Bean Soup Smoked Ham Potatoes (Printable Version)

Hearty blend of tender beans, smoky ham, and rustic potatoes ideal for cold weather.

# What You Need:

→ Meats

01 - 8.8 oz smoked ham, diced

→ Beans & Legumes

02 - 14 oz cooked white beans (cannellini or navy beans), drained and rinsed

→ Vegetables

03 - 3 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
04 - 2 medium carrots, diced
05 - 2 celery stalks, diced
06 - 1 large onion, finely chopped
07 - 2 cloves garlic, minced

→ Liquids

08 - 6 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth

→ Herbs & Spices

09 - 2 bay leaves
10 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme
11 - ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
12 - Salt, to taste

→ Fats

13 - 2 tablespoons olive oil

→ Garnish

14 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

# How-To Steps:

01 - Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, and celery. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables soften.
02 - Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Stir in diced smoked ham and cook for 3 to 4 minutes to release its smoky flavor.
04 - Add potatoes, beans, bay leaves, thyme, black pepper, and broth. Stir well to combine all components.
05 - Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 1 hour, or until potatoes are tender and flavors have melded.
06 - Remove bay leaves. Taste and adjust salt as needed.
07 - Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with fresh parsley if desired. Serve hot.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It fills your kitchen with the kind of smell that makes people ask what's cooking before they even walk through the door.
  • One pot, minimal fuss, and a finished meal that feels like real food rather than something you assembled.
  • Stretches further than you'd think and tastes even better the next day when everything knows each other better.
02 -
  • Don't skip the rinsing of canned beans—the starchy liquid makes the soup cloudy and gives it a canned taste you'll recognize and regret.
  • Ham bones are magical if you can get them; simmer one with the broth from the start and pull it out before serving, and your soup becomes something that tastes like it took all day.
03 -
  • Cut your vegetables roughly the same size so they cook evenly and your soup looks intentional rather than thrown together.
  • Low-sodium broth gives you control—the ham and salt you add at the end are the real seasoning, so let them lead rather than starting with something already salty.
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