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Basic Ham and Bean Soup

A warm and simple bowl of comfort featuring great northern beans and ham hock for rich flavors, this filling soup is perfect for meal prep.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Course, Soup
Cuisine: American
Calories: 300
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Main Ingredients
  • 8 cups water
  • 1 pound dry great northern beans, sorted and rinsed
  • 0.5 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup chopped carrots
  • 1 cup chopped onion
  • 0.5 stalk celery, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 1 teaspoon mustard powder
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 piece ham hock
  • 2 cups chopped ham
  • 0.5 teaspoon ground white pepper or to taste

Method
 

Preparation
  1. Gather all ingredients.
  2. Place water and beans in a large pot; bring to a boil over high heat.
  3. Stir in salt and remove the pot from heat; cover, and let stand for 1 hour.
  4. Add carrots, onion, celery, garlic, mustard, and bay leaves to the pot with beans; stir well.
  5. Add ham hock and bring to a boil; reduce heat to low and simmer for 1 hour.
  6. Remove ham hock and discard.
  7. Stir in chopped ham and simmer until heated through, about 30 minutes.
  8. Season with ground white pepper to taste.

Notes

Store cooled soup in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 3–4 days. To freeze, cool the soup completely first, then place in freezer-safe containers or heavy-duty freezer bags. Thaw frozen soup in the fridge overnight. Reheat on the stove over low heat, adding water or low-sodium broth if the soup thickens after freezing.