Mom's Ham and Bean Soup

This ham and bean soup recipe is made with Great Northern beans and meaty ham hocks for a comforting, made-from-scratch meal perfect for cold days.

• Preparation Time: 20 mins
• Cooking Time: 2 hr 5 mins
• Total Time: 2 hr 25 mins
• Calories: 397 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 cup chopped onion
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 bay leaf
• 5 cups water
• 1 large carrot, chopped
• 4 meaty ham hocks
• 0.25 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1.5 cups dried Great Northern beans
• 1.5 cups sliced celery
• 0.5 teaspoon dried thyme, or more to taste

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Remove ham hocks from soup. Cut meat from bones, discarding fat and bones. Return meat to the pot. Continue cooking until beans reach desired softness.

Step 2

Place Great Northern beans into a large container and cover with several inches of cool water; let stand for 8 hours to overnight. Drain and transfer beans to a large stockpot.

Step 3

Add ham hocks, 5 cups water, celery, onion, carrot, garlic, thyme, black pepper, and bay leaf to beans in the stockpot; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until ham falls off the bones, about 2 hours.