There may not be one soup I enjoy more than Ham and Bean soup, and you can bet your bottom dollar I’ll be making a gigantic pot of it the day after Christmas with all the leftover ham up in here.
I remember when I used to work at this restaurant and one of the waiters was out in the dining room trying a bowl of ham and bean we had made before service started and he came in the back screaming, “Mama, you back there?” He said it reminded him of his mom’s ham and bean soup recipe and that he felt like a kid again.
Honestly, I feel like it does the exact same for me because I’ve been eating ham and soup the day after Christmas for years. Something magical happens when that salty ham pairs up with all those beans in a gigantic pot of deliciousness that I don’t have the vocabulary to express it. Marry those two ingredients with a boatload of root vegetables and you’ve got yourself one tasty soup.
I served up my ham and bean soup with some croutons, fresh thyme, rosemary and some grated Parmesan cheese, simply because I’m Italian and I put cheese on everything. If you really wanted to dig deep into the roots of ham and bean soup, then I suggest you whip up a batch of cornbread to go along with it.
Happy eating guys and have some safe and Happy Holidays!
Leftover Christmas Ham and Bean Soup Recipe
Equipment
- 1 gallon of soup
INGREDIENTS
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- 1 peeled and small diced yellow onion
- 5 peeled and medium diced carrots
- 5 medium diced stalks of celery
- 1 peeled and medium diced parsnip
- 2 peeled and medium diced turnips
- 1 pound of preferred bean blend soaked in water overnight
- 4 cups of medium diced leftover ham
- 8 cups of chicken stock
- 2 peeled and medium diced potatoes
- 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 tablespoons of chopped fresh thyme
- Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
- Optional Garnishes: fresh rosemary, thyme, croutons or parmesan cheese
INSTRUCTIONS
- In a large pot on high heat add in the olive oil and then add in the onions, carrots, celery, parsnip and turnips to lightly brown, about 6 to 8 minutes.
- Next, add in the soaked bean blend, water drained, the ham and chicken stock. Stir, cover and simmer on low heat for 20 minutes.
- Add in the potatoes and herbs, stir, cover and simmer for 20 more minutes.
- Finish by adjusting the seasonings with salt and pepper. Serve with optional garnishes: fresh rosemary, fresh thyme, croutons or shredded Parmesan cheese.
