Navy Bean Soup

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Navy Bean Soup Recipe

Recipe Rundown

Taste	Navy Bean Soup is a hearty, savory soup with tender beans, flavorful ham, and a rich broth infused with herbs and vegetables.
Texture	Navy Beans are a creamier, almost buttery type of bean when cooked allowing it to absorb flavors of the broth and seasonings beautifully.
Vegetarian Option	This soup is traditionally made with ham or bacon, but omitting these will yield a vegetarian soup that is just as amazing! A dash of liquid smoke will even add the smoky flavor!
Alternatives	This recipe is perfect to make after Easter with left over ham. If your enjoying this soup out of season, like myself, ham steaks can be found in in the grocery store next to pre-packaged cold foods like mashed potatoes and mac n cheese. BACON is always a good alternative too !

Title reads , "Navy Bean Soup; Hearty and Comforting" with am image of navy bean soup in a white bowl with ham and garnished with parsley

Making navy bean soup always feels like a hug from the past. There is no better use for left over Easter Ham than this soup! I have fond memories of making this dish with my grandmother the day after Easter. I admit, her hams were always a bit dry ( sorry Nana!) but this soup was always a treat to look forward to the next day 😊 . As the ham simmers in the broth with herbs and vegetables, it softens up perfectly for the coziest soup.

Instructions

This recipe begins by sauteing your mirepoix in a 6 qt or larger pot. Mirepoix (pronounced "meer-pwah") is a French culinary term referring to a mixture of finely chopped vegetables like onions, carrots and celery. This is the base for so many dishes.

celery, onions, and carrots sauteing in a stainless steel pot

After a light saute, add in the garlic, seasonings and chopped ham or bacon pieces. I used ham of course! Let these cook with the vegetables until aromatic. There will be a deliciously noticeable shift in aromas from the veggies to ham and garlic after about a minute !

left over Easter Ham being added to a pot with celery, carrots and onions for a hearty navy bean soup

Lastly, top everything off with 5 cans of drained and rinsed navy beans and 8 cups of broth. Chicken and vegetable broths are the best for this recipe. I made a Ham Bone Broth the day before for an extra hammy flavor 😄.

navy beans and homemade broth being added to a pot to make navy bean soup

Allow everything to simmer on low for 30 minutes. This is just enough time to fully cook your carrots and get those beans to absorbs all the delicious flavors! Serve with a crusty bread for dipping like sourdough or a baguette and you have the most amazing Navy Bean Soup.

close up of creamy and hearty navy bean soup simmering in a large stock pot with various ingredients floating at the top like celery, carrots and ham.

How to Store Left Over Navy Bean Soup

Left over soup is SUCH a wonderful thing. It can easily be reheated through out the week in the microwave or stove top. If you cant imagine yourself eating soup for the next 5 days, freezing it in portions is the best way to go! I use these silicone dividers to portion everything out. Because its silicone, they pop out so easily!