15 Bean and Ham Soup

⏱ 270 mins 🍽 8-10 serving(s)

This robust soup elevates a simple pot of beans with a blend of fifteen varieties, smoky ham, and savoury bacon. Layers of vegetables and spices create a deeply satisfying flavour that develops over several hours of cooking. It makes a generous batch, ideal for feeding a crowd or freezing for later. For a hint of spice, consider using a Cajun-style bean blend. A bowl of this soup pairs wonderfully with fresh cornbread.

15 Bean and Ham Soup

Ingredients

  • 1 (20 ounce) package dry beans (I recommend Hurst 15 Bean blend, with included spice packet)
  • 1 ham bone
  • 2 1/2 cups ham, chopped
  • 1 cup bacon bits (please use real bacon bits, not imitation salad topping)
  • 5 large carrots, chopped, divided in half
  • 3 stalks celery & leaves, chopped, divided in half
  • 1 large onion, chopped, divided in half
  • 10 cups chicken broth, divided
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 3 drops liquid smoke
  • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard (or spicy brown)
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1 tablespoon dried parsley
  • 1 teaspoon ground rosemary
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper, ground
  • 1 (12 ounce) can vegetable juice (V8)
  • 2 (10 ounce) cans diced tomatoes and green chilies (Rotel)
  • 3 tablespoons lemon juice (approximately 1 large lemon)

Method

  1. First, sort the dry beans to remove any debris or stones, then rinse them. You can soak the beans overnight in cold water. Alternatively, cover them with water, bring to a boil for 5 minutes, then turn off the heat, cover, and let them rest for 70 minutes. Drain the beans and place them in a large stock pot.
  2. Place the ham bone, chopped ham, bacon bits, half of the chopped onion, half of the celery, and half of the carrots into the pot with the beans. Pour in enough chicken broth to cover the contents by 2 inches. Add the Worcestershire sauce, liquid smoke, Dijon mustard, chili powder, bay leaves, black pepper, dried parsley, and ground rosemary.
  3. Allow the soup to simmer uncovered, stirring now and then, for about 2.5 hours. Top up with more chicken broth as necessary to keep the beans submerged.
  4. Take out the ham bone. Stir in the canned diced tomatoes and green chillies, the vegetable juice, and the remaining chopped onion, celery, and carrots. Let it continue to simmer for 1 hour, adding more broth if needed.
  5. Mix in the seasoning packet from the bean package and the lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper to your liking. Simmer for a final 30 minutes. Remember to remove the bay leaves before you serve the soup.
  6. A key tip is to avoid adding acidic ingredients like tomatoes or lemon juice until the final stages of cooking, as they can toughen the beans.
  7. To reduce the gas sometimes caused by beans, cook a large, peeled potato (cut in half) with the soup for at least one hour during the initial cooking phase. Discard the potato afterwards. do not eat it.
  8. The full flavour of this soup develops over several hours, so wait until the last 30 minutes to taste and adjust seasoning. Salt should only be added at the end. If the soup becomes too salty, dilute it with hot water. It tastes even better the next day and can be cooked in a slow cooker for 8 hours. It also freezes very well.

Nutrition (per serving)

Sodium2347200 mg

Recipe details

AuthorFaux Chef Lael