This Ham Soup recipe is made with beans and vegetables in a savory broth with the best combination of seasonings. It’s freezer-friendly and easy to make on the stove top or in the crock pot!

Be sure to try my Ham Casserole and Pork Stew recipes next!

Ham Soup in a green Dutch oven with a metal ladle.

Ham Soup

This ham soup recipe is definitely one of my favorite ways to use up leftover ham. It’s a breeze to make on the stove top or in the crock pot, and I love that it’s freezer-friendly. It’s also light yet satisfying, and filled with vegetables like spinach (or kale), which makes me feel good about eating it!

Unlike my ham and bean soup recipe (which is made with dried beans), this recipe is made with canned beans, which makes this soup come together quickly and easily. 

The combination of seasonings and flavor enhancers in this soup take it over the top for sure!

BONUS: In this recipe, we first fry the ham in the soup pot which makes it nice and crispy, enhances it’s flavor, and adds “fond” to the pot which is deglazed with wine to transfer flavor into the broth!

How to Make It

See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.

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Fry the ham in olive oil until golden and crisp. Set aside and deglaze the pot with white wine. Reduce by half.

Slices of crispy ham on a plate next to a soup pot being deglazed with white wine.

Add the butter, garlic, onions, carrots, celery, seasonings, hot sauce, and Worcestershire sauce and cook for 5-6 minutes. Add the beans and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and add the ham back. 

Adding broth and ham to a soup pot to make ham soup.

Simmer for 30 minutes, partially covered. Stir in the spinach. Serve!

Adding spinach to a pot and stirring to combine for ham soup.

Pro Tips

  • The hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and mustard powder are flavor enhancers in this soup that can’t be tasted outright. The hot sauce doesn’t make it spicy. I use Frank’s Hot Sauce. 
  • Wine: Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, or Sauvignon Blanc are great in this recipe. Chicken broth can be used if you don’t cook with wine
  • Beans: Any canned bean that you enjoy eating can be used in this soup, including Great Northern, Cannellini, Navy, or a combination of beans.
  • To use dried beans, try this ham and bean soup recipe.
  • Sodium: Ham is generally pretty salty, and canned beans also have sodium added. Therefore, I recommend that you use low sodium chicken broth. If you only have regular broth, you can give your beans a quick rinse to remove a little salt.

Storage

  • Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. This soup freezes very well.

Ham Soup in a white bowl with a spoon.

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A green Dutch oven with Ham Soup with beans and vegetables with a ladle on the side.

Ham Soup

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
4.93 from 57 ratings
Servings: 10 cups
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This Ham Soup recipe is easy to make on the stove top or the crock pot with canned beans, vegetables, leftover ham, and seasonings in a savory broth.

Ingredients

US Customary - Metric

Soup

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 ½ cups ham, diced
  • ½ cup white dry white wine, see notes
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 yellow onion, diced
  • ¾ cup carrots, diced
  • 2 celery ribs, diced
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon hot sauce
  • 32 oz. pinto beans, (Two 16 oz. cans) Drained but not rinsed.
  • 6 cups low sodium chicken broth
  • ¼ cup heavy cream, optional
  • 2 cups spinach

Seasonings

  • 1 teaspoon EACH: dried oregano, basil, parsley, mustard powder
  • ¼ teaspoon EACH: ground sage, pepper

For Serving

  • Fresh grated Parmesan cheese, optional

Instructions

  • Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Add the ham and cook until golden and crisp, 1-2 minutes per side. Set aside and dice once cooled (if not already diced), I crisp whole slices of ham and dice it after.
  • Turn the heat off and add the wine. Set the heat to medium and use a silicone spatula to “clean” the bottom and sides of the pot. Let it bubble gently and reduce by half, about 4 minutes.
  • Melt the butter and add the garlic. Cook for 1 minute. Add the onions, carrots, celery, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and seasonings. Stir to combine and soften for 5-6 minutes.
  • Add the drained pinto beans, then the chicken broth and heavy cream, if using. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
  • Add the ham back. Let it simmer, partially covered, for 30 minutes. (Run a silicone spatula along the bottom every 10 minutes or so, to lift any ingredients settling to the bottom.)
  • Add the spinach and let it wilt, about 3 minutes.
  • Taste, and adjust any seasonings as needed. Transfer to serving bowls and sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan cheese if desired.

Notes

Crock Pot Method:
  • Add all ingredients except the spinach to the slow cooker (omit the wine). Cook on low for 6 hours or on high for 3-4.
  • Add the spinach during the last 5 minutes, or until wilted.
  • Optional: Fry the ham and deglaze the pot with wine as outlined in the stove top method if desired. Many crock pots allow you to brown meat right in the crock pot insert.
Pro Tips:
  • The hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and mustard powder are flavor enhancers in this soup that can't be tasted outright. The hot sauce doesn't make it spicy. I use Frank's Hot Sauce. 
  • Wine: Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, or Sauvignon Blanc are great in this recipe. Chicken broth can be used if you don’t cook with wine
  • Beans: Any canned bean that you enjoy eating can be used in this soup, including Great Northern, Cannellini, Navy, or a combination of beans.
  • To use dried beans, try this ham and bean soup recipe.
  • Sodium: Ham is generally pretty salty, and canned beans also have sodium added. Therefore, I recommend that you use low sodium chicken broth. If you only have regular broth, you can give your beans a quick rinse to remove a little salt.
Storage:
  • Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. This soup freezes very well.
The nutritional information is an estimate and is per cup. There are approximately 10 cups in this recipe.

Nutrition

Calories: 314kcal, Carbohydrates: 29g, Protein: 19g, Fat: 11g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 28mg, Sodium: 510mg, Potassium: 744mg, Fiber: 9g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 2247IU, Vitamin C: 5mg, Calcium: 75mg, Iron: 3mg
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Course: Soup
Cuisine: American
Author: Stephanie