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Navy Bean Soup with Ham Bone

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A hearty, easy, and classic navy bean soup made with a smoky ham bone, perfect for beginners and budget-friendly meals.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 ½ cups dried navy beans (300g), rinsed and sorted
  • 1 large ham bone with some meat left (or ham hock or smoked turkey leg)
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 2 medium carrots, diced
  • 2 celery stalks, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme or 2 teaspoons fresh thyme
  • 6 cups chicken broth (1.4 liters), low-sodium preferred
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Additional water (about 2 cups) to cover ingredients in pot

Instructions

  1. Sort and soak the navy beans overnight or use quick soak: cover beans with water, boil for 2 minutes, then let sit covered for 1 hour.
  2. Dice onion, carrots, and celery; mince garlic while beans soak or cook.
  3. Place soaked and drained beans in a large stockpot. Add ham bone, chopped onion, carrots, celery, garlic, bay leaves, and thyme.
  4. Pour in chicken broth and add enough water to cover everything by about an inch (roughly 2 cups).
  5. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer partially covered for 1 ½ to 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
  6. Remove ham bone, let cool slightly, shred any remaining meat, and return meat to the pot. Discard the bone.
  7. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. Add water or broth if soup is too thick, or simmer uncovered 10-15 minutes if too thin.
  8. Optional: Use an immersion blender to puree about 1/3 of the soup for a creamier texture.
  9. Serve warm with crusty bread or a simple salad.

Notes

Soak beans overnight for best texture or use quick soak if short on time. Simmer low and slow to avoid cloudy broth and broken beans. Salt at the end to prevent toughening beans. Adjust soup thickness by adding broth or simmering uncovered. Save and shred ham meat from the bone for added flavor.

Nutrition

Keywords: navy bean soup, ham bone soup, hearty soup, easy soup recipe, beginner soup recipe, budget-friendly soup, classic soup, slow simmer soup

Find it online: https://fuzzyforker.com/navy-bean-soup-with-ham-bone-recipe-easy-hearty-classic-for-beginners/