Here’s a classic Hearty Navy Bean & Ham Hock Soup—simple, rustic, and very filling.
🥣 Hearty Navy Bean & Ham Hock Soup
Ingredients
- 1 lb (about 2 cups) dried navy beans
- 1–2 smoked ham hocks (or 1 large ham bone)
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 carrots, diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 3–4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1–2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp black pepper (adjust to taste)
- Salt (add at the end)
- 8–10 cups water or chicken broth
- Optional: smoked paprika, thyme, or chili flakes
Instructions
1. Soak the beans (recommended)
- Rinse beans and soak overnight in plenty of water.
- Or quick soak: boil 2 minutes, then rest 1 hour.
2. Start the base
- In a large pot, add soaked beans, ham hocks, onion, carrots, celery, garlic, bay leaves, and pepper.
- Pour in water/broth.
3. Simmer low and slow
- Bring to a boil, then reduce to low heat.
- Cover and simmer 1.5 to 2.5 hours, stirring occasionally.
- Skim foam if needed.
4. Shred the meat
- Remove ham hocks.
- Pull off the meat, discard bones and skin, and return meat to pot.
5. Finish seasoning
- Taste before adding salt (ham is already salty).
- Adjust seasoning, add herbs if desired.
- Simmer another 10–15 minutes.
Texture tip
For a thicker soup, mash some beans against the side of the pot or blend a small portion and stir back in.
What you get
A thick, smoky, protein-rich soup that gets better the next day.
If you want, I can also give you:
- slow cooker version (set-and-forget)
- Instant Pot version (much faster)
- or a “no-soak beans” shortcut version
