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Hearty White Bean and Ham Soup, perfect for cold winter days! White beans, ham shanks, onions, celery, carrots, garlic, Tabasco, and herbs make this delicious ham and bean soup a cool weather classic.
When the weather turns cold, and all you want to do is stay cozy and warm, the best thing to do is to make a big pot of hearty soup. On days like these, nothing is more comforting than this ham and white bean soup. (Well, maybe some fuzzy woolen slippers, but you can’t eat those!)
The Best Ham and Bean Soup – A Family Classic
This ham and bean soup is one of my favorite recipes on the website, and one that my father has been making for the family for decades. He makes a big batch (doubles this one) and because it just gets better as the days go by, we’ll enjoy it for dinner one night and then for lunch for several days afterward.
Why is it that some stews and soups improve the next day? I think it’s because the flavors from the beans, ham, and vegetables have time to blend. The starch from the beans settles more into the broth making the soup thicker and more stew-like too.
Ingredients
1 lb or 2 1/2 cups dry white beans—Cannellini or Great Northern
2 quarts of water
2-3 lbs of smoked ham shanks or ham hocks
2 teaspoons Herbes de Provence, or Italian seasoning
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 cup of diced onions (about 1 small onion)
1 cup chopped celery (about 2-3 ribs)
2/3 cup chopped carrots (about 1 medium carrot)
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
Tabasco sauce
Salt and pepper
Fresh parsley
Method
