Navy Bean Soup

January 1, 2018Teresa Ambra

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

Happy New Years everyone! I have the perfect comfort food for you today to enjoy your day off. Navy Bean Soup is one of my favorite comfort foods. Come fall or winter, I want a bowl of this delicious soup. Besides the ham and beans (from scratch), my recipe includes celery, leeks, onions, garlic and carrots. I season the soup with thyme, parsley, bay leaves and Liquid Smoke. The Liquid Smoke provides just the right amount of smoky flavor to give the soup a distinguishing taste.

Follow Me On Instagram!

I cooked up a spiral cut ham the week before Thanksgiving for our Friday night care group. There were quite a bit of leftovers, so I tried to come up with a couple of recipes to use up all that ham. I made a delicious Ham and Scalloped Sweet Potatoes casserole with part of the ham. Then I cooked off the bone and used the ham and the broth for this recipe. I have to admit it was perfection in a recipe.

Navy Bean Soup is one of those hearty, filling and satisfying recipes where one bowl will just about stick to your ribs and you need nothing more. You can serve it with a good homemade breador some Garlic Parmesan Knots if you like a little bread with your soup. But you certainly don’t have to.

Another nice thing about this soup is that’s it’s so easy because it’s made in the crockpot. The ease and convenience of the slow cooker on days when I don’t have time to do a lot of stove top cooking is great for me. My husband and I had our hands in cookie dough the whole week so we were both tired and didn’t have time to do a lot of exotic gourmet type cooking! This easy recipe fit the bill.

If you’re looking for a wonderful comfort food recipe that’s also a fantastic way to use up some leftover ham, this is the recipe for you! Navy Bean Soup will knock your socks off so that you and your family will want to enjoy this soup frequently throughout the year.

Navy Bean Soup is one of my favorite comfort foods.

This soup is so easy to make because it’s made in the slow cooker.

Serve Navy Bean Soup with your favorite bread, if desired.

Here’s what I did.

I used these ingredients.

I cooked off the ham in water in the crockpot the night before I made this. Remove meat from bones and reserve all the broth for the soup. If you’re making this the same day, you’ll need to allow the crockpot and ham to cool about an hour before deboning.

Pour ham broth into a large crockpot. Add ham and dry navy beans.

Add onions, leeks, celery, garlic and carrots.

Add salt, pepper, thyme, parsley, bay leaves and Liquid Smoke.

Cook on high about 4 hours until beans and veggies are tender. Remove bay leaves before serving.

Garnish with fresh thyme, if desired.

Navy Bean Soup is one of those stick-to-the-rib soups that’s perfect for winter nights when you want to warm your insides up! 🙂

Every bite is delightful.

This sumptuous soup recipe is hearty and filling. It’s also terrific with homemade bread.

Here’s the recipe.

(My own concoction)

Teresa Ambra

This sumptuous stick-to-the-ribs soup recipe is perfect comfort food during the winter months. It's also a great way to use up leftover holiday ham. This easy recipe is made in the crockpot. Gluten free.

4.15 from 28 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 8 hours hrs

Total Time 8 hours hrs 15 minutes mins

Course Main Dish, Soup, Stews and Chowders

Cuisine American

Servings 10

Calories 322 kcal

Equipment

1 crockpot
1 sharp knife to cut vegetables and cooked meat
1 wooden spoon
measuring cups
measuring spoons

Ingredients

1 ham bone
4 cups ham chopped (taken off ham bone)
1 1/2 qts. ham broth (if you do not have ham broth, substitute vegetable broth)
16 oz. dry navy beans
1 large onion chopped
1 leek green top removed, thoroughly washed and diced
2 ribs celery diced
3 carrots thinly sliced
1 tsp. sea salt
3/4 tsp. ground black pepper
2 cloves garlic minced
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. dried parsley
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp. liquid smoke

Instructions

Place ham bone and any other pieces of ham in a crockpot.
Fill with water and cook on high about 4-5 hours.
Debone ham.
Remove gristle, fat and bone and discard.
Remove ham from bones and dice.
Reserve ham broth.
The next day place ham and ham broth in a crockpot.
Add navy beans, onion, leek, celery, carrots, garlic and seasonings.
Cook on high about 4 hours until beans and veggies are tender.

Notes

NOTE: You can cook this all in one day. But you will probably want to cool the ham about an hour before deboning and having it ready for the next part of the recipe. Otherwise, it's helpful to cook the ham off in the crockpot the day beforehand.

NOTE: Be sure to reserve all the broth from cooking off the ham-bone and use in this recipe.

^© Can’t Stay Out of the Kitchen

Nutrition

Calories: 322kcalCarbohydrates: 34gProtein: 24gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 38mgSodium: 1409mgPotassium: 865mgFiber: 13gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 3276IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 112mgIron: 4mg

Keyword beans, carrots, gluten free, ham, main dish, pork, soup

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Each bite is chocked full of ham and navy beans. It’s really terrific.

I served this with gluten free crackers.

Navy Bean Soup is great reheated for leftovers, too. Because it makes a lot, I had leftovers for a few days.

Ham and Lima Bean Soup

Split Pea Soup with Ham

Hearty Ham and Cheese Soup

Navy Bean Soup

Teresa Ambra

This sumptuous stick-to-the-ribs soup recipe is perfect comfort food during the winter months. It’s also a great way to use up leftover holiday ham. This easy recipe is made in the crockpot. Gluten free.

4.15 from 28 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 8 hours hrs

Total Time 8 hours hrs 15 minutes mins

Course Main Dish, Soup, Stews and Chowders

Cuisine American

Servings 10

Calories 322 kcal

Equipment

1 crockpot
1 sharp knife to cut vegetables and cooked meat
1 wooden spoon
measuring cups
measuring spoons

Ingredients

1 ham bone
4 cups ham chopped (taken off ham bone)
1 1/2 qts. ham broth (if you do not have ham broth, substitute vegetable broth)
16 oz. dry navy beans
1 large onion chopped
1 leek green top removed, thoroughly washed and diced
2 ribs celery diced
3 carrots thinly sliced
1 tsp. sea salt
3/4 tsp. ground black pepper
2 cloves garlic minced
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. dried parsley
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp. liquid smoke

Instructions

Place ham bone and any other pieces of ham in a crockpot.
Fill with water and cook on high about 4-5 hours.
Debone ham.
Remove gristle, fat and bone and discard.
Remove ham from bones and dice.
Reserve ham broth.
The next day place ham and ham broth in a crockpot.
Add navy beans, onion, leek, celery, carrots, garlic and seasonings.
Cook on high about 4 hours until beans and veggies are tender.

Notes

NOTE: You can cook this all in one day. But you will probably want to cool the ham about an hour before deboning and having it ready for the next part of the recipe. Otherwise, it’s helpful to cook the ham off in the crockpot the day beforehand.

NOTE: Be sure to reserve all the broth from cooking off the ham-bone and use in this recipe.

Nutrition

Keyword beans, carrots, gluten free, ham, main dish, pork, soup

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

bay leavesbean soupcarrotscelerycompany dinnercrockpotcrockpot soup recipeeasy slow cooker dinnereasy slow cooker soup recipefamily dinnerfavorite ham and bean soupfavorite soup recipefoodgarlicgluten free main dishgluten free soupgluten-freehamham and bean soupham souphow to use leftover ham from the holidaysleekleeksliquid smokenavy bean soupnavy beansnew year's daynew year's day souponiononionsrecipesoupsunday dinnerways to use leftover ham

23 Comments

Bruce
August 31, 2022 at 4:33 pm

Excellent ! Dropped the liquid smoke and in addition to your recipe I added 1 TSP mustard powder.
Reply
1. Teresa
  September 1, 2022 at 7:36 am
  Hi Bruce, glad it worked out for you. But the Liquid Smoke really does add an amazing flavor! 🙂
  Reply
Riverlites
November 5, 2021 at 5:05 am
This recipe seems perfect for using with the stock/ham “left behind” after a New England boiled dinner. Any advice on adaptations? My one concern is whether I should soak/cook beans separately. Thanks. PS Thanks for the tip about Liquid Smoke…never tried that in this soup before.
Reply
1. Teresa
  November 8, 2021 at 7:12 am
  Hi there. Yes, I think you could adapt it very easily. You will have to purchase broth and use chicken or beef broth. I would just cut the meat, potatoes, carrots and cabbage down in small bits. I would soak the beans by bringing to a boil and allowing them to sit for at least an hour. I would pretty much follow the basic recipe but adding in any additional corned beef stuff as you desire. (Even in the amounts you desire). I bet it would have a wonderful taste.
  Reply
  See Also
  Instant Pot Ham and Bean Soup
Dana
September 25, 2020 at 12:20 pm
This looks really tasty! My question is do you by chance have a time conversion for using the instant pot? Thank you!
Reply
1. Teresa
  September 26, 2020 at 2:25 pm
  I’m sorry, Dana, I don’t have a conversion, but I’m sure you can find something similar online and that would work.
  Reply
Tibbs
July 21, 2020 at 10:36 pm
Nutrition facts data is useless, you do not list serving size/amount, rendering the info nonrelavant. It’s meaningless without known serving amount. Listing number of servings just doesn’t cut it!
Reply
1. Teresa
  July 23, 2020 at 8:37 am
  Hi, Tibbs. When you divide the recipe into the servings provided that should give you a basic amount.
  Reply
Rose
January 11, 2020 at 10:01 pm
Can you use any other beans such as cannellini beans or any other beans rather than navy beans
Thank you
Reply
1. Teresa
  January 12, 2020 at 12:44 pm
  Hi, Rose. Yes, you can interchange any kind of beans you want in this recipe. Any way you make it will be delicious.
  Reply
Alicia
May 6, 2019 at 1:06 pm
Can’t wait to try this recipe. Did you pre-soak the beans before adding to the crockpot?
Reply
1. Teresa
  May 6, 2019 at 2:19 pm
  Hi, Alicia. I did not pre-soak the beans. I usually do when making on top of the stove. But I did not do that for this recipe. Hope you enjoy the soup.
  Reply
Ann
April 2, 2018 at 4:04 pm
We had ham for Easter and saved the ham bone and some ham for this delicious recipe! Have you tried Better Than Bouillon Ham Base made with seasoned ham? Thanks!!
Reply
1. Teresa
  April 3, 2018 at 7:09 am
  Hi, Ann. No I’ve never heard of the ham base one, although I’ve used the beef better than bouillon before. It was terrific. Hope you enjoy the recipe.
  Reply
Michelle appleby
January 4, 2018 at 5:56 pm
I cannot browse your site without annoying ads I can’t get rid of!!!!!! I miss your site!!! Fix it!!
Reply
1. Teresa
  January 4, 2018 at 10:38 pm
  Sorry, Michelle. I’ve been working with my ad agency to fix the malicious ads, but it’s been difficult finding the culprits. If you have a specific ad and can tell me what page you found it on, that would help a lot. Thanks.
  Reply
2. Teresa
  January 11, 2018 at 1:30 pm
  Hey, Michelle, I think I have fixed the problem now. Sorry for the annoyance.
  Reply
Ann
January 3, 2018 at 7:42 pm
A big thanks for this delicious recipe! It deserves 10 STARS!!!!
Reply
1. Teresa
  January 4, 2018 at 8:33 am
  Thanks, Ann. We love this recipe too. 🙂
  Reply
Sara
January 3, 2018 at 1:59 pm
MMMMmmm! This looks amazing! I don’t have a crock pot, but I have a dutch oven so I may try to make this when I’m home one Sunday evening! Thanks for sharing 😀
Reply
1. Teresa
  January 4, 2018 at 8:32 am
  Hi, Sara. Yes, I’m sure you can make this on top of the stove just as easily. Enjoy!
  Reply
Ann
January 1, 2018 at 3:41 pm
Thanks! I was just looking for Ham Bone Soup recipe yesterday afternoon. You must have been reading my mind! Also, thanks for all your super recipes! Thanks again and have a very Happy New Year!
Reply
1. Teresa
  January 1, 2018 at 4:21 pm
  Hi, Ann. So glad I was reading your mind! 🙂 I love this stuff and could eat it all the time. Thanks for stopping by. Have a great New Year.
  Reply