick to your ribs thickness and flavor that is deliciously irresistible. Thanks!
This is a great penny pinching meal that's simple and delicious. I added a chopped up stalk of celery along with the onion. This is a great recipe to make ahead and reheat for those busy nights. This would be great without the ham for a meatless meal or you could even substitute a smoked turkey leg for non-pork eaters.
Just made this during the horrible Vikings vs. Bears Football Game; Substituted 4 cups unsalted chicken stock and 4 cups Low-sodium chicken broth for the 8 cups water as some of reviewers have suggested. Also added more carrots (about 4 medium-small ones). Smells up the whole house and tastes good, and will console my husband, per husband.
This was delicious. I used 1/2 pound of dry beans and one small meaty ham hock (about 1 1/4 lb.). Used 1 15 oz. can low sodium chicken stock and the rest water. Added celery, increased the carrots and garlic, added 1 tsp. sugar, 1/2 tsp. apple cider vinegar. Did not add any salt. Used dry thyme leaves instead of fresh. These were all minor tweaks. It was wonderful soup and I will make it again for sure. Thank you for the recipe.
Really good. Used dried herbs instead of fresh, 4 cups chicken broth and 4 cups water, 1 lg smoked ham hock with lots of ham on it, and chopped celery. Very tasty.
The flavour was point on. But, either add one cup of beans or reduce the liquid by half. I saved the extra broth to freeze for later bean soup. I simmered it for a full six hours and as is the product was more a thin bean soup than a main course bean dish. I did follow the recipe to the letter. So, with the addition of more beans or less liquid I would rate it much higher.
Just like my mom used to make. This is my new favorite thing to make. I changed it up to suite my own needs and tastes but they were minor and insignificant. The basic recipe is great where anyone will pleased with the results. If you try it you won't be disappointed.
I made this a couple of weeks ago and it was Fantastic! My mom said it's exactly how her mom's was when she was little. The only thing I will do differently next time is double up on the beans! I actually bought 2 cans of navy beans to puree so I didn't have to take from my pot! It worked out great.
Loved it. My wife has a dairy allergy, so most creamy soups are out, but this one gets its creaminess from the blended portion, so it's perfect for her. I was dubious of the tied herbs staying together, so i put them in a coffee filter and tied that into a pouch and steeped it like a teabag during the cooking process. Worked great!
This is the best! It reminds me of the soup my mom made! I had extra ham so I did not use the meat from the ham hocks this time. Yum! So good!
I boiled the ham hock by itself for a couple of hours and then added it to the other ingredients that were boiling in another crock pot. I also added a can on crush tomatoes. I also didn’t add the carrots till the last 2 hours. It was so delicious. I also soaked the beans over night.
Great recipe! I've made it several times now. I've modified it to use 1/2 chicken broth and 1/2 water; added chopped celery and a can of creamed corn; then thickened it at the end by using mashed potato flakes instead pureed beans. Rich, creamy and rib-sticking good!
I will make it again. My husband loved it. I added potatoes and I just used fresh thyme and dried sage because that is what I had. Added Salt and pepper. Superb. Very rusticand satisfying.
The only change I made was I added 4 chicken bouillon cubes into the water. This was delicious and I will definitely make it again!
I made it from dry pinto beans and leftover spiral sliced ham. I made it in my multi-cooker on slow cook low for 6 hours. I add a 1/2 tsp salt after it was cooked. (I didn't know how much salt the ham would add. A small can of diced tomatoes might be a variation for next time.
Yum! I forgot to do the puree at the end but it was still delicious. I did saute up some veggies with bacon and sausage since I had no ham hocks. I also added in some hot pepper sauce since we like it hot. Cheap, easy meal that everyone really loved.
This is almost the same as my regular bean soup with ham, except I add celery instead of carrots and a ham bone and scraps instead of hocks. This time I tried smoked hocks as per the recipe. Timing was way off -- beans were very well done, hocks were not tender enough to cut and some red was visible near the bone. Frustration! Next time I would boil the hocks half an hour ahead, then add them and their cooking water to the pot to cook the beans in.
Granted, I didn't use this exact recipe due to: Available ingredients, (this is probably the coldest night of the winter and who has fresh thyme and parsley?); Personal preference (I very seldom follow an "exact" recipe. Who does?); and, I'm a bit ADD. But , I'll say this recipe gave me everything I needed to know to cook a fantastic dinner with leftover New Year's ham and a pound of dried navy beans. After a little bit of preparation and simmering, spooned up in a wide bowl with buttered squares of rye pumpernickel swirl toast, this was a warming ,nutritious comfort meal that felt really special.
This is a delicious bean soup, I will make it again. I did make a couple of changes. I used 2 carrots, and substituted chicken broth (low sodium) for the water, using only 7 cups, as we like a thicker soup. I also think if I am in more of a hurry some time, instead of the dry beans I will use 2 cans of navy or Great Northern beans, mashing one and adding the other beans whole. This is a great comfort food!
Excellent basic recipe. Like others, I used chicken stock instead of water. I love the idea of using stuffing mix to thicken and flavor the soup but I am celiac and can't find a gluten free stuffing mix. Maybe someday...
As I made it, this was four stars. I went with frugal/lazy and so used the left over ham bone and some ham from Christmas. I did saute some celery with the carrot and onion and used dried herbs. Rather than blending some beans to improve texture, I just used a potato masher. This recipe is probably five stars as written, but but the frugal/lazy version made several very inexpensive, tasty lunches.
The only change I made was to use chicken broth instead of water when simmering all the ingredients. It came out magnificent!!!
This was truly delicious soup and easy to put together. I had to use ham shank since my grocer didn't have ham hock. The shank had a good amount of fat, so next time I'll look for something a little leaner. I will also use vegetable broth to see how that turns out. My husband had four bowls, so the change in recipe is for my own preference.
Ok, I never really appreciated my moms homemade soups until I made this. Wow, was this good! I like my soups chunky, a little spicy and sweet so here are my additions: I added more ham pieces, 1 extra chopped carrot, 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1 teaspoon thyme instead of herb bundle, 1/2 cup brown sugar, and, after I served it, some dried parsley and fresh grownd pepper. Hope you enjoy! Judi
I make a ham stock from a leftover bone, then chop the leftover ham bits back into the soup. Takes a little longer but worth it. Less greasy than using a ham hock and WAY more flavor than water. Definitely add celery; can't imagine it without it. Don't bundle herbs as they don't bother me at all in the soup.
GREAT soup, am having to stop myself from eating more because . . . you know . . . bean soup! I did use 4 cups chicken broth in lieu of 4 cups of the water. I also added 1 1/2 sticks of celery as I love celery. I didn't have a way to make an herb bundle so just threw in the bay leaf, added some dried thyme, and snipped in the parsley at the end. I did use a ham bone and some finely chopped ham. After removing the ham bone and the bay leaf, I used an immersion blender to blend up some of it. The texture and the flavors were spot on! Served with bread hot from the oven and I really want more but am afraid!
Just like my grandad used to make! I used chicken stock instead of water, dried herbs instead of fresh and went very light on the thyme. I added one celery stalk and two potatoes. I also mashed with a potato masher instead of using a blender and it 2as perfect! Thank you
This was very good. Only change I would make is to use the crescent sheet and bake in a 9x13 pan.
just like my mom use to make!! i added some more ham since you don't get much off of a hock, and we add malted vinegar after it is served. SO GOOD!!
Easy & tasty alternative to split pea soup. I used dried herbs since that's what I had on hand & just reduced the amount of them.
I followed the recipe. However , the soup flavor was quite bland. The next day, I added Turkey sausage and the soup was tastier. I made cheese popover to eat with the soup.
I have made it twice now and it's delicious. This time I used canned navy beans and its just as good as the first time I made it.
Turned out great! I didn't use fresh spices tho. I also added a little thickener (xanthan gum) which made it really thick and hardy. It was a little bit salty, I guess because of the ham, that's why 4 stars instead of 5.
I made this with a bone left over from a spiral cut ham. It’s delicious and just like I remember my mom making when I was a kid.
I thought this was great. I always tweak recipes to my own tastes but I didnt change much. I had a large ham bone that was frozen from thanksgiving in the freezer so I used that in the soup and cut up some ham cubes and added them for a little bit more meat, I also added a bit more carrot. One carrot for a large pot of soup wasnt much, so I used 4-5 and thought that was perfect, also used a little more garlic. My husband had never had this soup, but now he loves it. Served it with cornbread.
I made this recipe. I did change a few items. I used a meaty ham bone, replaced half the water with chicken stock, added celery , and used two garlic cloves. My husband said it was the best bean/ham soup he ever had.
I had packaged chopped ham, not hocks. So I had to adjust. I used chicken stock to start with, and added the chopped ham when I added the puréed soup. Very good. I’d do it again.
I used this as a basic recipe. I used a mixture of chicken and veggie stock for the liquid, and a smoked goose wing and leg for the smoky flavor and tiny bit of meat. It was excellent and I will be using this recipe again. Thank you.
It's hard to get but I used homemade ham broth in addition to water. Excellent!
I made this soup for the first time and only modified one thing. I used 4 cups of low-sodium chicken + the 4 cups of cold water. And for my taste, I added a couple pinches of salt and about half a teaspoon of pepper. It was delicious and better than the Campbell's bean and ham soup! It was the perfect meal for a cold winter's day. Next time, I will add in some ham steak chunks. The ham hocks I had were not meaty enough. The smokiness was there though. I bet you can add in some applewood bacon or pork belly for extra smokiness and fat. Yum!
This is a good base recipe as is....I use Better than Bullion Ham base (even better, juices I’ve saved and froze when I make ham), or chicken base. I add cumin, rosemary, a few celery stalks, onion, carrots and extra garlic. Sometimes I add bacon and/or ham along with the hocks to make it a little meatier....you Do have to watch how salty it gets...I rarely add salt until the end...if it even needs it...This is a great recipe for the slow cooker. And, I’ve used canned beans when in a time crunch too.
Highly recommend using 2 lbs beans that have been soaked over night. You can skip the carrots & celery if you're using a leftover ham bone with meat still on it. Let it cook over low heat for several hours if you can (it's worth it!).
This is now my go-to recipe for Ham and Bean soup! It was very flavorful and everyone enjoyed it.
This turned out perfectly just the way the recipe is written. This is the only recipe I use. Love it!
Loved the recipe as is. so simple and good. I spiced up the second batch with diced tomatoes, Tabasco white wine, liquid smoke as well as chicken stock instead of water. Amazing results. will definately make it again.
This is a really good recipe , simple and easy , great taste , second time needed salt . I put it together with homemade Quick crusty bread and it was increadable!!!!
This soup was a crowd pleasure truly! I didn't have some of the fresh ingredients so I used dried and it was still flavorful. I had to simmer my beans for a hour longer than the recipe called for to ensure soft beans. Anyway, I am keeping this recipe and plan on using it again. I mean, how could I not even my kids were asking for seconds!!
I made this for a neighborhood who had surgery. It is one of his favorite foods. The only thing I did differently was omit the parsley because I didn't have any. We both really enjoyed the flavor. It was the perfect comfort food for someone who needed some. Thank you!
So this must be a regional recipe as we threw it out ... the beans where very bland with the ham hocks adding little flavor and are just grizzle. I would much rather use a ham bone with left over ham.
This one is a keeper- made as per recipe and it was so delicious, we loved it!
It is now my husband's favorite ham and bean soup. I made it with diced ham instead of ham hocks and added oregano. Very low in sodium and high in flavor.
I used your recipe as a guide to add ingredients canned beans. Work out great. Thank you for the ideas!
Leftover Christmas ham (bone and meat) for New Year's Day soup -- perfect. Used dried bean soaked overnight and fresh thyme. Just enough left for the next day -- even better tasting the next day.
This is a delicious soup. I put is all in the Crock-Pot at 8am and came home to a tasty meal. Husband says it's a keeper. I didn't change much. Didisub chicken broth for some of the water! Mmmmmm....
I love this recipe! I generally use a little less onion (like a half onion) and a couple more carrots just because that's what we prefer. I've used dried herbs when I don't have fresh, but prefer fresh. I make this soup every time we have a holiday ham, and sometimes I just buy ham shanks from the butcher when we are craving it. The day two leftovers are almost better than the first day. Highly recommend!
I'm trying to like beans. This recipe was pretty good with the extras to give it flavor. I didn't have smoked ham hocks (I had diced ham on hand), so I may have missed some of the yumminess. All in all it was a good meal I would make again.
A little bland, even with the fresh herbs, but it has a great texture. I'll definitely make it again.
Enjoyed this recipe. ..... I simmered the ham hocks for 2 hours in water separate and put in frig to congeal overnight. Skimmed and removed the fat and bones off the ham hock the next day and used the broth with lean meat from the ham hock to cook the beans that were soaked overnight. That added a great flavor, "other than that" followed the recipe. Soooo Good.!!!!!!!
This a wonderful soup, you use any kind of beans & it would be great. I added some chopped ham instead of the hocks & it was fantastic. I cooked it inmy crockpot on low for about 7 hours after soaking the beans overnight . I made some hoe-cakes to go with it & it was a nice touch. We ate this for 3 days and loved every bit! I was going to freeze some but we ended up scarfing it all,lol.
We loved this soup! Thank you for sharing. I used dried herbs instead of fresh, because that is what I had. I WILL be making this again.
I had to cook it longer. Ended up turning it on high after an hour and stirred every 15 min. adding water when needed till beans were soft.
AMAZING! I USED CHICKEN STOCK FOR 3/4 OF THE WATER. THE ONLY THING I CHANGED! SO GOOD!
This soup is fabulous. I cooked my ham bone in water and used 7 cups of the ham broth in place of the water. I also added about 1/2 tsp. dry mustard.
I've been looking for a bean soup recipe similar to what my mom always made. This is it, although I did make a few changes. Low sodium chicken stock instead of water, smoked pork chops instead of ham hocks (couldn't find any), soaked beans overnight. Amped up the veggies and left out the herb bundle. I'm certain it's fine as written. Thanks.
